Shipbuilding Your Way to an Author Life: Elisa Stone Leahy Guest Post and Mallory in Full Color Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today I’m excited to have Elisa Stone Leahy here with a guest post about navigating becoming a debut author to celebrate the release of her new MG Mallory in Full Color, which is a companion book to her debut book, Tethered to Other Stars. You may want to check out my interview with Elisa when she was a debut author in 2023. Her new book deals with a lot of issues middle graders are contending with, and I’m looking forward to reading it.

Here’s a blurb of Mallory in Full Color:

 

Mallory Marsh is an expert at molding into whatever other people want her to be. Her true thoughts and feelings only come out in her sci-fi web comic, which she publishes anonymously as Dr. BotGirl.

But juggling all the versions of herself gets tricky, especially when Mal’s mom signs her up for swim team. Instead of being honest about hating competitive swim, Mal skips out on practice and secretly joins the library’s comic club. There Mal meets Noa, a cute enby kid who is very sure of who they are. As Mal helps Noa plan a drag queen story time, she tries to be the person she thinks Noa wants her to be—by lying about her stage fright.

Then Mal’s web comic goes viral, and kids at school start recognizing the unflattering characters based on Mal’s real-life friends. With negative pushback threatening the drag queen story time and Dr.BotGirl’s identity getting harder to hide, Mallory must reckon with the lies she has told.

If she reveals her full self, will her friends, her parents, and her new crush accept the real Mallory Marsh?

 

Follower News

Before I get to Elisa’s guest post, I have Follower News to share. Nancy Stewart’s MG Me and the Missouri Moon recently received a starred Kirkus award. Here’s a blurb: Ten-year-old Scarlet has never had a best friend until she meets Cricket, a rich girl from St. Louis, Missouri. But a dark secret threatens their friendship. Scarlet’s dad, with Scarlet in the car, hit Cricket’s brother and left him wounded just before the beginning of fifth grade. Terrified of losing Cricket, Scarlet tells no one about the incident. Will she tell Cricket the truth and risk everything? Or will she stay silent and live with the guilt? Find out in this story of friendship, forgiveness. And here are a few links: X @stewartnancy Instagram: @rosenthalstewart/ Website

 

 

Shipbuilding Your Way to Author Life 

By Elisa Stone Leahy

When you are still at the beginning of your publishing journey, debuting a book can seem like a bridge to a magical island, where all the successful, published authors are hanging out together.
You think, “If I can just get that book deal and get my book on the shelf, I’ll get to cross that bridge.” But debuting a book is not like crossing a bridge. It’s more like building your own boat, charting a course and trying to navigate a sea of unexpected waves in the dark.

1)    Build your boat. Your writing is the craft that will carry you on your author journey. It will always be important, no matter how many publishing wins you get. If you have the time and resources, tap into the plethora of writing classes, workshops and retreats available. Many not only hone your craft but also help you build a community in the writing world. Often there are scholarships, but those are limited. I know what it is like to build a writing career while raising a family on a struggling income. I couldn’t afford to financially invest in my writing for many years. When I sold my debut book, I had never attended a single writing class. My literary education came from reading and bingeing writing podcasts (Writing Excuses, Just Keep Writing and The Mythcreant Podcast are some of my favorites!). Find what works for you, whether that means paying for a free-lance editor who can give you a top-tier education through the process of editing your manuscript (shout out to Laura Bontje) or joining a critique group and maxing out your library card. Whatever you do, pay attention to your writing. Find honest beta readers and notice what resonates with them in your work. Look for patterns. No one knows your writing as well as you do. Not your critique partner, not your beta readers, not your agent or editor. Only you. Be an expert on your own craft.

2)    Chart a course. For me, this is about knowing your readers and understanding where your book fits on the shelf. The best way to do this is to read. If you are writing for children for example, you should be reading children’s books. Not just classics or the newest bestsellers, but a broad variety. My second book, Mallory in Full Color, features a protagonist who writes a webcomic. There is plotline that harkens back to Harriet the Spy when Mallory’s webcomic goes viral and her friends begin to recognize themselves in her story. But my book also taps into the more recent graphic novel trend. Because of my familiarity with what kids are currently reading, I asked my publisher to include pages of the webcomic at the beginning of each chapter. The result is a stunning hybrid novel with art by the talented illustrator Maine Diaz. I’m thrilled to see how middle schoolers will connect with the graphic novel elements in my book.
3)    Learn to navigate the unknown. My 2023 debut experience with Tethered to Other Stars was heady, fulfilling and exhausting. There were all the highs I had dreamed of—glowing starred reviews, news articles, speaking engagements, the thrill of opening that box of fresh copies with my own name on the cover and the launch party itself. But the ups come with downs and those emotional waves can be tricky to navigate. On the day my book released, I visited local bookstores to sign stock. On the way I stopped to buy Sharpies and a bottle of water. My card declined. The shame and fear that washed over me in the checkout line were not new, but I had never felt them while also brimming with the excitement of fulfilling a childhood dream. More recently, a publisher passed on my book submission on the same day that Mallory in Full Color received a starred review from SLJ. The whiplash of publishing is real. Be aware of how you best regulate emotional upheaval so that you are prepared for both the highs and the lows. 

4)    Find lights to guide you. So much about your debut year is learning what kind of an author you want to be, not just in your writing but in the way you move through the publishing world. Look for authors who have built a brand you admire and study them. Watch how they interact with other writers and with their readership. Make sure your guiding lights include authors from diverse backgrounds and identities. Straight, white voices have always been centered in the publishing industry and it is all too easy to exist in an echo chamber of only those voices. The stories I’ve heard from Black, Latine, AAPI, Muslim, Jewish and queer authors who I follow gave me a clearer understanding of the publishing landscape. I learned to raise questions about the diversity of the lineup at literary events and to be wary of places where equity is not valued. I also learned that celebrating my own wins includes recognizing both my privilege and the luck involved in those wins.

Even with a strong craft to carry you, a map of where you are headed, preparedness for the unknown and lights to shine the way, the published author life is never quite what you expect. In fact, when you arrive at that magical island on the other side, you’ll find it is not an island at all. It’s just a fleet of handmade boats bobbing along, some more seaworthy than others. My published author friends and I are constantly learning, working on our craft and looking ahead. So take heart. Even before any agent requests or editor interest, you have been gathering the tools and knowledge you need for the journey. You are already doing the work. Write on and may your craft sail far.

Thanks for all your advice, Elisa! You can find Elisa at:

Website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok

Giveaway Details

Elisa is generously offering a hardback of Mallory in Full Color for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by November 30th. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address.

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Elisa on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. and Canada

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog.

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Wednesday, November 20th I have an agent spotlight interview with Courtney Donovan and a query critique giveaway

Sunday, December 1st I’m participating in the Holly Jolly Giveaway Hop

Wednesday, December 4th I have an interview with author Lish McBride and a giveaway of her YA Red in Tooth and Claw and my IWSG post

Saturday, December 7th I’m participating in the Let It Snow Giveaway Hop

Monday, December 9th I have an agent spotlight interview with Shannon Hassan and a query critique giveaway

Wednesday, December 11th I have an agent spotlight interview with Vicky Weber and a query critique giveaway

Monday, December 16th I have a guest post by debut author Vicky Lorencen and a giveaway of her MG The Book of Barf and am participating in the Dashing December Giveaway Hop

I hope to see you on Sunday, December 1st! And Happy Thanksgiving!