Amanda Hocking

One time, a month ago or so, I had dinner with my publisher and editor, and it went really well. But my publisher had talked with their website design guy, and he said that I post blogs at the worst possible times ever because it’s like three in the morning, and that’s bad blogging posting time.

I know he’s right. Because he is. And I suppose eventually I’ll have to correct it by posting blogs at real times, but for now, I’m writing and posting this blog right now because I want to and I can.

I actually have quite a few things to share with you guys, and almost all of it’s awesome.

So in no particular order: Here’s something new I’m doing. It’s called Formspring. I don’t really know what it is or why it exists, but you can ask me questions there and I’ll answer them. Not all of them all the time, but I’ll check it sometimes and answer some questions. So if you want to ask me a question, you can check it out here:  http://formspring.me/AmandaHocking

I like the format, because I can pick which question to answer specifically, and it shows all my previous answers. My profile there can become a living breathing FAQ.

Also, a few days ago I got pictures of the placeholder cover for the Trylle Trilogy books for St. Martin’s Press. Here’s what I understand a placeholder cover to be: A cover that holds the place until the real cover is revealed, like on sites like Amazon where you can already pre-order St. Martin’s version of Switched.

I am pretty sure I can show you guys the placeholder covers (which are really pretty and hint at what the real covers will look like), but I’m not 100% sure, so I’m going to wait and double check on Monday before I show you guys. Just to be sure.

I know they’re planning a real big cover reveal deal. I’m not sure what all it entails, but I got a voicemail and an email about it today, so I’ll find out on Monday more about that. But it sounds fun, and everybody likes fun things.

Not sure when the cover reveal will happen, but I’m thinking sometime early this fall. My understanding (which could be wrong) is that St. Martin’s wants it coincide with when I take the Trylle Trilogy off sale.

Which brings me to the next point. As of August 1, 2011 I’m going to be unpublishing Switched. The release date for the St. Martin’s edition of Switched is set for January 2012, and we (both me and the publisher) want that to have the most success it can, so we want to give Switched some time off the market.

I’m leaving both Torn and Ascend for sale until September 1, 2011 when I’ll be unpublishing them both. I’m leaving for sale longer, so people who buy Switched now have a full month to purchase the other two books in their current state at their current price.

But even if you don’t buy them in that thirty days, it’s only a few months until St. Martin’s releases their versions. So it’s not that long of a wait.

Both St. Martin’s and I are trying really hard to make this transition as smooth and as easy on the readers as possible.

I’ve just gone over the copy-edits on Switched, and it’s looking really good. There haven’t been major changes to the story – readers who’ve already read it will be happy to see find the things they loved about the book haven’t changed. But the story is really polished up, grammar cleaned up and ideas streamlined a bit better. I’ve always believed it was a good book, but now I think it’s actually pretty great.

Onto something less pleasant that I feel I need to bring up. It’s more a writer’s beware for authors out there. I’m mentioning it because it’s a cover artist I once used and once recommended, and as a result, I feel his bad behavior falls back on me. If people choose to use him because of something I once said, I want them to understand that I recant any recommendation, and here’s why: http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php/topic,74897.75.html

That’s a link over to the Kindleboards, which I don’t frequent as much as I used to, but it’s still overall a great bunch of people and the best place to learn anything about self-publishing. I don’t know why I stopped hanging out there as much. Because they are neat and helpful.

Okay, so onto a happier note. I know I pre-ordered Panic! at the Disco’s album Vices and Virtues, but I just today realized that I never got it. So I bought it on iTunes, and I’m listening to it now, and it’s very good. I think I like it more than their prior two albums. If you like music that is a delight to your ears, you should buy it.

Also, I’ve made another vision board, since my last one worked out astonishingly well. When I started making it though, Eric told me that it didn’t count because I’d just put wants on there and not dreams. We ended up in a debate about whether or not the Secret worked on wants, too, since it supposedly worked for a boy wanted a bike. But that’s not the point.

What constitutes the difference between a want and a dream? I have so many plans for my life, so many things I hope to do and accomplish. Aren’t some of them dreams?

Here’s what’s on my vision board (or what I’m trying to convince the universe I want with it): the Trylle Trilogy being a movie (with Michael Wincott), getting to go to The Dark Knight Rises premiere next year,  a Delorean, and Pete Wentz.

Okay, yes, I get that the Delorean could fall under a “want” since it’s a car, but it’s a magic car that I’ve wanted for years, so I think it should fall under a “dream.” And then obviously, having my books turned into movies would be a dream come true. And I really, really want Michael Wincott to be in it, and I think I want it enough to be a dream.

Alright. Pete Wentz probably isn’t a dream, and I’m also not really expecting the vision board to follow through with it. But it’s the only thing that my last vision board didn’t deliver on, and even if this one doesn’t, I can still look at him. And I can’t imagine that it really hurts to let the universe know that I’m interested in dating foxy rock stars. You know, just case in the universe was wondering.

Something you might not know: When I was in high school, I got really sad about the idea of being a writer. I mean, I wanted to be a writer, but everything I knew about writers made them seem boring and stodgy, or they were older men and alcoholics and depressed. I didn’t want to be any of those things. I wanted to have fun and be silly, like a rock star.

But now that I’m older, I realize I can be whatever writer I want to be. That’s an important truth. Or at least is to me. You live your life on your terms. Don’t let anybody else’s definitions rule you. Define yourself.