Amanda Hocking

Amanda's Blog Post

Vices and Virtues

July 9th, 2011 by
This post currently has 37 comments

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.

Leave a Reply to Anonymous Cancel reply

  • This is the first time am hearing about virtues and vices and ur blog made a clear idea of this blog with ur awesome presentation.

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  • Great article.Great content.It is very informative.It is helpful to me.please update it .Thanks for sharing.

  • Anonymous says:

    Write your blogs when you want. Writing at 3 in the morning makes you awesome-er (is that a word?) anyways. Don’t change who you are!

    -If you start changing who you are, you lose what made people like you in the first place.

  • Gloria says:

    Amanda,

    You are my hero right now. I’ve written six short stories (a former friend really made me mad, and I wrote a story about what she did to me, and that’s what triggered the other stories) and I plan to e-publish them. I’m fine-tuning them right now. I am posting excerpts from them on a couple websites, and giving them to co-workers to read and critique. I have a former high school classmate who said he would work on cover art for me.

    Anyway, I’m inspired by your story. Thank you for e-publishing and getting your work out. I’ll get it out too, eventually. Even if I only make enough to pay for my Internet service for a year, I’ll consider that success.

    Continued good luck in the future!

  • Ksenija says:

    Wow, how cool is that! You ALSO have a vision board! 🙂 Although reading your posts and your attitude in general, made me believe months ago that you are following *the Secret*. I am not sure my vision board works for me that well … Maybe I just don’t believe in it enough or I am not persistent enough. Who knows!

  • Ryadne24 says:

    Not that youll see this Amanda butr heres your Delorean! http://www.cnn.com/2011/SHOWBIZ/07/13/sdcc.preview.night.go/index.html?hpt=en_c2

    You can own one….granted a toy but still. Enoy!

  • Amanda,

    Don’t let anyone ever tell you what to do. If you want to blog at 3 in the morning then do it! It’s your blog.

    I will still read it. =o)

    V/r,
    Melissa

  • Blogs or article writing depends on the mood of the person.Its not time specific.So, you can write it any time.Some times i have seen people start writing suddenly by getting up from bed.

  • Yikes! I eventually want to hire a cove atist too (don’t have the $ now), but now I’ll be scared to do so after reading this threat and the other comments. On another note, keep writing you posts at 3 a.m. I kinda get what they’re saying, but people who subscribe will automatically see the new post when they check thei subsciptions. And those who don’t? You can always post the threads throughout the day on twitter etc.