I’m excited to chat with the amazing Lija Fisher, whose new book, The Cryptid Keeper, comes out today! Welcome, Lija! And congratulations on the new book!
More about Lija: Lija Fisher is an author of humorous adventure novels for kids. Her debut novel, The Cryptid Catcher, was published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan. The book received a starred review from Booklist and was a Junior Library Guild selection. Her follow-up novel, The Cryptid Keeper, was written while Lija was a Writer in Residence with Aspen Words through the Catto Shaw Foundation. She holds a BFA in Performance Studies from the University of Colorado, Boulder and when she’s not writing you can find her acting in theatres across the U.S.
Now it’s time to step back in the Baby Author Me Time Machine. Lija, what words of wisdom would you offer to your wee Baby Author Self? Over to you:
Dear Baby Author Me!
Here are the things I would like to tell you now that I am more seasoned and wise!
You will get some fabulous reviews for your debut novel, but you won’t land on any lists. Don’t let this get into your head! Don’t try to next write an ‘award winning book,’ because it will stink. Trust me, I tried. Write what you love, write what makes you giggle, and your best work will always come from there. Plus, it’s more fun!
For book promotion, stay local! I know you’re saving your money to travel around to bookstores to peddle your wares, but your time will be much better spent cultivating buzz in your own community. There are tons of bookstores, amazing ones, in driving distance, so make connections there. And be sure to do a signing when there’s some other fun event happening at the same time, like a farmer’s market or art walk, because you’ll have lots of foot traffic!
Social media is a beast that will take up a lot of your time, but it’s a lovely way to connect with others. Finding your ‘voice’ on how you present yourself in social media will be hard, so allow yourself the gentle time to find it. And don’t tweet after wine! All you’ll talk about is your love of Liam Neeson and nobody wants to hear about that.
Finally, your launch parties will be so much fun! But don’t buy any food. Seriously, nobody ate the Cheeto Puffs (but you will, for like the next five days, and they are so good but oh so bad.) And whatever you do, don’t try to bake cookies in the shape of Bigfoot! You can’t bake, you know you can’t, and this will not change just because you’re published.
To learn more about Lija and her books, visit her online at:
- Twitter: @LijaFisher
- Instagram: @CryptidCatcher
- Website: LijaFisher.com
Kim Ventrella 