In today’s blog we are going to explore: The Reason Behind the Books, because behind every author is a reason for writing their books.
Two years ago I wrote and published my first book, Grandma’s Magic Blanket. Publishing that one book opened the flood gates for this author. I fell in love with the author life. Writing, publishing and spreading the love of books. Feeling the rush of excitement as I scribble down new story ideas on sticky notes. Spending the next few weeks brainstorming all the possibilities for the new story.
Even just typing this is causing my mind to race with ideas! The surge of ideas popping around in my mind like popcorn.
Behind every Author
Is a backstory: Here’s Cecilia’s
What year is it? (checks calendar) 2022. Ok, so I graduated 2015. That makes it…you know what, never mind. The time difference doesn’t matter that much right? (Coughs)
In high school I used to fill up notebooks with random short, mostly unfinished stories. Never once considering the stories as anything but unfinished stories I wrote for fun. I would write the stories during lunch, the 5 minute breaks between class and during class. Then once I build up enough nerve I’d ask some of my older class friends to take a look and give me feedback.
The first critique I encountered was Jessica. She was four years ahead of me in school and I used to give my notebook stories to her during the class breaks. After Jessica read the story she would give it back to me with correction notes all over the story. Whether Jessica read my stories because she was so sweet she didn’t want to say no, or because she was actually interested, will forever remain a secret. And I am A ok with that. No matter why she did it. To this day I appreciate her encouragement. Thanks Jessica!
The number one correction was and I fear will always be: Spelling mistakes.
After that it was sentence structure and lacking character development.
This didn’t bother me one bit. I actually looked for to the corrections. I guess is made me feel like someone was actually reading my work and liked it enough to point out some areas to improve.
Editing now…is a different story. I don’t hate it, but for sure editing is my least favorite part of the publishing process. It’s mentally exhausting re-doing the entire book a few times. Since my spelling is a major problem that’s an entire correction journey of it’s own.
Fun fact:
My spelling is so bad that even my Window’s computer and Samsung Galaxy have given up on me. My editor commented several times how it was odd that my computer didn’t caught some of the simplest of spelling mistakes. Apparently, even electronics give up on catching all the spelling mistakes. Le sighhh…oh the struggle is real.
Where was I? High school ended and I was tossed out into the world of opportunities. My job was a caller for a security company. I worked there during 12th grade and quit shortly after graduation. A much better job option was thrown at me. I was hired to be a graphic artist for a small company in Manhattan, Ks.
Before my author career opened up for me I really believed my career would be something to do with comic strip art. If you were to sneak into my room and find my old school note books and sketch books you would find a ton of pencil drawings. Anime was my thing in school. I loved sketching anime characters, scenes and reading manga. Which you should know dear reader, I went to a private Catholic school and manga was not liked by most of the teachers. I knew why they didn’t like anime or manga thanks to the loads of garbage in most anime. However, there were plenty of good clean animes out there too, you just had to search high and low for them.
Being raised Catholic my parents, particularly my Mom, were very strict about electronics and what we watched as kids. Once you were a teen you had more wiggle room, but in our house your real freedom wasn’t started until you either moved out or started paying rent after high school. I digress.
Although Mom and Dad weren’t fans of anime themselves they didn’t say I couldn’t draw it. As long as I kept things appropriate. Which I did. Modesty and fashion. Two worlds, to this day, I am still trying to combine.
Long story short, I thought for years my career would be a graphic artist in some sort of anime/manga world creating characters and plot lines. Being a writer was not even on the options table when I was looking around for a job.
I mean, the spelling mistakes, grammar problems…I barely passed English class in school. I wonder what some of my English teachers would say if they found out that their D-C student ended up becoming a writer for a career. HAHA!
Ladies and Gents, I am another living example that if you can do anything you set your heart on. It’s just a ton of blood, sweat and tears.
Fun fact:
Yes, I do listen to BTS K-pop boy band so if you feel like listening to a good song check out: Blood, Sweat and Tears by BTS. Creating books really takes blood, sweat and tears so that song title hits the spot for me.
Why did Cecilia Write a book?
When I wrote Grandma’s Magic Blanket it was originally to fulfill that bucket list goal of being able to say “I wrote a book!”. Everything that followed after was a wonderful circumstance. Falling in love with the book writing process, publishing a book and thinking about all the possibilities with the next book.
This author had no idea that this one children’s book would be the gateway to a fulfilling career.
Now that over 2 years have passed since starting this author journey, my reasons for writing have changed. Or a better way of putting it, the reasons have developed.
Reason to write before book 1:
- Bucket list
- Bragging rights
- Seeing if I have potential as a graphic artist working as an illustrator.
- For fun.
Developed Reasons to write after book 1:
- I love writing stories! The more I write, the more I fall in love.
- Forever learning about topics like creating different types of books and how to publish them.
- Feeling like I have unlocked a super power. From Idea to book! I create stories and turn them into physical books.
- Sharing lessons and experience through fun adventures I write.
New reasons to keep on writing after book 1:
- YOU!!! My new ever growing audience. I write more stories to give you something fun, exciting and good to read.
- Myself, I don’t want to stop at a ‘ok’ book. I want to learn how to create amazing well developed stories and characters to bring my ideal audience what they love. I want to become a best selling author!
Behind every Author is…
Now that I have achieved a bucket list of being able to say ‘I wrote a book’ now what?
Now it’s time to turn that original bragging right into a full on career. After all it’s not everyday you write a book for fun, than realize it’s the career of your dreams!
Finding my Audience!
This has been 95% of my author journey. Finding my audience. The ideal people that will love and get the most out of reading my books.
Grandma’s Magic Blanket was originally just a dream book that I created for fun. When I decided to keep writing to pursue a full time career, a new problem became very apparent to me. Who on earth is my ideal audience.
For Grandma’s Magic Blanket, my ideal audience was my Mom. She was the entire reason I picked that particular story to write about. After all the Grandma in the book is my Mom. I only cared about her loving the book. That is until I decided to pursue the author career and make more books. That’s when things like ‘Ideal audience’ became complicated.
To be fair, that was my first book and I did not give myself any time to learn about publishing, editing or marketing before diving in. You might say I jumped off the cliff without a parachute.
Author Tip:
Hey Authors do you love listening to podcasts? Or YouTube videos about author stuff? Then check out this New channel made by Donna Cowan.
Donna created this channel “The Writer’s Parachute with Donna Sager Cowan”, for authors just like me and you.
She is an author herself, dedicating time and this YouTube channel to helping authors learn all there is about the author journey and different challenges authors face. Even better advice on how to overcome challenges as an author.
I can recommend Donna not only because her podcast is all about sharing different authors advice and knowledge, also because I have personally worked with Donna on my next book coming this fall: Lily’s Guide to Releasing Antique Spirits: Trunked by A Spirit. She has helped guide my manuscript from being a ‘ok’ book into a GREAT book as my editor. Give Donna’s YouTube channel a listen and don’t forget to Subscribe to “The Writer’s Parachute with Donna Sager Cowan”.
2 Books, 2 different audiences.
My ideal audience for my Grandma’s Magic Blanket is Grandma’s and expecting Mothers.
Why?
Grandma’s Magic Blanket main stars are a grandma, an expecting Mom and the baby in the womb. It makes sense for my target audience to be grandma’s and expecting mothers and mothers with new baby’s. They all have something to gain from the story. A loving connection was made between each generation and my book serves that audience by sharing that bond from a different perspective.
My new upcoming book: Lily’s Guide to Releasing Antique Spirits: Trunked by a Spirit. Who is my target audience for this book?
The target audience for this book is Catholic teenagers.
And another audience is the Catholic parents.
Why Catholic teens and parents of these teens?
Spoiler alert!
Lily is a Catholic teenager going to a Catholic school who discovers she has a very weird gift. She can free trapped spirits from their past. But the thing is Lily is not so sure this is a gift. Right now it’s more a curse. A curse that she must keep secret from everyone, her family, friends even her very best friend, Doris.
Catholic Teens are my group for this book. They are the main cast and this book is about some of the struggles they go through as they grow into adults.
Target audience two the parents. Most parents try to give their teens religious books and if they aren’t interesting then the book gets tossed to the side. The book might be filled with amazing knowledge, but boring books are still boring so I am attempting to give Catholic parents a fun, exciting and Catholic book for them to buy for their teens.
Cecilia’s end goal
Writing has become a very important and special way for me to express things that are on my the heart. I can write about challenges I myself struggled through as a teen and use that mixed with some special magic of my own to help my readers through similar tough times.
Like a magic wand granting wishes, writing books gives me a power to share experiences, ideas, and love for things that I believe matter. Life, Faith and fun. Those matter to me and if they matter to you, I hope you will find hours of enjoyment through my books. I plan on creating many, many books for you all. So stay tuned!
In today’s blog we are going to explore: The Reason Behind the Books, because behind every author is a reason for writing their books.
Thank you for reading until the end. As a new blogger any and all support is appreciated and welcome.
Write on~
Cecilia
