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Author reminds us that both high school and reading can be fun
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Today, I’m thrilled to introduce author, Julie Prestsater, who learned about the joys of reading while getting her master’s degree. She was asked to present a bag of books and written materials that represented a biography of her life. Going through piles of books in bookstores to find ones that she could relate to exposed her to books that she loved. She's been reading and writing ever since.
Liliana: Hi Julie. Thanks for stopping by to talk about your first book, SO I’M A DOUBLE THREAT. What prompted you to write a book about high school?
Julie: I loved high school. I still do! I loved it so much, I’m a high school teacher. But really, I absolutely love reading and I come across a lot of young adults who don’t share that same love. So my ultimate goal was to write something that people, my students especially and others like them, would start to read and not want to stop until the last page was read. It’s so thrilling to see someone finish a book in just a few days and immediately want to begin a new one. One good book is usually all it takes for most readers. Once you read several books for pleasure, it’s much easier to stomach the titles that you can’t relate to and are required to read. It just made sense to write about high school, it’s what I know. It’s what young adults know. It can even take adults on a stroll down memory lane.
Liliana: I agree, it's awesome to see a reader get hooked and not be able to put a book down. So, what authors inspire you?
Julie: Ooo…so many to choose from…I will try to narrow it to two: Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez and Meg Cabot. Both have turned me into an avid reader. If it weren’t for their amazing books, I would have never enjoyed reading in the first place. My love for reading is what made me want to write. I find myself Googling them or reading their blogs, following them on Twitter…I can’t get enough. I met Meg once and she was the sweetest person ever. She signed a Princess Diary book for one of my students. She made it personal and took the time to listen to my story about her. It was great.
Liliana: Okay, back to your book! You decided to self-publish SO I'M A DOUBLE THREAT. Can you tell us briefly about the process of self-publishing? Would you recommend others take this route?
Julie: Self-publishing can be done in many ways. I opted to choose two print-on-demand companies to print my books. I went with Lulu (www.lulu.com) and Creatspace. With Lulu, I was able to buy my own ISBN and purchase a distribution package to make my book available globally, meaning it’s available at Barnes and Noble, Borders, or any bookseller really. It’s even available to libraries. With Createspace, my book is only available on Amazon and Target.com. I chose to do both to create more options for my readers. The reason I went the self-publishing route is mostly because of my lack of patience. That is one great trait that I, unfortunately, do not have. Once I finished my book, I wanted to be able to share it with my students. They were there for me with inspiring words, motivating me every step of the way. I wanted to show them the finished product before the school year was out.
For those lacking in the patience department, I would definitely recommend this route. Just do your research. What worked for me may not work for you. There are a lot of options out there. Read as much as you can online. For most POD companies, there is an online forum or community. Read the boards. The members are usually very honest about the quality of service they are receiving. There are also a lot of tips in the forums as well.
Liliana: Wow, that's really interesting! You were very saavy to think about distribution. I know other authors who didn't take into consideration that part of the business and found it extremely difficult to get books into stores. Great advice, Julie. So, what has writing a book taught you about yourself?
Julie: That I'm nuts! As if I don't have enough to do. What the heck am I doing creating another job for myself.
Liliana: LOL
Julie: Okay but seriously, this is going to sound so cliche. What I learned is that I can do anything I set my mind to as long as I believe I can do it. I would have never imagined in a million years that I would write a book, yet here I am. I started something, and I finished it. It's pretty exciting, yet scary at the same time.
Liliana: Not cliche at all. Learning that you can accomplish your goals when you really work at them is important, especially for a writer. It's hard work to finish a book! What advice would you give teens whothink reading isn’t fun or that books aren’t exciting?
Julie: There was a time when I thought reading wasn’t fun and books weren’t exciting. What I discovered is that I was reading the books that weren’t fun and weren’t exciting. Once I found the ones I liked, I couldn’t stop reading. Tell a school librarian about your interests and he/she will probably be able to match you with a good book. Do a search online of books that are tagged with topics that you like. Then comes the hard part… read the book at least a fourth of the way through. If you don’t like it, toss it and pick a new one. But, if you do like it, keep reading! Repeat the process and eventually you’ll find books that are exciting and authors that make reading fun!
Liliana: Great advice. What future projects are you working on?
Julie: I’m working on the sequel to SO I’M A DOUBLE THREAT. I would like to make this a four-book series taking the main character, Meg, from her freshman to her senior year of high school.
I’m also in the early stages of writing another young adult novel about an extremely flirty, yet endearing, boy who has many girlfriends and has his teachers eating out of the palms of his hands. However, he’s far from being the sweet and gentle momma’s boy everyone thinks he is. His secrets will come out in the most unthinkable way.
Liliana: That sounds funny! Think I dated a guy like that in high school. Hmm . . . I look forward to reading it when it's finished. Best of luck to you.
Meet Julie and get an autographed copy of her book So I'm a Double Threat on Saturday, July 11, 2009 from 1-4pm at the Page One Cafe next to the Ontario library (located on C St. ust east of Euclid Ave in Ontario).
Also, return next week for a review of Julie's book!
For more info on Julie Prestsater: Visit her website www.juliepbooks.com
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