Fun Friday: Guest Post from YA Author SYDNEY SALTER

**Welcome Sydney Salter to Author2Author! Thanks for visiting Sydney!!!**

Before selling my first manuscript…

I wish I’d started blogging.

I created my blog only four months before my book hit the shelves. Oh, how I struggled to find my blogging voice. My original idea—focusing on nose stories and beauty issues to match the theme of my novel—just didn’t work. So I didn’t know what to write about!

Stick to a regular schedule; write about your creative process (don’t whine about rejections or discuss submissions); host contests to lure new followers; invite guests to post; share a little bit about your life (avoiding the dreaded over-share).

When your book is published you’ll already have fans who will want to read it!

I wish I’d figured out where I’m comfortable hanging-out online.

I panicked about my online presence and joined EVERYTHING. I ignored my kids and husband so I could friend strangers all over the internet. Quick! I need to look popular! Obviously, I couldn’t do it all. And my husband wasn’t too fond of the creepy emails from the site that didn’t have a place to list my “married” status.

I finally decided that Goodreads works for me because I love to read. I also like Facebook—I can link my blog and chat with everyone from long-distance relatives, elementary school friends, fans, fellow writers, and my own teenage daughter. I also contribute to group blogs.

Don’t try to do it all, choose a few places that fit your personality. And if you start now, steadily accumulating friends, you won’t freak out about your new publisher thinking you’re the online equivalent of the kid who eats his own scabs.

I wish I’d made more non-virtual friends.

I wasn’t prepared for the upheaval my novel sale would create in my long-time critique group. Things got awkward quick: I felt guilty talking about publishing milestones, knowing my friends felt jealous. I suffered through a few lonely weeks as the dynamic in our group shifted. I wish I’d had a broader base of support, including a published mentor.

Reach out to other serious writers, published and pre-published, in your community. Seeking publication is a roller coaster of mixed emotions and we all need support. Just this morning I met with a writer frustrated with the submission process. I was happy to take a short break, sip a latte with my new friend, and commiserate about writing, revising, close-calls, and re-submitting.

We write alone, but no one should seek publication without the support of real and virtual friendships!

Sydney Salter’s novels include My Big Nose And Other Natural Disasters, Jungle Crossing, and Swoon At Your Own Risk. Sydney lives in Utah with her husband, two daughters, two dogs, three cats, two fish, a pair of quiet tortoises, and a bearded dragon. When not writing, she enjoys reading, cooking, hiking, skiing, traveling, and searching for the ultimate cupcake. Sydney is a Regional Advisor for the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. www.sydneysalter.com