I featured DOVE ARISING as my Waiting on Wednesday so long ago, and I’m still excited to read the book. I just got a copy in my hands, and I cannot wait to dig in! I’m thrilled to have Karen Bao here today on IceyBooks, sharing a few things publishing taught her. It’s a very inspirational post, and I hope you all love it as much as I do! First, here’s a little bit about her debut, which released on February 24th.
Phaet Theta has lived her whole life in a colony on the Moon. She’s barely spoken since her father died in an accident nine years ago. She cultivates the plants in Greenhouse 22, lets her best friend talk for her, and stays off the government’s radar.
Then her mother is arrested.
The only way to save her younger siblings from the degrading Shelter is by enlisting in the Militia, the faceless army that polices the Lunar bases and protects them from attacks by desperate Earth-dwellers. Training is brutal, but it’s where Phaet forms an uneasy but meaningful alliance with the preternaturally accomplished Wes, a fellow outsider.
Rank high, save her siblings, free her mom: that’s the plan. Until Phaet’s logically ordered world begins to crumble…
Suspenseful, intelligent, and hauntingly prescient, Dove Arising stands on the shoulders of our greatest tales of the future to tell a story that is all too relevant today.
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Without further ado, here’s Karen’s list of 5 unexpected things she learned during the publishing process:
1. Writing is a solo project; editing takes a village.
When I was a naïve eighteen-year- old, I finished drafting Dove Arising and thought it was a real book – logically sound, with solid world building. Then I got my first edit letter from my editor Genevieve at Writers House. It was over ten pages long, full of suggestions about character development, plot hole fixes, and overall structure. I didn’t even know how much I had missed! Since then, many people, from publishing professionals to college friends, have given me editorial feedback, and it’s made me a much better writer. Although I can catch more errors myself nowadays, I still need their help.
2. When you get stuck in a rut, stop writing immediately.
When I know something’s wrong with the story but can’t fix it, I’m always tempted to continue trying. But tearing my hair out in frustration isn’t good for me or the book. Taking a break allows my brain to passively arrive at an answer. Sometimes a new scene comes to me when I’m jogging or cooking. Once, I got stuck on a character that wasn’t working— for two months. I just couldn’t understand her psychology until events in my own life helped me see inside her head.
3. America is beautiful.
Book festivals and my pre-pub tour have taken me to places I wouldn’t have had the chance to visit otherwise. I went to Norfolk and had a staring contest with a seagull. In Cincinnati, I found a chunk of the Berlin Wall displayed along the riverfront. Minneapolis in the middle of January stunned me with its glass facades, glistening snowdrifts, and sky-bridges. And in Chicago, I ate the best Mexican food I’ve ever had in my life. I get giddy when I think about all the travels that lie ahead!
4. Every author writes differently and has something to teach you.
Meeting other writers has been an undeniable perk in this whole process. The vast majority have been published already, and all of them have more writing/life experience than I do – so I’ve tried to learn as much as I can. Some authors treat writing like a 9-to-5 job; others sit at the keyboard when inspiration strikes. Some prefer to draft by hand, and others like the speed of Microsoft Word. I’ve met doctor-authors, lawyer-authors, journalist-authors, other student-authors. Every one of them has given me something new to think about.
5. People are wonderful!
I was very intimidated to enter the book industry as a new author. It seemed like a big, scary place where I wouldn’t be able to leave a mark. But people in publishing, booksellers, authors, and early fans have constantly surprised me with their kindness and support. I can’t wait for Dove Arising to come out – so I can go out and meet more book lovers!
About the Author
Karen Bao is a writer, musician, and aspiring scientist. She has a brother three years younger than her and a violin sixty years older than her. Born in California and raised in New Jersey, she currently studies environmental biology at college in New York City. Karen began writing Dove Arising at the age of seventeen.
Find Karen on Twitter | Website | Facebook | Goodreads