Kekla Magoon is an award-winning author of books for young readers. She lives and writes in New York City, but travels everywhere for school visits and conferences.
Kekla blogs about her transition from writer to published author. Getting a book contract isn't an end result; it's merely the beginning of a rich, exciting and challenging new journey. Just an Author Blog is a gathering place where established writers can share their experiences and wisdom, and welcome debut writers into the fold with resources, advice and support that will help them get off to a great start.
Embarking on your own author's journey? Join the conversation!
I once met Toni Morrison in an elevator. This happened during ALA in Washington, DC, in 2010. It was late in the evening. I was exhausted. She was probably exhausted. We were staying in the same hotel, apparently, and we were both… Read the rest
The Rock and the River launch party, January 2009
I’ve attended a lot of book launch parties in my day. It’s pretty exciting when anyone you know has a new book out, but nothing tops celebrating your own debut. There’s… Read the rest
I love self-promotion. Cheesy though it may be, nothing makes me happier than handing someone a copy of a freshly-minted postcard emblazoned with my book cover. Unfortunately, what should be a sweet moment of pride for me is often discolored by tiny… Read the rest
I have to admit that one of my struggles as a new author was parsing the various and abundant recommendations, comments, suggestions and plans that other authors shared with me. Suggestions came from people within the industry (agents, editors) too,… Read the rest
For a conference last year I developed a presentation about my experience as a debut author. I call it “My Journey with The Rock and the River,” and it’s all about the phenomenon I’ve dubbed The Author’s Life Cycle. The evolution of this presentation… Read the rest
