Saturday, September 10, 2011

Saturday Savvy Sensation: Elana Johnson



Today's Savvy Sensation is, wait for it, Elana Johnson, author of Possession!!  I know can you believe it? Sqwee!! If you don't know anything about Elana then I have to first say, where the heck have you been?? And follow that with: go and read every blog she's ever written plus her books (especially From the Query to the Call if you are or ever will be querying) because she knows her stuff. Oh, and here's some random trivia for ya: I went to school with her husband (who I considered a very good friend) and her older sister (yes, that means I'm older than Elana Johnson) so I kinda feel cool to be only 2 degrees away from her on the whole separation stuff.  

LB: Who are you?
My name is Elana Johnson. I write angsty teen girl novels, mostly. My debut, published by Simon & Schuster in June 2011, is called POSSESSION. I blog at http://elanajohnson.blogspot.com and http://leaguewriters.blogspot.com. I also co-organize WriteOnCon (http://writeoncon.com), teach elementary school, and enjoy bacon.

LB: Um, like all of those things are SUPER AWESOME. Who missed WriteOnCon? Cuz you shouldn't of.  I digress...Where can we find you online (blog, twitter, facebook, etc.)?
Oh, I put that up there! Ha! Okay, here’s the rest of my online endeavors:
Author website: http://elanajohnson.com
POSSESSION website: http://possessionthebook.com

LB:When did you begin your online platform building?
I started blogging for the QueryTracker blog in January 2009. That’s a full 2 ½ years before my book came out, 11 months before I had an agent, and 14 months before I sold my first book.

LB: What is your message, if any?
Hmm, I’m not sure I have a message. I just like to interact with people online. My blog motto is “Navigating the publishing world with splashes of real life.” That’s basically what you’ll get on my blog.

LB: How have you built your followers -
What have you done that has been the most successful?
Comment on and follow other blogs. This is almost always reciprocal. You want more people to comment on your blog? Comment on theirs. I’ve also found that giving away free stuff brings people to your blog, as well as participating in promotions with other authors that reach outside your network.
LB: What have you done that has failed?
Organize very complicated giveaways. They’re a headache for me, and everyone else.

LB: What else should we know about you?
I enjoy reality TV, sleeping in, and laughing.

LB: Any additional advice for our readers?
Write the best book you can, and then be brave and submit it!

LB: What makes you unique?
I’m double jointed in my hands, which means I can bend the first knuckle on all my fingers without bending any of the others. It’s quite freaky.

No,Elana, freaky is that you are on my blog because I think I'm a super fan (is that a little weird? ok, pretend I didn't say it).  And everyone else, I have to say from what I have seen Elana is one of the hardest working, most genuine, and generous authors out there.  There is much to learn and admire from her.  Not that you need an award, but here it is, Elana. Feel free to share it if you like and thanks so much for being here today!! :)


9 comments:

Deana said...

You did it Laura! Went and got yourself a super star! Thanks for the info and Elana, thanks for the advice:)

Susan Kaye Quinn said...

Great interview! Of course, I already knew Elana was awesome, but this is a wonderful peek into the awesomosity (yeah, that's not really a word).

Lauren F. Boyd said...

Thanks, Laura and Elana, for this interview! And many congrats to Elana on her debut work! Keep it up!

Thanks to you, Laura, for commenting on my blog! I've left you a reply, if you want to hop over and check it out!

Michelle Fayard said...

What a great interview of an equally awesome person; thank you, Elana and Laura!

Rachael Harrie said...

Lovely to read this interview. Elana's the height of awesome in the blogging world :)

Hugs,

Rach

Kathi Oram Peterson said...

I love Elana. She's such a super writer and a social media guru. She all sorts of awesome.

So are you!

BTW: You won a book on my weekly give away. Please email me at kathiorampeterson(at)yahoo(dot)com so I can find out where to send it. :)

Stina said...

Elana is filled with awesome. I don't know how she finds time to do it all without going crazy. And Possession is great.

Carla said...

I loved this interview!! Congrats to Elana and her new book--she is amazing!

My last comment may not have come through--I think I saw a word verification pop up as I closed the tab. ;) If it did go through, no worries!

Laura Barnes said...

Thanks for all the comments, folks. This is truly one of the highlights of my blogging career :)

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