Publicist for an hour, which worked for my budget, and she made some valuable Outside publicist, suggested to me by favorite blogger. Another thing I did was get on the phone with an They were a lifeline filled with hope and possibility that Guest on their podcasts, and hosted blog tours. They raised so much awarenessįor my book, helped me with giveaways and cross-promotion, invited me to be a Helped me make contact with other bloggers in their circle, and the love forĭIVE SMACK spread outward from those connections. Months before release, choosing a handful that posted about loving thrillers,Īnd so many of them got back to me with great enthusiasm. Like yourself, have been a godsend for me. The rest is a long string of workshops, conferences, queries, and rejections until I was lucky enough to find representation that led to the publication of my debut novel. That led to my first manuscript, which was, of course, a Greek Mythology. I knew virtually nothing about writing a book, but I set off for my local library to read as many books on the craft of writing as I could carry. I took the chance I had, for better or worse, to freelance and dive (pun acknowledge, not intended) into writing. Being a first generation Greek American, the novels piqued my interest and led me to think about how much I’ve always wanted to write a book, even though I was pushed by family as a teenager to do something they deemed more practical. I started freelancing designing and visiting the library with my youngest daughter who was devouring the Percy Jackson novels at the time. I lost my job as an Artist Manager in 2009 during the recession, like so many other people who were negatively affected, and decided to turn what some might see as a negative setback into an opportunity to follow a lifelong dream.

But the way I became a writer was a bit circumstantial. I’m a three-time award winning Designer/Art Director. from The Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Boston.

Dive Smack by Demetra Brodsky