Interview With Authoress Anika Joy


March 23, 2017


   So you really know my brain is fried when I misread the date on which I'm supposed to post for a blog tour. I feel like a terrible human bean, but I suppose it happens to the best of us. (why has my brain been fried, you ask? Because I've been all wrapped up in the Indie E-Con that's going on - go check it out! There's still two days left of it)

   Anyways - today I'm interviewing Anika Joy as part of the blog tour for her new book, Penny's New Beginning, a mermaid story geared towards ages 6-12. On to the interview that should have been posted yesterday ...


Savannah: When did you get the idea for this book?

Anika: I really loved the movie The Little Mermaid when I was 9, and I wanted to write something like that for my first story. I can't remember where I got the idea for the plot or the characters, but it was a while ago... :)
  
Savannah: How long did it take you to write the first draft?
 
Anika: Somewhere around 2 months. I was a slow writer back then (and I kinda still am). :P

Savannah: Why did you decide to self-publish?

Anika: I chose self publishing because I wanted to publish it fast and without a lot of hassle. I think it is a little bit easier. :D 

Savannah: What do you think are the pros and cons of self publishing?

Anika: Pros: You get to pick your own deadline, have everything in your control, and it's really independent.
Cons: It's very independent. You need to do everything yourself and figure things out yourself. It can get really hard to do.

Savannah: What do you hope to do with your writings from here? Do you plan to publish more books? 

Anika: Yes, I do plan to publish more books. I am in the middle of rewriting the MG book I wrote when I was 10, and I believe that I would like to send that in to a traditional publisher. I already have an agent in mind (Tess Emily Hall) and am so excited to finish editing this novella. :D

Savannah: Sounds awesome! I think it's really cool that you're already publishing when you're so young. It was fun to have you here! 

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Can they save Utopia?

Nine-year-old Penny Hearting has just moved to Nassau with her family, and is completely convinced that a mermaid rescued her from drowning, but no one believes her. So, she takes matters into her own hands and goes on a search for the mermaid that rescued her.

Ten-year-old Emmy is the princess of Utopia, an underwater city populated by mermaids. But, when her evil aunt, Cassandra, takes the city from her father, the King, her only option is to seek help from the girl who she rescued from drowning.

When these two lives collide, can they and another friend save their homes from disaster?

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   Anika Joy is a daughter, sister, and child of the one true King. She loves to write books, sing in choir, and bake treats for her family.  At the age of 4 she taught herself to read and wrote her first short story when she was 8. That story was later published in a kid’s magazine when she was 11, which sparked her dream of becoming a published author. She is now very happy to see that dream come true.
   Anika currently lives with her two sisters, two brothers, and parents in North Dakota, and feels very blessed to be awaiting the arrival of another little sister.




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   Anika's book, Penny's New Beginning, is geared towards ages 6-12, so do go check it out if you have younger siblings that might enjoy it ;). I hope you guys enjoyed the interview! Sorry for neglecting my poor blog during this last week - I'll try to catch up :D.

~ Savannah Grace

    What do you think are the pros and cons of self vs. traditional publishing?

18 comments :

  1. This is so cool! I love it that many young girls are writing good fiction for younger children. I think I want to read this even though I'm 13. xD It sounds good!

    I'm hoping to self-publish my book soon! It's exciting. The main reason I'm not going through a real publisher is because of money. :( But happily the many self-publishing companies make it very simple to publish for little cost!!

    - Lilly Shyree (alillyingodsgarden.blogspot.com)

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    1. Hey Lilly! I have completely zero experience with publishing. :) But I'm pretty sure I've read that a real publisher will not charge you to publish your book; their pay is a percentage of your profits, which they do not get until it sells. (That's why, if they're publishing your book, it's in their best interests to make sure it sells well!) If a publisher tries to charge you a 'reading fee' or similar, maybe Google them to see if they're a scam or a 'vanity publisher' (that's where you pay them to publish your book). You should not have to pay!

      Self-publishing might be a good option - but don't discount traditional publishing either. There's a time and place for everything!

      And Anika, congratulations on your book! It sounds sweet, and completing a book is a huge achievement!

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    2. I'm glad you enjoyed this, Lilly! And I agree with what Jem said - as far as I know, it shouldn't cost you anything to get your book traditionally published. I would advise Googling different publishers as well ;).

      Thanks for reading, girls!

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  2. Sounds like a neat book! Did you read it, Savannah?
    I love the idea of mermaids, and experimenting with creating them always boosts my creativity and makes me happy! Sadly, mermaids in stories often disappoint me. (Why can't anyone make mermaids that dress modestly?? =( ) I would be interested in giving them another try in a new story world! I often enjoy books for younger kids, so maybe I should check this out. . .

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    1. No, I haven't read it - I was thinking about reviewing it, but I didn't want to be biased in the wrong way because it isn't for my age group ;). You'll have to tell me what you think of it if you do read it!

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  3. This is neat!
    Pros: It wouldn't be as stressful (knowing that you would probably have a deadline)
    Cons:I wouldn't feel like I really made a difference. (Just my opinion) If I got my work published by a real publisher, it would make me feel like I really did something that was good enough to be put out where anybody can read it. Also, a real publisher would probably cost a pretty penny. :(

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    1. Thanks, LHE! And I've always kinda liked the fact that you'd have deadlines with a traditional publisher - mostly because deadlines encourage me to write :D. But I do agree that it could be stressful.

      You shouldn't have to pay to get a book traditionally published, LHE - *points up at Jem Jones comment, because she explains it much better than I could* ;).

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    2. Ohhhh, oops. lol
      Well, that makes getting traditionally published even better. I think I meant getting an editor.

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  4. Congrats on getting published Anika! A dream of mine is to get a book traditionally published, but that'll be long down the road! XD

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    1. I'm hoping to be traditionally published someday, too - but who knows, I could end up going with self-publishing! I'm terribly indecisive xD. I hope you get published someday, May!

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  5. That's so exciting!! I self published my book, but my dream is to one day get traditionally published. Self publishing is such a cool experience, have fun, Anika!!!

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    1. You've self published, Gray? I didn't know that! What's the title of your book?

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  6. Awww! This sounds so cute and like a story I would have been allll over when I was little. Definitely looks like something younger girls will love!

    I hope to get traditionally published instead of self published mostly because I don't want to be my own boss. *sheepish grin* I so admire those who can balance all that comes with self publishing! But I'm the type who likes to have someone else tell me what to do instead of having to figure it all out myself. Weird, I know. XD I mean, both routes of publishing take a LOT of work I realize, but traditional more suits my personality I think. Which is what's great about all the many ways of publishing these days. There's an outlet that fits each of us and our preferences!

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    1. Yup, I've already mentioned the book to my younger siblings :D. I should see if my library will get it ...

      That's what I'm SO torn about - I sort of want to be my own boss, but I also feel like someone else could do a better job than I could! xD Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christine!

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  7. Ooh, what a fun interview! I have a couple of little sisters who would probably enjoy this book very much! I'll have to see if I can get a copy for them. :)

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  8. Congrats, Anika, for getting published! I'm going more into traditional publishing because, like Christine said, because if I underwent self-publishing I'd probably wallow in things I'm unsure of to do. xD I'd love to read your novel some time!

    xoxo Abigail Lennah

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    1. Ooh, you're going to try for traditional publishing? Nice! You'll have to let me know how that goes for you ;).

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