Description: The Balance of Power Has Finally Tipped...The precarious equilibrium among four Londons has reached its breaking point. Once brimming with the red vivacity of magic, darkness casts a shadow over the Maresh Empire, leaving a space for another London to rise.

Who Will Crumble? Kell - once assumed to be the last surviving Antari - begins to waver under the pressure of competing loyalties. And in the wake of tragedy, can Arnes survive?

Who Will Rise? Lila Bard, once a commonplace - but never common - thief, has survived and flourished through a series of magical trials. But now she must learn to control the magic, before it bleeds her dry. Meanwhile, the disgraced Captain Alucard Emery of the Night Spire collects his crew, attempting a race against time to acquire the impossible.

Who Will Take Control? And an ancient enemy returns to claim a crown while a fallen hero tries to save a world in decay.

Review: After thoroughly enjoying the first two books in the Shades of Magic series, A Darker Shade of Magic and A Gathering of Shadows, I had very high expectations for the final book in the series. Unfortunately, my expectations were not met and I appear to be in the minority who felt that the series finale did not end on a strong note.
  There are three main reasons why I gave A Conjuring of Light a low rating: the lack of character development, pacing issues, and a weak villain. In the first two books of this series, we are introduced to a fantastic cast of characters with quirky personalities and watch how they interact with one another. I wanted more character development in this book. We get pieces of it sprinkled throughout the book such as Rhy's parents change of heart when it comes to Kell and his actions or Kell getting the chance to learn about his parents, both of which are great discussion points but Schwab barely scratches the surface with it. I also needed the answer as to what happened with Lila's eye that is constantly asked throughout the book by each character that she meets and never answered. I also wanted to dig deeper into Lila's past. The romances in the book also left me unsatisfied. While we get the romantic tension climax between Kell and Lila as they finally openly admit their attraction and affection for one another, I was actually more interested in Rhy and Alucard's romance that was quickly summed up.
  Another issue I had with the book is the inconsistency of pacing in the book. There were parts that I quickly read, particularly the beginning where we get answers to the cliffhanger of A Gathering of Shadows, and others that dragged on and on. I think my issues of pacing is that I did not feel threatened by the main villain in the story. While I do understand his threat to the Londons in the series, I didn't just find him compelling enough to read pages and pages about him. As a result my interest in the book embed and flowed and I certainly didn't enjoy it as much as I did the first two books. Despite my issues, this was still an okay read and I would still recommend this series. I guess I need to lower my expectations for series finales.

Rating: 3 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong language and violence in the book. There are two small sex scene that isn't too graphic in the book.

If you like this book try: Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman, A Madness of Angels (Matthew Swift #1) by Kate Griffin

Description: Gracie has never felt like this before. One day, she suddenly can't breathe, can't walk, can't anything and the reason is standing right there in front of her, all tall and weirdly good-looking: A.J. It turns out A.J. likes not Gracie but Gracie's beautiful best friend, Sienna. Obviously Gracie is happy for Sienna. Super happy! She helps Sienna compose the best texts, responding to A.J. s surprisingly funny and appealing texts, just as if she were Sienna. Because Gracie is fine. Always! She's had lots of practice being the sidekick, second-best. It s all good. Well, almost all. She's trying.

Review: Well, That Was Awkwardof a diverse group of middle schoolers embarking on their journey to high school. Gracie Grant, a tall eighth grader who has a prominent nose and hails from New York City, takes the lead as our Cyrano figure. She is bubbly, plucky, and optimistic. Gracie's best friend, Sienna Reyes, needs help texting the boy who likes her, the handsome AJ Rojanasopondist. Though nursing a broken heart, Gracie puts aside her feelings and is completely there for her best friend. Text messages are sent and their meanings are flustered over. Despite having feelings for AJ, Gracie has no idea that someone is actually interested in her. The romance in this book is adorable as the characters try to find their own voices and personalities as they come to terms with their own shortcomings. It made me thankful that I will never have to relive those awkward moments ever again.
  Along with a light, fun story line, Well, That Was Awkward also has depth with a subplot of Gracie confronting with the lost of her sister who died in a car accident before Gracie was born and Gracie's plight of always appearing to be happy and okay for her over-protective parents. This subplot weaves in and out throughout the story and doesn't overshadow the lighter moments. I actually think it enhances the story and gives Gracie a really nice character growth arc. I was really happy that the author prevents all of her characters from being one dimensional stereotypes though she does highlight the common cliques in middle school. I was also impressed that Gracie parents are
fully formed, not the typically clueless adults or worse absent parents who are featured in many books written for this audience. There is a nice twist in the Cyrano story that left me completely satisfied. Well, That Was Awkward is a perfect read for romance and realistic fiction fans of all ages and I highly recommend it.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 5 and up.

If you like this book try: Cici Reno by Kristina Springer, Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead

Description: There are three kinds of people in my world:

1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose.

2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. Like me—the way I don’t fit into Dad’s brand-new family or in the leftover one composed of Mom and my older brother, Mama’s-Boy-Muhammad. Also, there’s Jeremy and me. Misfits. Because although, alliteratively speaking, Janna and Jeremy sound good together, we don’t go together. Same planet, different worlds. But sometimes worlds collide and beautiful things happen, right?

3. Monsters. Well, monsters wearing saint masks, like in Flannery O’Connor’s stories. Like the monster at my mosque. People think he’s holy, untouchable, but nobody has seen under the mask. Except me.

Review: S.K. Ali's debut novel, Saints and Misfits, is a welcoming addition to the growing and much needed collection of books written about and written by Muslim authors. In a smartly written novel Ali has been able to tap into universal themes and portray the various representation of faith and Muslim representation without being didactic.
  Janna Yusuf is an extremely smart Indian Arab American Muslim teen who, like all teens, is looking for a place to belong. She is caught between her Muslim faith and the parts of her life that clash with it. Janna identifies herself as a misfit and does not fit into the cookie cutter mold of a "saintly" Muslim teen. Her parents are divorced, a culture faux pas that many people do not discuss. While a practicing Muslim herself, her father is a secular business man who has since remarried and sends out motivational quotes in his newsletter. Her love life is complicated considering she has a crush on a non-Muslim boy named Jeremy who she can not date because of her religion though her crush might not be unrequited, but above all Janna's biggest obstacle is facing the monster: a "pious" boy from a respectable family and from her mosque who attempts to sexually assault her during a party.
   The different categories of people that Janna identifies throughout the story, with the exception of the monster, shift and change as Janna's preconceptions are constantly challenged. Janna's internal push and pull observations gives readers unfamiliar with Islam a deep understanding of Muslim practices, the wide range of how people observe or don't observe Islam as well as the representation of women who wear the hijab without limiting or changing the focus of the story. Teens will easily look past their superficial differences with Janna and instead will connect with her not fitting in, dealing with frustrations of rape culture, the difficulty of trusting others and truly connecting with others, and most of all finding the courage to speak out.
  Janna is a keen observer and all of her thoughts on the world and those around her are filtered through her lens. I loved the use of Janna's hobby of a photographer as a running conceit in the story. I also greatly appreciated that the author does not use stereotypes in her book but rather exposes not only their flaws, but also the flaws of the Muslim culture. Janna creates a strong support system with both Muslim and non-Muslim friends. I also adored her friendship with an elderly Indian man who shows her own shortcomings and the advice column that her uncle and imam has for her mosque that gives the reader a peek into what's like to be a Muslim teen. Saints and Misfits is another solid book published by Salaam Reads that illustrates a girl's attempt to find her place in a complicated world.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, a party where there is underage drinking, and a scene of attempted sexual assault in the book. Recommended for Grade 9 readers and up.

If you like this book try: Ten Things I Hate About Me by Randa Abdel-Fattah, and for a book that has similar themes minus religious elements try What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Description: The students of Gotham's most prestigious prep school are back and they've just survived one heck of a year within the walls of Gotham Academy. Now it's time for everyone to look back and experience some of the lost adventures from the school year that was.

Review: It is hard to call Gotham Academy Volume 3 a "volume" since it contains six meandering short stories that are written and illustrated by different graphic novelists. There were only a handful of stories that I liked and many others I disliked. While I liked the concept of the yearbook I was surprised how early it released considering how many unanswered questions that surfaced with the first two volumes of this series. What made reading this volume difficult is the inconsistency with the narrative text and the artwork of different graphic novelists who take a crack at the Detective Club. Overall this volume felt disjointed and I did not enjoy it.

Rating: 2 stars

Words of Caution: There is some PG-13 violence in the graphic novel. Recommended for Grade 7 and up.


Description: When you're Gotham Academy student Olive Silverlock, winter holidays can be a drag. Luckily, when a new student shows up at Gotham Academy to keep her company while the other students are away, Olive finds what could be a brand new friend...or a whole lot of trouble. And when Maps, Kyle, Colton, Pomeline and the rest of the students of Gotham's #1 prep school return for a new semester, the adventures are twice as mysterious and twice as dangerous!

Review: I am not sure if Gotham Academy Second Semester is a spin off series for Gotham Academy or a continuation of the overarching story. All of our main characters return to a new semester. I was a bit hesitant to read this one since I was really disappointed with Gotham Academy Vol. 3, but ended up really enjoying this one. The plot and tension of this volume is a slow burn. Olive has a new roommate that starts to have a negative effect on her. We also have a small mystery where students have been brainwashed and kidnapped by a disgruntled teacher. At first glance I thought the graphic novel was pretty average since I figured the mystery early on but as I read on I was glad to discover a twist in the last half of the story. We get more background information on Olive's family history, what fuels her dark side, and there is a new romance development that I'm very curious to see where it goes. Luckily, the romance is not a love triangle. The volume does end on a cliffhanger so it might be a while to read what happens next. Gotham Academy Second Semester returns to the dark, gothic mystery setting that first grabbed my attention and made me curious about this series. I am glad that it is back on track.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some strong violence in the book. Recommended for strong Grade 8 readers and up.

If you like these books try: The Nameless City series by Faith Erin Hicks

Description: It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.
   Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.
  And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review: A Gathering of Shadows is a great follow up to A Darker Shades of Magic. It takes place 4 months after Kell and Lila saved the world with big changes. Now Lila has wormed her way onto a pirate ship called the Night Spire and sailed away from Red London with an enigmatic and mesmerizing pirate named Alucard Emery in search of an adventure and a new beginning. Lila has been transfixed in learning all she can about magic and how to hold/manipulate it. Meanwhile Kell is still dealing with the consequences that nearly took his life and that of his adoptive brother Rhy.
  Like the previous installment, the plot is a slow build until the upcoming magical tournament called the Essen Tasch which reminded a lot of Goblet of Fire tournament except the adult version where magicians fight to the death. Of course there is a lot of treachery and deception that occur in the background as all of our characters meet together.  Schwab expands the world beyond Red London and we learn different facets to our characters.
   I have to say that I really fell for Alucard Emery who reminded me a lot of Sturmhond from Bardguo's Grisha Trilogy, a character that has many layers beyond the rakish captain facade. There is mention that Rhy and Alucard has a romantic history and Kell is not a big fan of Alucard so I'm really curious to learn more about this couple. There is also a slight undercurrent of romantic tension between Kell and Lila that continues to spill over in this book though both of them will vehemently deny their feelings for one another. Overall I enjoyed this book a bit more than the first book since it contained the tournament which was a lot of fun to read about. There is a nasty cliffhanger so be sure to have the third book, A Conjuring of Light, on hand when you are done to make sure all your favorite characters are safe. This is a really fascinating world where magic can both be a blessing and a curse depending on how the characters use it.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language, crude humor, and some strong violence. Suitable for teens and adults.

If you like this book try: A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab and Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman

Description: After losing out on a spot on the local deaf team, William practiced even harder—eventually earning a position on a professional team. But his struggle was far from over. In addition to the prejudice Hoy faced, he could not hear the umpires' calls. One day he asked the umpire to use hand signals: strike, ball, out. That day he not only got on base but also changed the way the game was played forever. William “Dummy" Hoy became one of the greatest and most beloved players of his time!

Review: I never heard of William Hoy before picking this book up. What a remarkable story! Born in 1862, William Hoy could neither hear nor speak, but he loved and breathed baseball. Despite his disabilities, he was incredibly athletically gifted and became an outstanding major league baseball player during the late nineteenth century. It is said that he and along with other players are credited in creating a system of hand gestures as signs that are still used in baseball today. The illustrations remind of the old Popeye cartoons that are fun to look at and share the book's uplifting vibe and feel good message. This is a great story for baseball and sports fan to read. It would also work as a good read-aloud with younger readers.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Preschools to Grade 3 readers.

If you like this book try: Brothers at Bat: The True Story of an Amazing All-Brother Baseball Team by Audrey Vernick


Description: Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

Review: I Dissent is an informative picture book biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg. The book traces the Justice's achievements as an intelligent, ambitious young girl to her position on the Supreme Court with an emphasis on dissenting in the face of inequality that Gingsburg faced as a Jewish woman. While the book does talk briefly about Gingsburg's social life, the focus for the majority of the book is her law career. The text is easy to understand sentences intended for its audience. The whimsical illustrations make the subject approachable and the use of bold typography highlight words such as protest, object, and dissent make the text come alive.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: None. Recommended for Grades 3 and up.

If you like this book try: Ruth Bader Gingsburg by Heather Moore Niver

Description: Dimple Shah has it all figured out. With graduation behind her, she’s more than ready for a break from her family, from Mamma’s inexplicable obsession with her finding the “Ideal Indian Husband.” Ugh. Dimple knows they must respect her principles on some level, though. If they truly believed she needed a husband right now, they wouldn’t have paid for her to attend a summer program for aspiring web developers…right?
 
Rishi Patel is a hopeless romantic. So when his parents tell him that his future wife will be attending the same summer program as him—wherein he’ll have to woo her—he’s totally on board. Because as silly as it sounds to most people in his life, Rishi wants to be arranged, believes in the power of tradition, stability, and being a part of something much bigger than himself.
 
The Shahs and Patels didn’t mean to start turning the wheels on this “suggested arrangement” so early in their children’s lives, but when they noticed them both gravitate toward the same summer program, they figured, Why not? Dimple and Rishi may think they have each other figured out. But when opposites clash, love works hard to prove itself in the most unexpected ways.

Review: I finished When Dimple Met Rishi in one sitting, something that is very rare for me to do. This romantic debut novel wonderfully explores the culture of the sub Indian continent and more importantly what it means to be a first-generation teen from an immigrant family. Dimple and Rishi come from a similar background though they share clashing perspectives on their culture. Both teens are ready to embark on their adventure to college and being independent. In a traditional South Asian culture this is also a time to start thinking about marriage and settling down so it is not a big surprise to find Dimple's and Rishi's parents set an arranged-marriage plan in motion, but it backfires big time—or maybe not?
  In the alternating voices of her two protagonists, Menon explores themes of culture and identity with insight, humor, and warmth. I absolutely loved Dimple and Rishi for being unapologetically themselves. Too often I read about characters from my similar background who try to embrace another culture and dismiss their own without understanding it. Dimple and Rishi may not see eye to eye on certain aspects of their culture but accept it as part of themselves without sacrificing their life choices and expectations.
 Dimple loves coding and is so excited to win Insomina Con, a competitive six-week summer program at San Francisco State focused on app development, with her creative and lifesaving app. She dismisses her mother’s preoccupation with the Ideal Indian Husband and a concentration of being presented as an Indian beauty. Dimple wants to be respected for her intellect and talent. I love the fact that Dimple is described as an average teen who has unruly hair and wears glasses. Finally, a YA character that resembles regular teens! I could definitely relate with her frustrations of her mother constantly comparing her to others.
  Rishi is an obedient son who is responsible, a romantic and a dreamer who believes in destiny, tradition, and embraces his culture full on. He is perfectly fine with settling down and starting a family, which is why he brought his grandmother's ring to give to Dimple at Insomnia Con except she has no clue of his or both sets of their parents' intention. Rishi is on his father's path to study computer science and engineering at MIT even though his real passion for comic book art is a hidden one. When both attend the convention and are assigned to work together, things get tricky. It is so much fun watching Dimple and Rishi become friends, drop their walls of defense, and navigate their   swoonworthy connection. I also appreciated the fact that the conflict is an internal one for both characters instead of superfluous drama. When Dimple Met Rishi is a heartwarming, authentic, empathetic, and often hilarious, delightful read. It is my favorite contemporary romance read so far this year and I highly recommend it.  

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is some language and crude sexual humor. There is also a small fade to black sex scene in the book. Recommended for Grades 9 and up.

If you like this book try: Born Confused by Tanuja Hidier Desai

When I was at the ALA Annual Conference, I talked to the Penguin Random House representative who spoke highly of DC's new imprint called the Young Animal which was created by Gerard Way, the leader singer of My Chemical Romance. I asked the representative about the imprint's targeted audience and content which he suggested were appropriate for teens. I wanted to find out for myself and asked for his suggestion on where to start. He told me he is a big fan of  Shade, the Changing Girl by Cecil Castellucci. When I saw it was an advanced copy was available for review on Netgalley I thought I would try it. Shade, The Changing Girl, will be published on July 18, 2017.


Description: Far away on the planet Meta, Loma's going nowhere fast. She's dropped out of school, dumped her boyfriend and is bored out of her mind. She longs to feel things. That's where her idol, the lunatic poet Rac Shade, and his infamous madness coat come in. Loma steals the garment and makes a break across galaxies to take up residence in a new body: Earth girl Megan Boyer.

Description: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand. After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure. Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

Review: The Shade of Magic series is a great introduction to fantasy for readers who may not be too comfortable with the genre. It is fast paced adventure that is quick to get into with a great, medium-sized cast of characters with an easy to understand world and magic system. It is also a great teen to adult crossover book. 

Description: After experiencing a series of dangerous—and frankly, humiliating—trials at Camp Half-Blood, Apollo must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships—with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series.

Review: The Dark Prophecy is the second book in the Trials of Apollo series in which the Greek god Apollo has lost his powers and immortality and has been brought to Earth as an acne ridden American teenager. While the Dark Prophecy is a quick, fun read it is also a transitional book in the series. Apollo must work with other demigods, prominent in Riordan's Percy Jackson and Heroes of Olympus series, to help save Meg and other characters from a dark demise.
 I still find Apollo highly amusing from his self absorbed "woe is me" haiku poems that preface each chapter. I like that his human side is allowing him to see his own flaws and become a stronger person and character. While there are no particular myths that this series retells there are stories that are closely with Apollo that are interwoven in this series. I also appreciate Riordan's attention to diversity in his works as Apollo openly discusses his bisexuality plus meeting lesbian parents, and we meet demigods from various ethnicities and races throughout the series. It is not until the last few pages that a cryptic prophecy is revealed which clearly sets up the next book in a series. If you are interested in seeing why Riordan is super popular, I would highly recommend picking up the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series first as it sets up the foundation for his later series and gives you a sense of Riordan's trademark humor, action, and mythology retelling. I'm really looking forward to seeing where Riordan takes Apollo next.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There are some disturbing scenes in the book and some of the stories mentioned in the book are quite violent. Recommended for Grade 6 and up.

If you like this book try: Olympians: Apollo by George O'Connor graphic novel, The Burning Maze by Rick Riordan (Trials of Apollo #3 coming in May 2018)

Description: There is a secret organization that cultivates teenage spies. The agents are called Love Interests because getting close to people destined for great power means getting valuable secrets.
Caden is a Nice: the boy next door, sculpted to physical perfection. Dylan is a Bad: the brooding, dark-souled guy who is dangerously handsome. The girl they are competing for is important to the organization, and each boy will pursue her. Will she choose the Nice or the Bad?
  Both Caden and Dylan are living in the outside world for the first time. They are well-trained and at the top of their games. They have to be—whoever the girl doesn’t choose will die. What the boys don’t expect are feelings that are outside of their training. Feelings that could kill them both.

Review: The Love Interest was one of my most anticipated debut novels of 2017. I was super excited for a diverse spy novel that flips familiar book tropes. Sadly, despite a fantastic premise the book is a major let down and disappoints in many ways.
Caden is a spy. He's spent most of his life so far in an underground facility called the Love Interest Compound, being groomed physically and mentally to become a Love Interest for someone influential. His job is to woo the candidate and win her trust while also divulging her secrets to the Compound who will later sell the information to the highest bidder. The concept of the Love Interest Compound is really cool, but the world building is unfortunately undeveloped. I had many unresolved questions regarding its creation and purpose. I did find it interesting though that the institution goes as far as altering the Love Interest physical features with surgery to ensure physical attraction, which reminded me very much of the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld, and tagging them with a tracker much like we do to our pets. After a very long time Caden has been chosen and pegged as a Nice, the nerdy-boy-next-door type. He is given a script and plays the role as Juliet's long lost friend. 

  I was approached by Sarah at Publishizer regarding a book contest for inspiring writers with a focus on diversity and I wanted to share this great opportunity with you. Read the guest post below to find out more information about the contest and its $1,000 prize!




  Imagine a YA publishing process without gatekeepers. One where editors and agents read the manuscripts that readers love, not vice versa. One where anyone with a knack for writing, a passion to succeed, and a little flair for self-promotion, has a fair shot at being published.

All too frequently, this isn’t the case. Books often get rejected for reasons beyond authors’ control. One editor turned down an ultimately successful book by saying, “The girl doesn't, it seems to me, have a special perception or feeling which would lift that book above the 'curiosity' level.” The book in question? The Diary of Anne Frank. Furthermore, according to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, only about 10% of all YA books accepted for publication feature “multi-cultural content.” Clearly, there are some blind spots that need addressing in the publishing industry.

It’s with this vision in mind that Publishizer is launching its YA book proposal contest called Plot Without a Cause. Publishizer is a startup seeking to fill a hole in the publishing industry through crowdfunding.

 It works like this: You write the book proposal. You know the book proposal I’m talking about. The one you’ve been daydreaming about for years. The one that just popped into your head last week and you haven’t stopped thinking about since. The one for the manuscript that’s been dearly loved by you but maybe not so much yet by the publishing industry. That one. Then you register (for free!) on Publishizer’s website and post your proposal in the Plot Without a Cause section (again—for free!).

  Now this is when you’ll have to start hustling. Crowdfunding runs on pre-orders, so you had better start promoting that proposal. Reach out over social media, post on your blog, email your old roommates—whatever it takes to start building buzz. If you get the most preorders by the time the contest ends, you’ll win $1000 dollars. And if you don’t have the highest number of preorders, don’t worry—you’ll still be queried to major publishers who fit your proposal.

Previous Publishizer contest participants have gotten interest and landed deals with a variety of traditional publishing companies, including Harvard Square Books, She Writes Press, and Weiser. Publishizer takes a small commission on pre-orders when you choose a publisher at the end.

Every year, thousands of books are rejected by the publishing world for reasons that have nothing to do with the quality of the book—they’re too mainstream or not mainstream enough, too similar to books already being published or too different from books already being published. Or the literary agent just doesn’t stand to make much money on the deal so they pass on a perfectly good book! Imagine how many brilliant YA manuscripts go unpublished every year thanks to frustrating rejections. Imagine how many hugely talented authors quietly give up on their dreams, just because the gate to a traditional publishing path isn’t open to them.

  With their new YA book proposal contest, Plot Without a Cause, Publishizer is seeking to level the playing field. Publishing decisions shouldn’t be based solely on a literary agent’s judgement
or how many friends you have in the industry. They should be based on quality of writing and how many readers the book attracts.

   Great books get overlooked all the time, and this is an opportunity to show acquiring editors that yours is worth paying attention to. Not to mention the readership and funds you could gain in the process. Crowdfunding (or crowd-publishing, in this case) is growing in popularity and brings a personal touch back to book sales—for readers and publishers. Are you in?

For more information, visit the contest page or contact Sarah White directly at sarah@publishizer.com.