BookTokked — John Dyer Writes

In a few days, after I receive my Logitech Litra Glow Premium LED Streaming Light, I’ll recite the script for my latest video. Those who’ve been following my essays know what this is about — I’m trying to hook an audience for my novels. Come now BookTok, BookTube, and Bookstagram. I sure hope it’s worth the trouble.

And who knows but there might be a more productive outcome if people start sharing these posts. Just mentioning it, in case there’s a button under your finger that could make that happen, and thank you.

Here’s the script. Feedback invited.

For several years, my wife has been telling me I should list my novels in the young adult category. I never gave it much consideration until now, because I don’t write specifically for young readers. It’s not that I’m worried about objectionable content, I just never imagined my work would be a good fit.

However, there’s a large body of important fiction classified as developmental reading, and as it turns out, the young adult category is a favorite destination for grown-ups, particularly women. So, I took a closer look, and now it makes sense.

In a phrase, young adult is where one might exclude that which is ugly, dark, pessimistic or unwholesome — and with four hundred thousand books published every day, how else will you discover value-positive literature.

Which is something I’ll admit to writing, although it was not on my list of objectives when I started. I had a quirky story idea in my head. I decided to write it down. I did so in the fashion of authors I admired. Those guys wrote literary science fiction with flair, intelligence and imagination. Growing up overseas gave me an ear for cultural nuance. Loving parents taught me the importance of family and relationships. Since I don’t need to make a living as an author, I write from the heart.

So, okay, yes — my books are generally wholesome in nature. Optimistic, hopeful, fun to read, and thought-provoking, leaving the reader feeling good about things. Guilty. Find me in young adult, that’s fine with me.

In other news, it’s occasionally my privilege to observe Kindle Unlimited subscribers binge-reading my catalog. It’s not a surprise. I know they’re good books, but I always watch for a review, hoping to find out where the magic is so I can do more of it. That has yet to happen, and if it ever does, I don’t expect to learn it’s just one thing.

Still, other readers have said what they liked about the books, and there’s deliberate craft in my writing. I’ll talk about that in a future video.

Also on my list of topics is a pronunciation guide. The Anye Legacy books take place on the home world of an alien civilization. Nobody’s named Tim or Bob. The native language is Sanskrit, unfamiliar to Western readers. I’ll tell you how to say the main characters’ names so you can enjoy the stories without wondering about it.

Thanks for watching. I’m author John G Dyer, for Deva Karu Press.

Or, you could subscribe. That would help, too.