Sooo... No crazy news about book releases, so sorry if the title was misleading. It's a new cover reveal for an already published book. There were several things my publisher and I realized when my first series was leaving my second series in the dust when it came to sales. This led to some rebranding.
Quiver, book 1 of The Immortal Transcripts, came out in February 2020. It is a reinvention (not reimagining) of Cupid and Psyche, where the reader experiences an electrifying series where familial and romantic bonds are at war, where knowledge could mean the end of everything and a new beginning. More specifically, we see the Greek gods alive today, hiding among us--and a mortal enters their lives pretty much destroying their facade by capturing Eros's heart.
Sounds interesting, right? So what was the problem? A few reviews came in for this book (and others of mine) of how they were too difficult. Apparently, I write at an 11th-12th grade reading level that the average reader cannot keep up with. Before that comment offends anyone, note that the average reading level in the US is currently 7th grade. I do not write at this level purposely. It is how I write and dumbing it down and not challenging readers go against the college lecturer mindset. On top of this, I have a large cast of characters with their own subplots, and 4 main characters' POVs to follow. I do have keys to help. So can it be YA and written at such a level with such complexities?
YA seems to be split down the middle. The sweet innocent bubbly ones, versus the vicious almost adult themes. There is nothing wrong with either. Teenhood is so drastically different that 14 to 16 is a massive jump in maturity, and when you look at the full range of teenhood, 13 to 18 there is a massive disparity of maturity. Teens read completely different things due to various reader wants and needs. So do all readers.
Readers wanting a little fluff or a standard formulaic YA romance were grabbing my book, and it wasn't what they expected. I'm not knocking on readers who don't want books that make them think or writers who only wish to entertain. Whenever I'm struggling in life, I need that fluff. I love all levels of writing. I realized I shouldn't be targeting those wanting a light read. So next came why were they buying my book. We deduced two things: category and cover.
My husband is an illustrator on the side, so he did an amazing background with fluffy purple and lavender clouds with a streak of lightning to represent the threat of Zeus. The fluffy clouds felt so cutely YA because I had believed I was writing that. People who loved standard commercial YA were drawn to the cute cover. The only thing cute about the series is young love. The rest is a bit darker and complex. It was obvious I would have to say goodbye to a cover I loved deeply. But it is being replaced by another wonderful cover, one that represents it better.
The publisher created a new label, Mythic Romance, and cover. I love how it attracts people who like myths regardless of age. And it makes sense; fans as young as 13 and old as 80 have written to tell me how they loved it. I also love the more direct cover that I asked to look similar to my other series. After talking to many successful indie authors, I learned it is important to create a brand with your covers, fonts, etc. Fans will recognize your new books just from the look of them. So my brand is dark covers (I love the punch they give and it hints to my darker themes), circular cover art, and the fiery, sharp-looking font for my name.
We'll see how the changes go, but I do know one thing about my writing never will: I will unapologetically make you think while I entertain. If you love all the feels and to be challenged as a reader, check out Quiver.