Yara Gharios's Blog
September 6, 2014
"This is not fanmail" A letter to Amanda Hocking
"Dear Ms. Hocking, (canI call you Amanda? I'm not good at being formal)
Did you know the Trylle trilogy is available in bookstores in Lebanon? What's Lebanon? Oh, it's this tiny Arab country in Asia, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. Maybe you've heard of it and I just sarcastically explained it for nothing. If that's the case, I'm sorry. Guess where I'm from? Yes, Lebanon! How did you know?! (Okay maybe I'm not good at being funny either.)
I found "Switched" in our bookstores last year. I confess, I didn't buy it, but I did get the ebook version and read that! In fact, I read the entire trilogy this way. Your bio on the back of the book caught my attention though, and I researched you extensively for the next week. I was so inspired. I've been writing stories since I was 8, and I've always wanted to get published. I used to think getting published means passing my story around to enough friends and family who in turn pass them around, and someone important will happen across it, love it, make it a book and I'll be rich and famous.
I was given a reality check in 2010, when I DID manage to publish a book that way. Unfortunately for me, not only is the publishing business already a tough market to be in, Geography is also against me. I didn't exaggerate when I said we're a tiny country; I could probably drive from border to border in less than a day and still make it home in time before dark. You can imagine what kind of publishing business this country can have. Not only that, we're an Arabic speaking country. Anything published in other languages is either scholarly or imported from outside.
In you come! I didn't even know there was such a thing as self publishing till I picked up your book and read your bio on the back of it. Now I'm not here to ask you for advice, nor to ask you to read my writings, nor am I expecting any sort of recognition from you. Speaking as an aspiring author who would one day love to inspire other aspiring authors, I felt a need to let you know how much you've done for me and how motivated you've made me.
At this time, I'm on the verge of following in your footsteps and giving self publishing a try. I don't expect the same fate you had, but I do have hope. So if you ever hear the name Yara Gharios, just know that this person was inspired by you and is very grateful.
Yours faithfully,
Yara Gharios"
Did you know the Trylle trilogy is available in bookstores in Lebanon? What's Lebanon? Oh, it's this tiny Arab country in Asia, on the coast of the Mediterranean sea. Maybe you've heard of it and I just sarcastically explained it for nothing. If that's the case, I'm sorry. Guess where I'm from? Yes, Lebanon! How did you know?! (Okay maybe I'm not good at being funny either.)
I found "Switched" in our bookstores last year. I confess, I didn't buy it, but I did get the ebook version and read that! In fact, I read the entire trilogy this way. Your bio on the back of the book caught my attention though, and I researched you extensively for the next week. I was so inspired. I've been writing stories since I was 8, and I've always wanted to get published. I used to think getting published means passing my story around to enough friends and family who in turn pass them around, and someone important will happen across it, love it, make it a book and I'll be rich and famous.
I was given a reality check in 2010, when I DID manage to publish a book that way. Unfortunately for me, not only is the publishing business already a tough market to be in, Geography is also against me. I didn't exaggerate when I said we're a tiny country; I could probably drive from border to border in less than a day and still make it home in time before dark. You can imagine what kind of publishing business this country can have. Not only that, we're an Arabic speaking country. Anything published in other languages is either scholarly or imported from outside.
In you come! I didn't even know there was such a thing as self publishing till I picked up your book and read your bio on the back of it. Now I'm not here to ask you for advice, nor to ask you to read my writings, nor am I expecting any sort of recognition from you. Speaking as an aspiring author who would one day love to inspire other aspiring authors, I felt a need to let you know how much you've done for me and how motivated you've made me.
At this time, I'm on the verge of following in your footsteps and giving self publishing a try. I don't expect the same fate you had, but I do have hope. So if you ever hear the name Yara Gharios, just know that this person was inspired by you and is very grateful.
Yours faithfully,
Yara Gharios"
