Flux Friday with Mandy Hubbard

Today’s Flux Friday is with writer AND agent Mandy Hubbard, author of PRADA & PREJUDICE (Razorbill/Penguin), DRIVEN (Harlequin, June 201), YOU WISH (Razorbill/Penguin, August 2010), and SHATTERED (Flux, 2011), and agent at D4EO Literary. To find out more about this busy gal, visit www.mandyhubbard.com.

 

1. On your blog, you discuss the numerous rejections you got for PRADA & PREJUDICE. I think your experience is very inspiring for writers. How did you keep believing that the book would sell and not get discouraged?

I didn’t get discouraged? Who told you that? *grin*. There were definitely days (weeks, months) I questioned my sanity. But I just felt too strongly about Prada & Prejudice to give up. So I revised and revised and eventually rewrote it. I don’t really have any tips, per se, but all I can say is that you have to go in knowing rejection is part of it and just refuse to take no for an answer. My tag line on my blog is “A published author is an amateur who didn’t quit. Don’t quit.” I saw that line every day, and it reminded me of my goal.

2. What is the number one thing you need when writing?

Honestly, there’s nothing that is a “must” for me, though I’d love hours of uninterupted time, gummy bears, soda, and music. Most of the time I have none of those things. I wrote the vast majority of Prada & Prejudice on a laptop on a noisy train at 7am. If you want something bad enough, you make it happen.

3. I remember PRADA & PREJUDICE being in TIME magazine, where Abigail Breslin was said to be reading it. Do you think that affected sales? Did you ever write her a note?

I never did send her a note or a thank you, though I would have liked to. I just figured it would be lost in fanmail. As for sales, we did see a nice little bump for a little while, but nothing major, as the mention was small. I did notice on Amazon that the “frequently bought together with” books were consistently books that were mentioned in that same article, at least for a month or so.

4. Your book for Flux is about an abusive relationship—a more serious topic than what PRADA & PREJUDICE—was based on. How did the idea come to you, and did you have a different way of organizing your thoughts, plot, etc. while writing serious material as opposed to lighter work?

SHATTERED is a book that’s pretty close to me. It was inspired by a relationship I had at 17 that was not physically abusive, but it wasn’t healthy either, and it gave me insight that I used in SHATTERED. It’s written in reverse chronological order, so it was a real challenge to get it to come together correctly. I did write it very differently than P&P in that I jumped around a bit when I wrote it. I had the skeleton of it done in a week, then went back in and wrote more scenes to fill in the holes. My writing style seems to change with every book I write.

5. I’m really impressed with your new career path of agenting. How do you balance that with your writing and what made you want to take that on?

You know, I’ve just been fascinated by the agenting side of things for a long time. I probably drove my own agent crazy because I was interested in the nuts and bolts of how she was doing things at all times. I became involved in the submission process (and selecting editors) early on, and over time, I knew I wanted to agent.

It can be a tough balance, but I’m not writing all the time– there are many periods of time where I’m waiting for revision letters or books to release and I can focus soley on agenting. Aside from that, it’s just not possible to write for more than a few hours at a time— I just can’t be creative for 8 hours straight. Therefore, I can write for a bit and then put my agent hat on and let my author-brain rest.

6. Do you prefer reading classic lit or contemporary and what are your favorite books in both genres?

Contemporary, hands down. I hate to use the term “sell out” but I am such a commercial, mainstream sort of girl– I always seem to love what’s most popular in music, movies, books. I definitely like a few more eclectic things, but I think my love of commercial works is going to be great for an agent– I’ll focus on things that fit the market best, and take on the occasional quiet book that speaks to me to balance things out. Favorite books– I could go on and on. Amaranth Enchantment, Match Made in High School, Hunger Games, Hate List, The Forest of Hands and Teeth, The Season….. I’ll stop now.

7. What is your favorite fairy tale?

Cinderella. There are an infinite number of ways to retell the story. I have a friend who wrote one in which Cinderella is an assassin, and she went to the ball not to dance with the prince, but to kill him.

8. Are you into fashion? If you had to pick a favorite outfit, what would it be?

No would be an understatement. I hate shopping and never seem to pull an outfit together. I like comfy tees and bootleg jeans.

9. Can you tell us anything about your upcoming novels? We’ll keep it secret. Promise!

Don’t keep it a secret! Tell the world!

My next book for teens, YOU WISH, is about a girl who gets every birthday wish she’s ever made, to disastrous effect. It starts with a life-sized my little pony. I’m hoping it’s funny. I’m not sure yet. 😉