Ed notice: I’ve embedded just a few TikTok movies on this publish, which autoplay for NO GOOD REASON however the audio needs to be off. 

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Hello once more Sensible Bitches! Amy Zed right here with an additional particular Q & A. As we speak I’m chatting with viral Booktoker and writer Liz Shipton.

We’re going to get into some enjoyable stuff—together with magical elements, and we’ll dive into extra severe topics, too—like how Liz’s upcoming city fantasy romance tackles AI’s affect on marginalized communities.

Actually, getting to speak with the authors I love has been one of many hugest highlights that’s come out of self-publishing my cyberpunk romantasy, A Symphony of Starlight, and I’m particularly excited to speak with Liz as a result of she began out in self-pub identical to me!

With the seven-book seafaring Thalassic Sequence below her belt and Booktok content material getting thousands and thousands of views, Liz is within the midst of tackling a brand new journey—her trad pub debut. Dot Slash Magic, and concrete fantasy romance with a techie twist, releases on August fifteenth!

Amy: Liz, I’m so excited to speak about Dot Slash Magic, however earlier than we get occurring books, I simply must say, your life feels like an journey novel in itself! What’s it like dwelling on a sailboat?

Liz: , you’ll be shocked how shortly it turns into regular! I believe when individuals hear “sailboat life” they routinely assume “dwelling the dream” however to be sincere, after 4 years, it’s actually simply “dwelling.”

Don’t get me incorrect – some days are positively an journey. We anchor in a few of the most stunning locations on the planet, and we’ve seen some really wonderful issues (the bioluminescence in Costa Rica is beautiful, and a few distant elements of Panama really feel like one thing straight out of Pirates of the Caribbean.) However there’s additionally loads of simply…shopping for your groceries, engaged on the pc, determining find out how to get round and not using a automobile, taking the canine to the vet, and so forth. After which there are days when it’s raining and also you by chance go away the hatches open so your mattress will get soaked, and also you query why you might be even doing this along with your life in any respect, LOL.

Amy: Now, I first encountered you thru your movies. I’m a romantasy reader by and thru, however I’ve at all times discovered sure facets of romantasy… questionable… so when your “Enemies to Lovers Fantasy Romance” video popped up in my feed, I discovered myself nodding alongside emphatically and yelling, “EXACTLY!”

The way in which you poke loving enjoyable at our favorite style is pure gold. What impressed you to begin posting these movies?

Liz: I believe these movies got here, in the beginning, from a spot of me realizing that I wasn’t fairly the author I needed to be once I began out. I had visions of myself crafting these mind-bendingly distinctive, poetic sentences that would go away individuals speechless.

However the actuality was that I discovered myself writing “she narrowed her eyes” lots. After which I began studying different books within the style, and realized that…everybody was type of doing that. So it was a mix of me poking enjoyable at my very own writing, and likewise poking a little bit of enjoyable on the style.

It was additionally, to be sincere, a approach to vent my frustration on the manner books are marketed as of late, significantly on locations like Booktok. Once you’re on the app lots, you begin to really feel like all the things is simply tropes, and as somebody who’s striving to put in writing one thing a bit totally different, it might begin to really feel somewhat aggravating.

@lizshiptonauthor Who doesn’t love a great enemies to lovers? #womenwritingmen #bookboyfriends #bookboyfriendsdoitbetter #fictionalmen #enemiestolovers #fantasyromance #lizshipton ♬ In The Forest (Acoustic Indie No Copyright) – Instrumental – Lesfm & Olexy

Amy: Liz, I really feel that in my bones. My combo of cyberpunk and romance is certainly not the norm. It’s laborious to market! And I can see how a seafaring dystopian romance collection like Thalassic could be robust to market on the planet of Fae Kings and Shadow Daddies as nicely. However it feels like your movies labored!

You had The Thalassic Sequence, you gained a giant following along with your Booktok content material, and now you’ve bought your first trad pub deal. How did all of it go down?

Liz: I initially bought on social media to advertise The Thalassic Sequence again when it was simply 3 YA books with little or no romance. I bought “corrupted” by Booktok and determined to create an aged-up model of the collection with extra romance and spice. Throughout that point, I used to be studying lots in regards to the tropes and expectations of the style, which is what led to me placing up these movies.

These movies landed my face in entrance of an agent – Amy Collins – who reached out to me by way of DM. I used to be skeptical, as a result of I’d by no means heard of that taking place, however I’m very a lot an individual who thinks you need to throw numerous issues towards the wall and see what sticks, so I did some due diligence to study extra about her (seems, she’s superior!) and stated sure. We pitched Dot Slash Magic as three chapters and a synopsis, and it was picked up fairly shortly by Offended Robotic Books.

My social media presence was positively instrumental in me touchdown that deal, however I do additionally need to give my writing some credit score: the ebook is superior!

Amy: Completely. I’m so enthusiastic about Dot Slash Magic. Based mostly on the blurb, it’s bought all the things I like—banter, magic, tech, spice. Are you able to share somewhat extra in regards to the story?

Liz: It’s a few self-taught coder in her mid-twenties, who by no means went to school and has been bumming round Europe since highschool. She’s type of a deadbeat and really cynical, and after she will get dumped by her boyfriend, her mother is mainly like “That you must get your shit collectively” and convinces her to come back again to San Diego to go to group school. In school, she stumbles into an underground magic society, discovers she has magic, after which makes use of her coding expertise to construct an artificially clever assistant powered by sorcery. Hijinx and hilarity (and homicide) ensue when monsters present up and begin looking her pals. Everybody blames her magic AI, however she’s satisfied somebody is making an attempt to border her.

It’s type of a satirical tackle the tech trade, wrapped in an city romantasy. It’s humorous, a bit spicy, and really bonkers, however it additionally tries to dig into some pretty deep questions surrounding the present state of AI, significantly its affect on artists and marginalized communities.

@lizshiptonauthor When the connection ought to actually be disclosed to HR #womenwritingmen #womenwritingwomen #fictionalmen #bookboyfriend #dystopianromance #fantasyromance ♬ Darkish horror, vampire, vampire, weird(1146217) – G-axis sound music

Amy: You may have such an ideal sense of humour that I knew your ebook could be bursting with improbable strains. Then I noticed this quote:

After which his dick started to develop. Not get more durable. Actually develop. Seven’s eyes went wholly extensive as she appeared down between them. “No.”
He grinned. “Sure.”

I squealed once I learn that. Clearly you’ve outdone your self. I HAVE to know, what’s the take care of the MMC and his member?

Liz: Hahahaha! Effectively, as I’ve stated, I spend a good period of time on Booktok, so I suppose I wrote that for them, LOL. I believe I used to be striving for one thing a bit totally different from the usual “shadow daddy.” As a result of to be completely sincere, I don’t actually get the entire “shadows” factor. Are they really shadows? Or are they extra like smoke? He can decide stuff up with them? HOW??? It by no means made sense to me, and it looks as if a massively missed alternative to have a dude with magic in a ebook and never make his dick magic. Like….why is everybody not doing that??? Who provides a fuck about shadows when you may actually have a magic peepee???

Amy: And talking of magical peepees, your video “Girls writing *ahem* MEN” has over 100 thousand views on Instagram and that’s not even counting all of the views over on TikTok and YouTube.

@lizshiptonauthor The ML of Dot Slash Magic has a ✨magic✨ ding d0ng and if THAT doesn’t make you need to pre-order it, I actually don’t know what is going to ‍♀️ #womenwritingmen #fictionalmen #bookboyfriend #romantasy #fantasyromance #urbanfantasy #bookish #booktok ♬ Carmen Habanera, classical opera(1283412) – perfectpanda

However each new account begins with low views and nil followers. I’d like to understand how your social media journey progressed. Did you at all times create such daring content material, or did it take some time to find what grabbed viewers’ consideration?

Liz: I do must take a second right here to credit score A.L. Brody/Jason Pinter (writer of Courting & Dismemberment) with inventing that type of video. It was after seeing one among his TikToks that I made a decision to take a stab at placing my very own spin on it, and to be sincere, I didn’t count on it to go anyplace. Posting to TikTok, you get actually used to seeing another person’s video and considering “That appears enjoyable! I’ll bounce on that pattern,” solely to place up your personal model of the factor and get lower than 200 views. So when it took off, I used to be very shocked.

I used to be additionally actually fearful when it took off, as a result of I assumed Jason could be pissed that I stole his concept, however thankfully, he’s extraordinarily cool and has been nothing however supportive. His movies do rather well too, and we even made a video collectively. The Booktok group is absolutely nice in that manner – there may be house for everybody, and it feels extra like a collaborative house than a aggressive one.

Amy: And talking of collaboration, I used to be additionally intrigued once I noticed your vibrator advert come by my feed. My brother is a gaming Youtuber and he will get sponsorships to point out off pc gear and gaming chairs. However I’d by no means thought of what sort of sponsors would possibly method a booktoker till I noticed that advert. How did the sponsorship come about (no pun meant)? And are there another sorts of sponsors you may see your self working with sooner or later?

Liz: That was a shock to me too, really, and never one thing I ever noticed myself doing – however then, writing spicy books isn’t one thing I ever noticed myself doing both! Individuals may be shocked that I really establish as asexual and out of doors of my books, intercourse is just not one thing that’s tremendous on my radar. However regardless that I’m not probably the most sexual particular person, I’m very supportive of different individuals being as sexual (or unsexual) as they need to be, and normalizing all sorts of orientations, sexualities, drives, kinks, and so forth. So when the corporate reached out, I figured “Why not?!”

Amy: Sponsorships apart, I’m positive proper now you’re busy utilizing most of your time to advertise Dot Slash Magic. I critically can’t wait. I’ve already preordered so I can begin studying the minute the ebook releases. For readers who don’t have Dot Slash Magic locked down but, the place’s the most effective place to preorder?

Liz: That’s so fantastic to listen to you’re excited and THANK YOU for pre-ordering 🙂 For other people who’re , you may learn a blurb and a few critiques (the ebook simply bought a starred evaluate from Writer’s Weekly!) and see a few of the artwork I had made, plus discover a pre-order hyperlink for varied shops.

Amy: Thanks once more for chatting with me, Liz! I’m positive anybody who’s listening to about your content material for the primary time is racing over to their socials to hit the comply with button, however how else can we keep up a correspondence? Do you’ve gotten a e-newsletter readers can join so we’re positive to listen to about your subsequent launch?

Liz: Sure! Proper now once you join my e-newsletter you get the primary 3 chapters of Dot Slash Magic

totally free!

And I’m at all times on socials (I’m studying Dot Slash Magic Stay on Insta each M-F at 4PM EST up till the launch) or you’ll find me at my web site lizshipton.com. I’m on Instagram, Tiktok, Fb, and have a Patreon.

Or come to the Caribbean a while and we will grasp on the seaside.

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In regards to the interviewer: Amy Zed’s debut novel A Symphony of Starlight combines components of cyberpunk and rockstar romance to carry you a fast-paced motion journey that acquired 4 ½ stars from The Paranormal Romance Guild. It’s obtainable to learn FREE along with your KU membership, or you should purchase it for $3.97 on Amazon.