WOW, WOW, WOW!
Hello writing friends! Welcome to my official 2024 Feature Interview Guest List announcement post. If you've kept up with my social media, it's no secret that this year's Feature Interview candidate list was nothing short of incredible. The number of talented applicants from all over the world that flowed into my inbox in just a little over a month was astounding. So much so, in fact, that it inspired me to DOUBLE up my guest list. That's right-- now, instead of one Feature Interview a month, you'll be getting two! And that's not the only change coming your way in 2024. In times past, I've made it my goal to post a new Feature Interview the first of every month (rain or shine). Now, my Feature Interviews will be on a set schedule: every first and third Wednesday of the month. And... if you subscribe to my newsletter (which I hope you will) you'll get a VERY brief, one paragraph email from me on the last Friday of each month that says, "Hi! These are the guests who came on the blog this month. These are the topics we discussed. Interested in reading about them? Here are the links: Link. Link." Bada-bing. Bada-boom. That's it. Simple. Brief. Helpful. I'm sure, you probably already know the spiel on why Feature Interviews are SO invaluable, but for anyone who doesn't know- simply put, they are a free publishing resource *AKA THE INSIDE SCOOP* directly from authors, agents, editors, illustrators, etc. AHEM. Did you hear the part where I mentioned they are FREE? Yeah. That's always a good incentive. Who doesn't love a bargain? But, that's not what we're here to talk about right now. Chances are, many of you who are reading this blog entry today are most likely curious and antsy to find out if YOU will be one of these special guests. Well, the wait is almost over! I'm about to tell you. But first, I want to share a little bit about the process.
THE PROCESS
Please be assured, the process for choosing my final guests wasn't taken lightly. I studied and studied and studied each candidate application, giving as much consideration to a numerous list of variables, to come up with a diverse list of minds and perspectives. But, when being faced with as MANY applications as I was, it comes down to making very tough choices between equally talented and inspired voices and stories. And guess what? It was HARD. In truth, my heart would love to have EVERYONE, but my brain reminds it that this simply would not be realistic. Blah, blah, blah. You know how brains are. So logical. So, after many cups of tea, refills of espresso, and rants on there not being enough time in a day, I finally landed on my final 24 guests. Below, you will find a list of their names, as well as a "guest teaser," with a photo, brief bio, and links to find out more. Please note: if you do not see your name on this list, please, please do not assume that your application wasn't "special enough." Because it most definitely was. The choice was not a personal reflection of you or your story- simply a matter of only having so much availability. Additionally, I would LOVE to hear about your future publications! If you have a book coming out in 2024, please drop a comment below with the title/ISBN, as well as the pub date (or estimated pub date) and I would love to add it to my library order list and help share it with my writing/reading friends!
If your name and bio are up here- CONGRATULATIONS! I can't wait to talk with you more. Make sure to keep an eye on that inbox because you'll be receiving a personalized letter very soon. (Well, I hope it will be very soon.) If your name and bio weren't on the list... but you did submit your application within the window, I'll be sending an email your way as well. Thank you ALL for participating in this year's application process. It was truly a treat to read all of your heartfelt applications. Reminder: if you haven't already, make sure to SUBSCRIBE to the blog, so you don't miss out these wonderful monthly Feature Interviews. They are always filled with a ton of interesting and helpful writerly advice and information on all things publishing. Psst! By the way... looking for great books? Visit MY SHOP PAGE on bookshop.org. There you can find my personalized book recommendations in my A MIX OF CHELSEA'S ALL TIME FAVORITES book list or browse books by my Feature Interview guests in my BOOKS BY FEATURE INTERVIEW GUESTS book list.