"Innovators in Lit" Interview at PLOUGHSHARES

Laura van den Berg interviewed me at Ploughshares for her "Innovators in Lit" series, which has already featured Christopher Newgent, Alice Sebold, Featherproof Books, Melissa Broder, and a handful of other great writers and publishers. The interview posted yesterday, and quickly got a great response: Thanks so much to everyone who shared it or posted it about it elsewhere. A part of one of my answers about "creating buzz" as a writer has received the most attention, so I'll post it here as well:

I think the big mistake most writers make is thinking that becoming involved in your community is something you do after your book is published. Instead, I urge writers to become involved as early as possible, in a genuine, non-book-related way. It’s always a little off-putting when a person suddenly becomes interested in book review venues only once they have their own book. In a similar way, it seems false to only be interested in independent bookstores when you’re trying to get your own book stocked. The better solution is, as a part of your daily work as a writer, support the communities you wish to be a part of, by reading books, writing reviews, promoting other writers or bookstores or whatever in your social networking. It’s a small but old truth, but the more you give, the more you will receive. And this isn’t any kind of slimy networking. This is every writer’s responsibility, and the writers who create the most buzz for the good work of others will find that same energy waiting for them, when their own excellent book finally comes out.

Thanks so much to Laura for her friendly and insightful questions, and to Ploughshares for hosting our conversation. It was an honor to be a part of this series, and I'm looking forward to finding out who Laura interviews next.