We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ava Lauren Grayson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ava Lauren, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Hip Librarian Productions was born out of my passion to translate books to screen. With the rise of promoting books on social media platforms, I discovered a gap in the industry and founded a company to create high-quality cinematic book trailers for authors and publishers to use to promote their traditionally and non-traditionally published work online. Capturing the attention of Gen-Z readers who are always absorbing visual media on their phones, these book trailers peak their interest like Hollywood film trailers!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I do not just make films. I yield time with stories. I picked up a pen, which became my magic wand, at the age of five, and I have yet to put it down since. I completed my first novel in high school and have written five other Young Adult historical-fantasy novels since. With a background in theater and design, I turned to film when I discovered I could translate the words I craft on the page into striking visuals on screen. While attending film school at ArtCenter College of Design, I also stepped one foot into publishing and started as a Junior Editor at Quill and Flame Publishing House. Since then, I have worked simultaneously in film, having experience on over fifty films including award-winning shorts, and in publishing, both as an author of six published short stories and as well as an editor. With my admiration for and experience in the literary world, I became passionate about book-to-film adaptions, specifically for a Young Adult audience, and started Hip Librarian Productions to produce and promote written literary work on screen.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

Networking is work but making friends is natural and long-lasting. Building my company as a filmmaker, author, and entrepreneur, I have worked to expand my community as much as possible by not pitching my services solely to companies and individuals but by reaching out to authors, creatives, and companies to grow friendships and relationships. Both the film and publishing industries only work if everyone supports one another and builds one another’s careers up. My clients are authors that I support, believe in, encourage, and have made genuine friendships with. I would buy their books no matter if they hire me for a book trailer or not!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Working in any creative field takes a toll on the artist or entrepreneur mentally, physically, and emotionally. From rejections to being out of work to artistic criticism, creators have to build up incredibly thick skins to be resilient and keep pushing through. Dreams are not meant to be given up on and it takes an infinite amount of work and strength and a huge community to make these dreams possible, but they are possible. I admire and respect those who have pushed through and who have devoted their lives to never giving up on themselves or their creative ventures, and I strive to succeed and help others succeed just like the great legends of the artistic industries.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avawithacamera/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ava-lauren-grayson-9a57211b1/
• Other: https://www.avalaurengrayson.com
  https://www.instagram.com/avalaurengrayson/

Image Credits

Stills featuring Mika Léshā, Coco Lytton-Grayson, Lauren Melton, Zhanna Oleksandra, Karen Zipper