Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Derek Milman. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Derek, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

As an author, and when I was transitoning to a publishing career, I was lucky to have a background as an actor, and also as a playwright, which came in useful. I was trained classically at the Yale School of Drama, where I received my Master’s. I learned very quickly that there are parallels between the two art forms. As an actor you learn the importance of conflict, and high stakes. You internalize dialogue, interpret psychological profiles, and develop a facility with language. All that comes into play when formulating and drafting a novel. Each book doesn’t tell you how to write the next one, it only teaches you how to write itself, because each book runs on an entirely different engine, but you do sharpen your craft every time. Becoming a better writer and craftsman takes time and dedication. You should write as often as you can, read a lot, read across all genres, and not just the ones you write, go to museums, galleries, the theater, travel if you can, absorb art from other mediums, and you gradually become a better artist.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I was born in New York City, and raised in Westchester County, NY. In grade school I wrote short stories about stuff like aliens and submarines and magical strawberries. I would frequently send story ideas to computer game companies, which would always result in an awkward phone call informing me that, at eight years old, I was too young to be put on their payroll. In high school, I published an underground humor magazine (sold in local stores) that caught the attention of the New York Times, who wrote a profile on me when I was 14. I studied English, Theater, and Creative Writing at Northwestern University.

I started off as a playwright and screenwriter—my first play was produced in New York City right after I graduated college—and I went on to receive an MFA in acting at the Yale School of Drama. As a classically trained actor, I performed on stages across the country, and appeared in numerous TV shows and films, working with two Academy Award winning film directors. I taught at a film school in NYC, worked the front desk of a yoga studio, and had a short stint as a DJ in a Lower East Side club. As a way of escaping the audtition grind, and craving a way to take back some creative control in my life, I began writing YA fiction in 2013. My first novel, a fantasy-horror, got very close to selling but stalled at acquisitions at two major publishing houses. However, it got me my first literary agent.

My next novel, SCREAM ALL NIGHT, became my debut, It was published by HarperCollins in 2018, received a star from Publishers Weekly, was the subject of a Hollywood bidding war, and has since become a Halloween cult favorite.

My second novel, SWIPE RIGHT FOR MURDER (Little, Brown, 2019) received a star from Booklist, was named one of the best YA books of the year by Seventeen Magazine, and was cited by EW and Buzzfeed as one of the best books of the season. A DARKER MISCHIEF (Scholastic) is my third novel. It came out in July of 2024, and received a Kirkus Star as well as a Booklist Star. It was published in Spain in October, marking my first foreign sale.

How did you build your audience on social media?

When you publish a novel, you get invited to join a debut group. Ours was on Facebook. In the group, debut authors share advice, and I learned a lot about publishing there, because no one tells you anything about the vicissitudes of the complex and oftentimes nonsensical business of publishing. For instance, I had never heard of lead titles before. You mean a major publisher acquires a bunch of books and only chooses to really promote 1 or 2? I had no idea. These people, many of whom were based in NYC, where I live as well, became the core of my Twitter following, at the platform’s peak in 2017/2018, and I went on to follow a lot of other authors and publishing professionals. Many followed me back. After one of my tweets went viral, I gained several thousand followers. Gaining a following was a combination of luck and determination.

Alright – so here’s a fun one. What do you think about NFTs?

I do not think they’re viable and I do not take them seriously. They also are terrible for the environment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.derekmilman.com
• Instagram: @DerekMilman

Image Credits

Author photo: Emilio Madrid.

A DARKER MISCHIEF cover: art by Colin Verdi. Design by Chris Stengel.