We recently connected with Laura Stegman and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Laura, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Patience. Willingness to fail and keep going. Accepting successes or failures without identifying one’s self as either — in other words building a positive self image unrelated to success or failure.
A story that best illustrates how I used these concepts is my lengthy journey to publication. Over the many years that I queried Summer of L.U.C.K., my first novel for middle grade readers, I faced rejection after rejection. Still, I persevered. I never fully got over taking those rejections somewhat personally, but I did learn to keep going. Why? I believed in my story. I believed in my characters, and I never gave up. With every rejection, I worked harder to improve my manuscript and make it better. Finally, the book was good enough to get a “yes” from a publisher, along with a contract for two sequels.
Summer of L.U.C.K., which is about Darby, Naz, and Justin, three struggling kids finding their way to self-acceptance with the help of a ghost who haunts a magical carnival, was published by Young Dragons Press in 2022. Its sequel, Ready or Not, which takes place a year later, was published by Young Dragons in August (2023). It features more magical adventures with the three friends, but it spotlights thirteen-year-old Justin, who faces a tricky choice: stand up to bigotry or let fear hold him back. The Chambered Nautilus, third in the trilogy, will be released by Young Dragons in 2024.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
As a publicist and children’s book author, I have a varied background with expertise in writing, marketing and public relations. Since establishing Laura Segal Stegman Public Relations, LLC, I’ve generated substantial media coverage and developed revenue-producing campaigns for a variety of businesses, organizations, and events. Among the diverse clients for whom I’ve handled projects or ongoing public relations are the Los Angeles Zoo/Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Center Theatre Group, A Noise Within, John Wayne Cancer Institute, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Musica Angelica, Ojai Music Festival, Native Voices at the Autry, California Dance Institute, Geffen Playhouse, Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, Madison Theater Project (now the Broad Stage), USC School of Theatre, Pasadena Symphony, and many others.
Prior to founding my business, I worked for two public relations agencies, representing a broad spectrum of clients in the restaurant, fashion, travel, interior design, retail, and real estate fields and handled numerous special events.
Mid-way through my career in publicity, I began writing books for children, including Summer of L.U.C.K. (2022) and Ready or Not (2023), which will be followed by The Chambered Nautilus (2024), all published by Young Dragons Press. I had already established a range of non-fiction credits including collaboration on the travel book Only in New York and feature stories which appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Magazine, Westways Magazine, and Christian Science Monitor, among others.
I’ve served as a judge for Society of Young Inklings and Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) writer competitions, and I share my author journey in visits to schools and libraries. My PR Tips for Authors workshop, featuring a step-by-step guide to building a digital author media kit, is offered at venues around the country.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I’m no social media expert, but the way I’ve grown a decent size list of followers on XTwitter and Instagram is by using/searching via hashtags to locate/follow and engaging with people with similar interests. #WritingCommunity is one of many examples that has worked well to connect me with other authors. #MiddleGrade or #Kidlit are two others that work for those who write or read in my genre (books for kids).
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
Of all the books I read when I was a kid, I’ve never forgotten the ones that taught me a lot, or touched me deeply, or made me laugh. When I discovered books with kids who had some of the same problems I did back then, I didn’t feel so alone. That’s why I write middle grade stories that I hope will mean as much to kids today as those childhood books still mean to me. And it’s very rewarding when readers tell me how much they love my stories.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.laurastegman.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laura_stegman/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LauraSegalStegmanAuthor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraStegman
- BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/laurastegman.bsky.social
- Threads: https://www.threads.net/@laura_stegman