We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lauryn Pena. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lauryn below.
Hi Lauryn, thanks for joining us today. Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
When I agreed to publish Love and Mardi Gras, I completely underestimated the level of importance that social media plays into book marketing. Even if you have a massive powerhouse of publishers and publicity surrounding your book, everyone needs to self-market through social media. Booktok and Bookstagram is extremely popular and offers a level of visibility that is crucial to selling books. It’s a bit intimidating especially for introverts and writers, including myself, tend to be introverted.
Lauryn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I am the author of the rom-com fiction novel, Love and Mardi Gras. My book was published in 2021 after I spent my covid isolation deciding to write this story that I had always had in my heart for 10 years. I’m proud of the fact that even though it’s not considered a new book anymore, people still reach out to me to share their enthusiasm for the story and love for Mardi Gras and New Orleans and even the spots in California or Spain that is referenced. I wrote the book in a way that I hope everyone can find themselves in the story and I’m glad it continues to connect with readers.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on NFTs. (Note: this is for education/entertainment purposes only, readers should not construe this as advice
Even though the hype around NFT’s has died down. I still think they are cool and a new artisitc medium. I created one for Love and Mardi Gras and it’s availble on Opensea!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I am a big proponent on collaborations. Being an author is not easy. I am always happy to share another writer’s book, or do book trades for visibility. I am also a big proponent of supporting writers with their own story creation and am always available to answer questions from anyone who is curious about how to get their books published. I don’t believe in competition when it comes to art and writing, only collaboration.
Contact Info:
- Website: loveandmardigras.com
- Instagram: @laurynep, @loveandmardigras
- Tiktok: @Laurynauthor