I’m thrilled to share the latest news for kt literary client (and former Band Geek) Josie Bloss. From Publishers Marketplace:
Author of ALBATROSS and BAND GEEK LOVE, Josie Bloss’s FAKING FAITH, about a teen shunned for a “sexting” incident who fakes her identity to fit in online with a community of ultra-conservative homeschooled teenage girls, again to Brian Farrey of Flux, in a nice deal, for publication in Fall 2011, by Kate Schafer Testerman of kt literary (NA).
And a question for my readers. Have you ever met someone in person that you first connected with online, on a blog, forum, or some other site (but not a dating site, which is specifically for the purpose of meeting people face to face)?
I think most of my readers know I have. Rexroth and I first “met” playing a computer game, and in the online forums for that game, then extended our friendship to our respective personal blogs before finally meeting in person and beginning to date. The rest is nerd history.
How about you?
20 thoughts on “Good News for Josie!”
I have, lots and lots of times. In most cases it works out perfectly well, in some cases…well…let's say personal habits that don't matter online sometimes do matter in person…
Congratulations, Josie and Kate! HUZZAH! I'm so excited for you both. I wondered if you (Josie) were a part of Kate's happy news! Your new book sounds great.
I also met my husband online (and not through a dating site). And I made a special trip last year to visit a writer friend. And I've met a handful of people through various message boards, as well. Oh! And just last weekend, while on vacation, I met someone I know via blogging!
The internet is so fabulous.
I have never been so geeky as to actually go and MEET someone face to face that I met online.
I mean, really? Eww.
((This is not an actual post — I'm trying to figure out what's up with Tim's post not working.))
I met my critique group on-line, and had the fabulous luck to meet them in person about a year later. It was a nerve-inducing experience, but in the end it was amazing. So many hugs, laughs and memories in just one weekend. It was so wonderful to put voices, mannerisms and body language into my already positive images of these lovely people.
I'd always recommend being safe and taking a person you know with you, but that being said, go for it. You'll never forget the experience.
– Liz
Sure have. Way back in the day, when AOL was cool (oh, look, I just dated myself) I met for coffee with a guy.
In 2008, I finally met my crit partners in person at RWA's National Convention. We even risked rooming together. Talk about sink or swim. 🙂 But it worked out just fine.
Since then, I've met several people for lunch that I'd originally met on Twitter.
WOW! Good job, Josie and Kate! Congratulations!!
I was happy to see the pitch for this book. I'm writing one that involves the ultra-conservative Christian community too, but it's more of a Romeo and Juliet storyline. I was wondering if something with this as part of a plot would have a chance at publication, so this is cool to read. I need to get myself an ARC somehow. I'm dying to see Josie's take on this subject. It's definitely an interesting one.
My husband and I didn't meet online, but that's how we got to know each other initially because I was on one continent and he was on another. 🙂 Other than that, I do know a ton of people in the writing community online. Most of my writing friends are online friends. It is definitely a different kind of relationship — feeling like you know someone so well, but not being able to identify them if you met face-to-face.
Amy
One of my critique partners, who I met through another writer's blog, lives only about 45 minutes away. (We live in the middle of the desert in southern Nevada, so 45 minutes away is close:) ) We've gotten together a few times, usually with our husbands and/or children, and it's been great.
I'm all for making *real* connections. All this internet stuff is really just kind of smoke and mirrors, ya know?
Oh my, yes! I've probably met four or five dozen people I knew online first. Back in the day, I used to be active in a once-thriving online community on a sci-fi author's website. That community isn't what it used to be, but a lot of us who met there continued to hang out together online at spin-off forums. We've vacationed together over the years and had meet-ups all over the country. Several of my best friends are people I met online, and I have friends who met and married people from the group. I was even a groomsman at one such wedding!
Congratulations, Josie!
Yes, I absolutely go out of my way to meet people in real life that I've met online (mostly through LJ). In my opinion, that's the main point of online communities.
In fact, I'm hoping to meet someone this summer whom I know from Twitter, of all places.
Congratulations Kate and Josie!! Awesome news!!
I've meet many writers online and consider some of them dear friends.I talk to some of my online friends more than my 'real' friends. hmmm… I wonder what that says about me….
I met my husband online and not on a dating site. I have met a few friends that I knew online only at first.
I will have to check out "Band Geek Love" simply for the title, heh heh.
I met a good friend through the (I'm about to confess to my utter geekiness here) RA Salvatore fan forum years ago. I also met some of the folks I played WoW with (did I mention my geekiness?), though I haven't kept in touch with them (I gave up the addiction a while back).
I met a writer friend on online forum and we started communicating on Twitter. He lives in my area so he came to a recent writer's group to meet me. It was fun.
Also, I've been reading Janice Hardy's blog for a while and recently got to meet her in person – she even called me out in a panel when someone asked about how to meet other writers, saying, "Sarah is a blog reader of mine, actually and we just met for real." We're not 'friends' per se, but it was fun too.
CONGRATS to you both! This book sounds awesome.
I've met tons of online people, some of which I dated, some of which I'm close friends with, and a few that made me say, "Okay, THAT wasn't what I expected."
Congratulations on the sale! W00t!
I met my partner 30 years ago, the old-fashioned way. (At a party: I had bourbon and no cigarettes, he had cigarettes and no bourbon. We have both reformed since then, I'm happy to say.)
But I have met online friends in person, many times, with excellent results. One private forum that started out devoted to Harry Potter "theorizing" has ended up, six years later, as a place just to hang out and talk about life in general. A group of us met at Niagara Falls a couple of years ago–some from England, one from Japan, others from the US and Canada. Members of the Class of 2k8 organized a joint book tour in Massachusetts. I had lunch at ALA with fellow bloggers at The Enchanted Inkpot, and just collaborated on a library conference panel with a fellow Inkie. And they're just as cool in person as online!
Hooray! I'm so happy for Josie! It is well deserved:)
I haven't actually met up with anyone from the internet since high school, but I dare say I just might get into it in the not-so-distant future.
Congratulations to both of you!
Part of the fun of attending SCBWI last summer was meeting so many of my blogging friends in person. But I wouldn't want to date any of them 🙂 How cool that you actually fell in love with someone you met online!
OMG! I met one of my closest friends online. I was writing fanfiction and she was assigned to beta my story. It's crazy because who would think a middle-aged white woman from the Carolinas would have anything in common with a 30-something black woman from the city, but that just goes to show you that you can't judge a book… We've been on several trips together and plan to take more. I talk to her daily on email and we just genuinely like each other. That's what happens when personality is the guide!
Congratulations to you and Josie! Can't wait to read FAKING FAITH. : )