Episode #129: Legal and Social Media Tips with Rektok Ross!
Grace and Alvina welcome special guest Rektok Ross to discuss legal considerations for authors, as well as social media tips. Earlier this year, The Book Friends offered a guest spot on the podcast at the Kidlit Against Anti-Asian Racism Auction Fundraiser. They had two winners and the second one is with them on today’s episode. Her name is Liani Kotcher and she is a trial attorney turned young adult author. (Her pen name is Rektok Ross.)
“But first, how have you been?”
Alvina has been busy! She went to the dentist two times, had an in-person dinner with Chris Colfer, went to a roof top party or two, got a mani/pedi, and saw some cousins! Grace had her last outdoor camp-out in the backyard with her family and she’s been working on her new novel.
Rektok Ross
Liani introduces herself and explains a little bit about why she donated to the auction. Growing up Jewish, she has always had sensitivity towards seeing racism as a whole and was happy to support such a good cause. She admires the work of Grace and Alvina and is thrilled to join them on the podcast.
Her upcoming debut young adult survival thriller, Ski Weekend, will be published on October 26th.
I was a huge fan of the ‘Breakfast Club’ growing up.
Liana talks about where the inspiration came for writing this book. Not only does she love when people come together from all different backgrounds and realize they actually have things in common, but she’s also been a survival story junky!
Questions from Grace and Alvina:
How is it being a debut author during a pandemic?
Can you tell listeners about your pen name vs. your real name?
How has your legal expertise helped you with your publishing experience?
What is a hybrid publisher?
Liana talks about how hard it has been to get a book published during the pandemic, why she has a pen name, what exactly is a hybrid publisher, and why you should protect your websites and your work! She offers some great tips for not only how to protect your work on social media, but also how to promote it across all different platforms. She says that branding is key!
Fortune Cookie Segment: What are your best survival skills?
Grace: Capable of making a compass AND capable of being alone for an extended period of time.
Liani: Keeping morale in check.
Alvina: Running long distances.
Gratefuls:
Alvina is grateful for Chris Cofer’s, A Tale of Sorcery, and kids who love to read. Grace is grateful that her daughter is proud of her mom for what she does, Liani is grateful for the people who say “yes” to thinks and believe in you.
*If you’re a patron, don’t forget to check out this week’s Random Questions feed! “You’re In The Circus, Would You Rather Be The Person With Their Head Inside The Lion’s Mouths Or Get Shot Out Of The Cannon?” Grace Lin answers this question with Rajani LaRocca Click here to listen! If you’re not a patron already, join today!
Thank you for tuning in! Thank you to Hachette Audio, Little Brown Books for Young Readers, and Alex at Pacyworks Studio for producing and editing this podcast. Be sure to rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and tell a friend about us. (Use the hashtag #bookfriendsforever.)
You can find Alvina @Planetalvina on Twitter and TikTok and @Alvinaling on Instagram
You can find Grace @Pacylin on Twitter and Instagram and @gracelinauthor on TikTok and @authorgracelin on Facebook
You can find Rektok Ross at rektokross.com and on all platforms @rektokross.
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Rektok Ross is the pen name of Liani Kotcher, a trial attorney turned award-winning young adult author and book blogger. An avid reader since childhood, Liani writes exactly the kind of books she loves to escape into herself: exciting thrillers with strong female leads, swoonworthy love interests, and life-changing moments. She graduated from the University of Florida School of Journalism and obtained her juris doctorate at the University of Miami School of Law. Originally from South Florida, she currently splits her time between San Francisco and Los Angeles with her husband, stepkids, and her dogs. You can find her online just about anywhere at @RektokRoss, as well as on her website, www.RektokRoss.com, where she blogs about books and writing.
