I just read a press release about a self-published novel written by eleven-year-old Hannah Edge, the ebook “Timekeepers of Ancra.”
First, congratulations to Hannah, it’s a rare eleven-year-old who writes a novel.
Second, some constructive advice: go easy on the hype.
The press release says “Shocking literary critics by releasing a thought-provoking novel…” and “Critics praise Edge for talent and initiative that allows her to directly compete with many of literature’s biggest names.”
Really? I did a search of the web and haven’t found any reviews of the book, much less ones that compare her to many of literature’s biggest names.
The first sentence is “The azure sky was cloudless and the effulgent sun was beaming over the scenic gorge.” Not a sentence many kids of her age could write, but not a serious threat to Hemingway or Fitzgerald, either.
Also, at 57 pages in length, it’s not a novel. It’s a novella or novelette.
Again, full credit to Hannah and I wish her every success, but whoever is advising her on promoting her book would do well not to engage in hype.
Also, whoever wrote the press release should consult a grammar book to see what’s wrong with this sentence: “Having also created the stunning digital imagery found throughout the book, critics praise Hannah…” (Hint: it wasn’t really the critics who created the digital imagery, was it?)