Here's the story about Amanda Hocking I worked on with the amazing Kim Ode and my girl crush books editor Laurie Hertzel, both at the Star-Tribune.
The news that an under-employed college dropout twenty-something in Austin, Minnesota had just earned $1 million in less than a year by self-publishing her young adult fantasy novels made the Huffington Post first. I got down to Austin to interview her within a week, and within a week after that, St. Martin's Press offered her even more millions for the rights to her books. The Star-Tribune broke that story.
The St. Martin's Press deal will really make her "published author Amanda Hocking," but in my mind she will always be "folk hero Amanda Hocking." I'm in awe of her tremendous and savvy accomplishments with her work, and at such a young, fun age. I am humbled by her.
