Sydney Blondell: The Advocate Indie Author

Sydney Blondell is an indie author with almost 6 published books under her belt. She's an advocate for disability representation informed by her own experience with POTS, which she writes about as her character Sloan in her novel The Stars in my Heart. Support Sydney by following her Instagram @sydneyblondellauthor.

Transcript

Raya: 0:01

Welcome to Sheer Creativity, the podcast about creatives for creatives. Our Sheer Creator on today's episode is Sydney Blondell. Sydney is a published author with four published books and her fifth published book entitled The Stars in My Heart is available now. Sydney how are you today?.

Sydney: 0:19

Good. Thank you for having me. How are you?

Raya: 0:22

I'm good. Well, we'll begin with telling us more about you. Like where are you from your age, and how'd you start your writing journey?

Sydney: 0:30

Okay, so I am originally from Baltimore, but I've been living in, um, the Harrisonburg, Virginia area for the past 12 years. Um, I'm 23 and I really started writing in college, but I've always had an interest in writing since I was in elementary school really.

Raya: 0:55

Okay. Was it like a, a class in college that you took that really got you more interested in writing?

Sydney: 1:02

Um, so freshman year I really didn't know what to major in. I went in as a PolySci major, but it wasn't really clicking for me, so I just kinda was floating around different majors. And then when I went into just the regular English 100. Um, I started writing like creative pieces for our term papers and I really got into it and, a professor encouraged, um, pursuing it more so that's when I kind of like started taking it seriously.

Raya: 1:39

Do you remember the first work you did that you were really like, proud of in college? Or any work that you did prior to college, that was your first time really entering the creative process?

Sydney: 1:52

So in seventh grade we were assigned like a short story assignment and we had to pick like a genre that we weren't really familiar with. So I went with like a mystery theme and I wrote like 10 pages and everyone else had like four. And so when people were peer reviewing, no one wanted to peer review mine, but I just, I really got into it and like I based it on like this kid that lived in my neighborhood. And so like I just kind of dove really deep into that creative process. And then like, even though I liked that, I never thought of like majoring in English until college. Then when I published my first poem on um, Vox Poetica, um, that's like really when, like, it kind of took off for me. Wow.

Raya: 2:47

I didn't know you were published in Vox

Sydney: 2:50

Yeah, I have, I think they published four of my poems.

Raya: 2:54

Okay.

Sydney: 2:55

And then, um, one of the poems that they published, it was also published in, um, like a another college's, um, like school magazine. I can't remember who it was right now. But, um, that was cool. And then the only other, um, routes that I've been published in are independent.

Raya: 3:18

Wow, that's amazing. I didn't know that. I'm already learning more about you, so like how did you know becoming an author was the right path for you? Was it because like you dove so deep into the creative process, you were like, Yeah, this is it, this is what I wanna do.

Sydney: 3:35

So my process has been a little, like weird. Like I originally, I was just really writing poems and like one of my professors was like, Yeah, you're a poet. I was like, No, not, no, I'm not. I don't, I don't like poetry yet. I, I'm not a poet, but I have two po three poetry books, so I guess I kind of am, but I really didn't start thinking about it until like after college. And I was like, I don't really know what I'm doing. And as a person who is in to marginalized communities, I saw that as an opportunity to really get representation out there that really isn't out there right now in the book community. So I just kind of wanted to be that voice for some of the communities that represent me, but aren't necessarily represented well.

Raya: 4:41

I was going to go back to, um, the idea of not being a poet. I feel like when I was growing up, the poetry that was presented to me, I was like, This is too complicated.

Sydney: 4:51

Yes.

Raya: 4:51

I don't understand this.

Sydney: 4:53

Yeah.

Raya: 4:53

What are they even saying?

Sydney: 4:55

And we were taught like it has to rhyme. Everything has to rhyme with poetry. But then when you get to college and you talk to like established poets who are teaching these classes, they're like, No, it doesn't have to rhyme. You can write free verse. And so like I really dove into that and some of my poems rhyme a little bit, but I had to like really sit and I had to search words to come up with these different rhyme schemes. Whereas with free verse, I just write down my thought and that's it.

Raya: 5:29

Yeah. Poetry. It can be very expressive. You don't have to be within the confines of a rhyme or Yeah. A scheme or anything like that. And I like that. And I also like what you said about marginalized communities because. There, there's a lot of overrepresentation of what's normalized. Mm-hmm. So it's so important that we get out marginalized voices. Yeah. And I think that's what you do a lot on your Instagram page as well, and I love to see it. So how did you make the decision to choose self-publishing or indie publishing over traditional publishing and what were the pros and cons to each?

Sydney: 6:09

Um, so I kind of have three like experiences in regards to the publishing route. So with my first book, Hurricane Acer, I saw a publishing company on TikTok. And so I went with that route, but they ended up being scammers and I had to threaten taking them to court to get my royalties and like for a first time published author, I had quite a lot of royalties that they just weren't gonna pay me. And so I just had to keep fighting and fighting. And so now, like the copies that I have in my room, they're the only copies left because I just removed the book from that platform's site. And I think you can still get it on Amazon, but pretty much the ones that I have are it, And then with poetry. I knew that like poetry isn't really popular and so I didn't even attempt to send any query letters about any of my poetry books because I knew that few people were gonna purchase them because it's just poetry is really hard to sell. And, um, One good part about publishing with Amazon is you can upload it to Kindle Unlimited, and so that's where I get a lot of my readers for my poetry books. And in turn, I get reviews on them for good reads because Good Reads is connected to Amazon. So that's kind of where I went with my three poetry books and. With The Stars in my Heart, I really did want to go traditional, but getting all of the rejections and waiting for a response, it just, it was a lot. I knew that this book needed to be published because there's only one other book in the industry that covers POTS, and that was released this year. So I just, I knew that the community was searching for more representation and I did my homework, and so I, I just, Networked enough with an, with people on bookstagram because there's a lot of people on there that are either disabled or have POTS themselves. I knew that I would have a good following and a good readership, so I wasn't really concerned about like being in a bookstore or anything like that, because I know that once I develop a fan base that it will stay with me. So, and you get, sometimes you get more money in the long run when you self-publish. So that was also kind of a driving factor, but yeah.

Raya: 9:12

Yeah, I like that idea. It's kind of like finding your own community that will support you, and I feel like you do get more money in the long run. When you, when you know that you have a set community that you're giving these out to, and because it's a marginalized community, not a lot of people see people like, like you putting out things that relate to themselves. So, I feel like you have a dedicated fan base already that will support you in all that you do. Yeah. So I like that.

Sydney: 9:46

And you have total creative freedom, like Yeah. I don't have to worry about an editor or a publisher saying, I really don't like the scene. Take it out. Like, or with the covers, I put so much time and effort into thinking about what my cover. Want, I want to look like. And I've been lucky enough to work with a really talented artist who has POTS. And we're, we already have, um, my next two covers like, thought out and planned because, um, the Stars of My Heart is a trilogy. So, um, she already knows what the other two books are gonna look like. So just knowing that we can bounce ideas off of each other and I don't have to feel like I'm overstepping by saying I want my book to look this way is a really nice, uh, perk to self-publishing.

Raya: 10:46

And you guys met like Instagram as well? Yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's really cool. So how do you combat writer's block or the lack of creative energy?

Sydney: 11:01

That's really hard sometimes, like, but I kind of try to read books that are similar to what I'm writing to kind of spark some ideas or, um, like with poetry, I will just sit on Instagram and just look through poems and it'll spark an idea for me. Or, um, I'll read a poetry book and I'll mark pages that I like, and then I'll go back and I'll come up with my own, like version of that poem. Um, but with like novel. I kind of just have to like, push through it because I'm not one that can just like move on to the next scene. So I kind of just have to push through. And if I write something and it's garbage, I can go back and edit it later but as long as I'm getting like the, the plot points and the key, um, points that I'm trying to make in the story out, I can flush everything out in the editing process.

Raya: 12:06

Yeah, I think some advice that I've gotten is that you have to be writing every day, even if it's terrible. Yeah. Because eventually when you get that creative energy back, you can always go back and tweak and do editing and everything you have to do. So where do you draw inspiration from?

Sydney: 12:26

Um, I really enjoy, um, just reading books with different disabled, um, representation. Um, one of my beta readers compared, um, The Stars in my Heart to the Fault in our Stars. So this past month, I finally read that book and I can definitely see the, um, similarities.

Raya: 12:54

That's a good book.

Sydney: 12:54

Um, so that was kind of, Nice to see that people were comparing and liking and, um, I kind of just, ideas a lot of time come to me late at night and so I'll get out my notes app and just jot some things down. Um, but I kind of, I have like books planned out in my mind and then when I'm ready I go and I. Do like a quick like synopsis and different points that I wanna make throughout the book.

Raya: 13:32

Oh, so you kinda make kinda like an outline? Yes. Oh, okay. So, because we met in college and I had the privilege of publishing with you with, uh, Delicate Chaos and I wanna know what was the goal of Delicate Chaos. I really like the name. So like was the name already predetermined or did you read everything you had and we're like, Yeah, this is what it's gonna be.

Sydney: 13:59

So, um, no, the delicate chaos was, um, I, I had just published Hurricane Acer when I came up with the idea and I messaged my co-author DW and I was like, Hey, do you wanna write a book with me? And she was like, Yeah, totally. So I started writing in I think October and it was published in March um, but the, I had a lot of like family stuff going on at that point. Um mm-hmm. in November of 2020, my mom almost died and I, um, had to resuscitate her. So I got a lot of that, those feelings out in the book. Um, A lot of family just kind of up and abandoned me and my mom in that at that point. So I got my anger out in that. I wanted to give my, at the time, 11 year old cousin, the opportunity to publish her artwork in this. Mm. Uh, I just wanted to like, give the opportunity to women to get their work out there and so I posed the opportunity to the English department at our college, and quite a few people submitted. And then, um, Delicate Chaos, the name, um, DW and I were just kind of spitballing and we couldn't really agree on a name. And then finally I threw out like Delicate Chaos and she was like, Yeah, I think that that is probably what best describes what is in here. Mm-hmm. so. And like we wanted to touch on BLM and the election and we just wanted to touch on like everything chaotic that was going on in 2020 and just like have a place for people to be like, Yeah, I totally relate to how 2020 turned out for these women. Stuff like that. So that's kind of where it came from.

Raya: 16:11

Yeah. I love the publication Um, it was, The diversity of voices I really enjoyed and it was just very empowering, I have to say. On your Instagram, you're very vocal about like POTS and your upcoming novel entitled The Stars in my Heart, it releases October 25th, which is National POTS Day. So could you explain what POTS is and how it inspired you to write this book?

Sydney: 16:39

POTS stands for Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome. Um, but everyone just calls it POTS because that is just a mouthful. Um, it's under the umbrella of DYS Anomia, which has different illnesses that affect different parts of your body. But, um, with POTS, it affects my, um, autonomic nervous system. So, um, nothing really in my body regulates properly. My heart rate is always over a hundred. Um, whether I'm sitting or standing. When I stand, it raises higher. Um, POTS is different for everyone. Symptoms that I describe in The Stars in my Heart are directly related to what I went through. So not everyone has the symptoms that I had, but most everyone has the heart rate issue. Um, either really high blood pressure or really low blood pressure. Um, when I was first diagnosed, I had really low blood pressure. Um, You can either sweat excessively or not sweat at all. Um, I've had both, um, a bunch of different symptoms correlate with it. Um, your blood will pull, so like when you take a shower, your blood is pulling in your legs. Um, gastric issues are very common. You have to have a very high sodium intake in your diet. Um, so instead of drinking water all the time, I drink Gatorade to, um, replenish anything that I'm losing. it's just kind of like a host of different, um, symptoms, different for everyone. I was diagnosed nine years ago, and they did a tilt table test, which is a test where you lay flat for, oh, on a table at first and they take your blood pressure and your heart rate, and then they lift you up after like 30 minutes and you're like, kind of, you're strapped to the table. And, um, So then you have to stand or like stand on the table for 30 minutes and then they lower you back down. And that's how they confirm it. But it's not necessarily like a cookie cutter diagnosis because um, you can have other symptoms and be, and still be POTS positive. But, um, it definitely affects all different kinds of aspects of your body. And, um, Caused me to have to be home bound in middle school and high school. Um, but with that, I was able to, um, graduate early because I just did all my classes online and got'em done. So I was done by March instead of June of my senior year.

Raya: 19:40

Wow. Yeah. Well, first of all, thank you for sharing that, and it's not something like I was aware of until I met you. Mm-hmm. So I think it's so important that we like highlight it and talk about it because it's something that a lot of people go through. So thank you for sharing your story and also for being such an advocate for it on your Instagram and on social media, cuz I know that's something that people need to see. Speaking of like your Instagram, You're kind like an influencer when it comes to your, um, your authorship and everything. So how do you schedule the marketing and promotion for all the books that you have?

Sydney: 20:23

I kind of market my most recent like more predominantly. The two that are most popular of my books are, um, my second poetry collection Monarch. Um, and then I'm getting popularity around The Stars in My Heart. Mm-hmm. So I try to post every day. Um, sometimes doesn't happen, but, um, I have a theme on my page where I'll post a picture of myself one, one day, and then the next day I'll post just like a picture of a book or of my dog or just something that isn't related to like my face. And then I'll go back to a picture of me and just kind of goes back and forth like that. Um, and some days I don't have any ideas at all on what to post and some days, I schedule like 20 posts to Oh wow. Uh, post throughout the month. So it kind of just comes in spurts and, um, It's been a little, like more difficult to schedule posts and get ideas for content since I'm working. And, um, I have some health flare ups right now, so it's kind of hard to schedule things, but I try to make sure that I'm posting certain things on certain dates and I try to not post like, Content about my books all the time. Like when I went to the beach, I posted pictures of the beach and I'm going to a concert in two weeks. So I'll post pictures about that and um, when I go to Baltimore for work, I'll post pictures that I take there. So it's try not to be just, Hey, I'm an author and that's all I am with my content.

Raya: 22:22

Yeah, kind of like being that well-rounded individual. I'm an author, but I also like concerts. I like doing this and like doing that. Giving people variety. I like it. So do you have any advice for a self-published author who wants to promote their work?

Sydney: 22:39

Um, be consistent. Um, try to find your community. Um, I had very few followers until I found, um, POTS Bookstagram or Disabled Bookstagram. Um, and now I have close to 500 followers, which is the most I've had ever in promoting myself, which I know it's not a lot still. I opened the page less than two years ago. Um, started as kind of more a bookstagram, but then led into just promoting my stuff. But just be really consistent and try to think outside of the box and don't focus on the numbers because that will drive you crazy. Um, just have fun with it. If it's not fun anymore, then don't do it.

Raya: 23:36

I feel that Mm-hmm. that's what I'm kind of going through right now. Trying to like promote stuff. Mm-hmm. and then I'm like, I also hate social media So it's like, it's a balance. Yeah. And it's kind of hard to maintain that balance or try to figure it out, but as a creator, you, you find your space and you find what works for you. Well, we're nearing the end of this podcast and I ended with, um, Raya's top five, which is just five questions. All right. Number one, are you a morning or evening creator?

Sydney: 24:16

Morning.

Raya: 24:18

Okay. Your favorite work that you've created thus far?

Sydney: 24:22

The Stars in my Heart

Raya: 24:24

are you introverted or extroverted?

Sydney: 24:27

I'm a extroverted introvert, I would say.

Raya: 24:31

Hmm. I like it. your all time Favorite album? Okay, we'll come back to it. your last one is your happiest moment.

Sydney: 24:43

Oh. Um, probably giving a copy of the stars of my heart to the doctor that diagnosed me.

Raya: 24:53

That's beautiful. Yeah. I love that you have an answer for all time favorite album

Sydney: 25:00

Um, do, do you allow cussing on this? Go ahead. Okay. So, holy fuck, by Demi Lovato.

Raya: 25:07

Okay! Thank you so much, Sydney, for coming and talking to us. Well talking to me. and to keep up with the amazing work that Sydney releases, you need to follow her on Instagram@sydneyblondellauthor. All right, y'all.

Sydney: 25:25

Thank you.

Raya: 25:26

Thank you, Sydney.