Merch Girl Guest Post + Giveaway!


Merch Girl by Rebecca Lewis

Seventeen-year-old Lacey Kind doesn’t have the guts to talk to cute boys, isn’t a size two, and would rather stay home and listen to music than go to a party. But in the summer before her first year of college, she ends up thousands of miles away from home, in the back of a tour bus, underneath the half-naked body of the hottest teen rock star in the country.

When Lacey and her best friend Trina sneak into a Boston nightclub to see their favorite band, they not only get to watch their rock gods perform for the first time, but score a chance to meet the band too. Lacey’s heart races as she comes face-to-face with her idol, nineteen-year-old lead singer, Logan Shire.

The girls charm their way into being hired to sell merchandise on Lansdowne’s first summer tour. As “merch girls” Lacey and Trina quickly find themselves transported from their ordinary, suburban life to an exhilarating few months on the road. But they soon realize that life on the road isn’t always a smooth ride...

How I Made My First Sale

by Rebecca Lewis

  I’m not going to lie. After I hit “publish” on Amazon, I was probably the first person to purchase Merch Girl. I think it’s important to be your own biggest fan and supporter! Now getting other people to purchase Merch Girl? That was a mix of research, hard work, and a little bit of luck.

  It’s amazing to see so many self-published authors climbing the ebook sales charts on Amazon, but I think there are a few things any author can do to give themselves a little advantage. One is a good cover. You need an eye –catching cover design because guess what…people really do judge a book by its cover. Also, you don’t need a cover with two people kissing, or a shirtless hot guy to sell books…especially in YA. I wanted to capture the essence of being at a concert for the cover of Merch Girl, and after scrolling through thousands of images on stock photo sites, I finally found one that felt right to me. I also like that it’s a silhouette, so people can imagine what the characters look like without the image being thrown in their face. 

  Next, I joined Goodreads, posted the book description and cover, joined a bunch of YA-themed groups and offered my book up for review. I also ran a Goodreads giveaway to help with visibility. And of course I researched as many YA book blogs as I could. I have a huge list of bloggers that I sent Merch Girl to, and I am so thankful for each and every one of them who took the time to read and review. 

  After about a week, the word-of-mouth must have started to trickle in, because Merch Girl hit the Amazon Top 100 ebook list for Coming of Age and Teen Romance in its debut month. This book was rejected by hundreds of literary agents, so it was refreshing to know that readers were actually interested in it and leaving positive reviews. 

  But at the end of the day, it’s not about sales to me. I just want to share my stories with the readers who will enjoy them!




About Rebecca Lewis

  Rebecca Lewis is the author of the Young Adult novel, Merch Girl, and a lover of all things music! She's been writing stories since middle school and penned her first fanfic about a semi-popular boyband in 1997. Her passion for music and writing brought her to Boston University, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the College of Communication. During her college career, she interned for various record labels in Boston and New York City, sold merch for local bands, worked at record stores, and did a whole lot of grassroots marketing. She currently resides in Florida with her husband and puppy.

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