Montreal Book Fair Dana Blue 22 years old childrens author

Montreal Book Fair: Dana Blue, 22 years old, children’s author, publishing consultant and literary influencer

Passionate, creative, motivating and recognized in France, Dana Blue not only writes and publishes dozens of books, the 22-year-old author from Montreal shares her passion for publishing daily with her Instagram subscribers.

Dana Blue has come a long way since her first writing was published in her school newspaper at the age of 12.

Ten years later, the young woman has published twelve books in all genres and with around ten publishers in Quebec and France, three of which were published in the last literary season. Next year she will have 20 published works. So to say she has a lot of work ahead of her is an understatement.

“I spend my whole day at the computer (laughs). I write and create content for my social networks every day. “I like telling stories and there are a lot of things going on in my head,” explains the woman, who describes herself as a go-getter who doesn’t want to wait for something to magically happen.

From Wattpad to a dozen publications

Dana Blue was first published in 2021 with her book One is Good, Two is Better and The Incubi of Manhattan in the bit-lit style (a term used for a book that combines romance, eroticism and werewolf-like creatures).

She explains that she “owes” these first releases to her commitment to the Wattpad platform since 2015. It is a large online writing and reading platform, founded in Canada and very well known in France, where people can publish chapters and even books they have written to make themselves known.

Through hard work, she was able to gain 17,000 subscribers and read several of her books more than a million times, quickly growing her community. Today, 75% of his Instagram subscribers come from France.

The first two houses that opened their doors to him were Andara in Quebec and Juno Publishing, a small independent publisher in France.

“It just took off from there,” she says. They quickly contacted various publishers, including Robert Laffont in France, for a project. But that doesn’t stop Dana Blue from continuing to submit articles to publications she likes in the traditional way.

Editing tips

On Instagram, the prolific author gives her young and old followers advice about publishing. She deals with all the topics of this profession that fascinate her, such as: B. Submissions to publishers, the right way to create content to promote yourself on the networks or how to attract readers e.g. B. thrilled with the unveiling of front pages.

“I love helping people and I have a passion for publishing. I wanted to write and make it my career, and I also love communication and marketing. I wanted to know everything and know my job well,” says the artist, who is also interested in international rights and… studies video games, with sparkling eyes!

The author’s dreams? Write video games, watch one or more of his novels adapted for cinema or television, and attend the Montreuil and Paris Book Fairs in France.

“The ultimate goal is, of course, to earn a living from writing,” she breathes.

-Dana Blue is present at various kiosks at the Montreal Book Fair every day.