«My blood approves» by Amanda Hocking : a success story of a young American writer

written by Michèle Folian. Translation Florence Le Provost

«My blood approves» (De mon sang), first novel by the American writer Amanda Hocking released in France on June 8th. After spending years fruitlessly trying to interest publishers in her work, Hocking decided to resort to self-publishing online in 2010. She immediately enjoyed considerable success, and is now a millionaire. Amanda Hocking granted us a private interview.

Born in Minnesota in 1984, Amanda Hocking has been writing since early childhood and completed her novel «My blood approves» at age 17. First in an upcoming three-book series, the book was first self-published on the Amazon Kindle Store through Kindle Direct Publishing.

Amanda Hocking


In barely 6 months, she sold 150,000 copies of her e-book, which, in the meantime, has been published by the prestigious St Martin's Press. She has since sold over one million copies.

«My blood approves» is a story about vampires. Some will like it, and others won't.
Yet, we must admit that even those who are impervious to the genre —, and I am one of them - will undoubtedly devour Amanda Hocking's book from stem to stern as her style is entertaining and her characters likeable. (Indeed, vampires are not that bad after all...). The plot, however, is meant for readers who are fond of fantasy romance novels.


'My blood approves' by Amanda Hocking



- «My blood approves» is the first novel of a trilogy. Did you know since the beginning that it would be a trilogy or is it the success book that gave you the idea? Can you give us exclusive tips in the 2 other books of the series?

- Amanda Hocking : When I came up with the idea for the series, I had plans for what would happen in each book. I find it easier to write things that way. I don't want to give too much away, but I can say that in the next books there are some twists, and some new characters are introduced. (One of them is my favorite.)


- What were you doing before publishing «My blood approves» and being sucessful? were you working? Did you have a job?

- AH : I was working in a group home caring for mentally disabled individuals. I was writing while I worked there, and in August of 2010 I quit that to focus more on writing.

- We are curious to know how you became a millionaire so quickly : is it only with the version you put yourself on Amazon or when you signed your contract with your American publishing house and you novel was also printed? Was the success international or only in the US?

- AH : I think the majority of money I earned came from selling books online through Amazon and Barnes and Noble. At this point, I'm not sure how successful the books have been in other countries.

- Besides her books, was Jane Austen a reference for you as woman novelist and her very avant-garde independence?

- AH : I wouldn't say she was a reference for me, but I'm definitely a big fan of Jane Austen. I think she wrote really interesting characters, and I know that I try to do that as well.

- What are your dreams, hopes and fears for tomorrow ?

- AH : I never expected to be where I am today, so I'm just trying to enjoy it, and take each day as it comes. I have a lot of new ideas and new projects that I'm working on, and I'm hopeful that I can continue doing what I love.

- A piece of advice for young writers?

- AH : It's not very exciting, but the best advice I can give is to read and write a lot. Step out of your comfort zone, and read things you wouldn't necessarily seek out, and try different ways of writing. The more you do it, the better you'll get.

Par Michèle Folian
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