Hello there, everyone! My name is Ava and I recently joined Wildhouse Publishing as the new Book Publicist. I’m so excited to begin this new adventure, and to direct the blog posts that will be forthcoming from our brilliant authors, editors, and leadership. My goal is for the Wildhouse blog to become a hub of all things Wildhouse, including resource lists of workshops and writing guides, reviews and recommendations, personal anecdotes from our authors, and much, much more! And of course, please feel free to reach out to me directly to suggest content you would like to see from our reservoir of spiritually curious souls.
A little bit more about me
I grew up on the shores of Lake Erie, moving from the East to West side of Cleveland, Ohio as a child. Both of my parents were creative people who encouraged my love of reading and writing from a very early age, and I spent much of my free time poring over the shelves in our local library. Parallel to my emerging love of literature was my self-education in spirituality, world religion, metaphysics, and the occult. Although it was much-discouraged from the faculty at my Catholic grade school, I began to study astrology, tarot, palmistry, as well as new-age and old-world spiritual practices. Growing up in the lush Cuyahoga River Valley, a deep respect for the natural world guided my spiritual exploration. I moved to Chicago after high school to attend DePaul University, from which I received a double bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Spanish, and most recently, my MFA in Creative Writing and Publishing. In Chicago, I wrote, edited, and fact-checked for several regional news publications and deepened my devotion to public relations, reporting, and community activism. Chicago is a city rich in academic and literary writers alike, and I had the pleasure of working alongside many accomplished novelists, journalists, and professors. These impactful experiences led me to my new position here at Wildhouse, and into the field of literary publicity.
My own writing journey
I was a writer before I could hold a pencil. In pre-K, I would orate fantasy stories while my grandmother typed and printed them out onto pages of computer paper, which I would then staple together and illustrate. Coming from a big, Irish American family, I was often commended for what the Irish call “the gift of the gab.” However, I prefer to refer to my incessant internal and external chatter as “freeform story telling.”
My desire to write fantasy transformed into a love of fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, memoir, and essays. I’ve had the privilege of being featured in several literary magazines, as well as serving as an editor for my classmates’ work in undergrad. I actually worked as a writing tutor for the majority of my undergraduate years, so I’m very comfortable giving constructive feedback on any genre of writing, if you ever should need it. Coincidentally, I dread revising my own work, and often call upon some of my stellar editor friends to assist me in the editing process. Which part of the writing process fires you up, and which part makes you want to pull your hair out?
My approach to publicity
I belong to Gen-Z, a generation notable for its lifelong exposure to the internet and social media. Using social media and the internet to connect with others, expand my network and creativity, and generate content for the authors I work with is what I’m bringing to the table (altar?) With so much of the publishing world shifting to a predominantly digital realm, I want to ensure that our authors are seen and heard, reaching eager audiences worldwide.
Connection, compassion, and equity are pillars of my own spirituality. I am eager to connect deeply with our authors, their stories, and the Wildhouse audience! You can keep up with me on this blog, or on X (formerly known as Twitter) @aomalley_
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for what’s to come
I’m so grateful to the Wildhouse team for providing me with this incredible opportunity, and I thank them for their warm welcome to my new city! You can keep up with Wildhouse here, as well as on our various social media platforms, linked below:
