Guest post written by author Xio Axelrod
Xio Axelrod is an award-winning, USA Today best-selling author of contemporary romance. In 2017, she founded the Philadelphia RWA chapter. Xio grew up in the music industry and began recording at a young age. When she isn’t writing stories, she can be found in the studio, writing songs, or performing on international stages (under a different, not-so-secret name). She lives in Philadelphia with one full-time husband and several part-time cats. The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes releases on May 4th with it available at Amazon, B&N, Apple, Kobo, Bookshop, BAM, Books2Read, and other good book retailers and providers.
Hello, my name is Xio, and I am a fangirl. I’m pretty unapologetic about it. It even says so in my bio. I love tripping into the rabbit hole of a newly discovered passion and following it all the way down. Unearthing all those little details about characters, bandmembers – whatever the case may be – that’s my catnip.
My favorite TV series is one you’ve probably never heard of, and you’d be forgiven for that, even though SKAM was a global phenomenon. It aired on NRK, Norway’s version of public television, and took Tumblr (arguably the home of fandom) by storm. Typical of any fandom, GIF sets, in-depth scene analyses, (relation)shipping wars, and plenty of swooning and angst over the characters and storylines abounded. But what set the show apart was the way it delivered content to its viewers.
SKAM was released in clips throughout the week in “real-time,” which made it feel real. This, along with the social media posts from the characters and the text conversations between them, carried the storyline forward. The show made those people as flesh-and-blood as possible for its viewers – immersing us all in their family drama, their school woes, and their social lives – thus ensuring our total investment in their well-being.
As a viewer, I found it enthralling.
As a writer-slash-person-in-the-business-of-selling-books, I thought it was an ingenious way of creating an ecosystem for a fictional world. I wondered how I could give a similar experience to my readers.
So, when the idea for the Lillys series came to me, it was multi-dimensional.
There are four books planned, one for each member of my fictional band, the Lillys. The series begins with The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes. It follows the band’s rise to fame, as well as their interpersonal connections with each other and the people around them. The story is the most crucial aspect, of course!
But see, I also wanted to incorporate music to support the books. As the idea began to coalesce, I thought about all the ways I, as a reader, might want to interact with the Lillys universe. The possibilities seemed endless. SKAM had taught me to think outside the box when it came to viewer engagement, and I saw no reason why I couldn’t translate that into a book series.
A fictional band required a fictional record label, fictional music venues, fictional recording studios, and maybe even a fictional fan club. I thought, why not make those things as authentic as possible? After all, if I was already planning to record music, why shouldn’t I record as the band itself? And wouldn’t they have a social media presence? Wouldn’t they have merch to sell? Music videos? I can do that! And more.
Therefore, you’ll find them on Spotify, where any other band would be. You can watch their YouTube channel. You can buy a t-shirt with their logo or pick up one from their favorite venue. Ultimately, my goal is to make the band as real to the non-reader as it is to the reader. Except the Lillys won’t be playing at a venue near you anytime soon. (Or will they?)
I realize this an extreme example of an immersive reading experience, but the concept lends itself well to other applications. I’m not telling anyone to open a bakery but, if your character owns one, nothing is stopping you from including a recipe for a signature cupcake that readers can try, or the house cocktail from your fictional bar. Do you have a musician or DJ in your book? Create a playlist that readers can follow. Quite a few authors already have logos to go along with the fictional businesses in their books, some even designing merchandise.
It’s one more method to help a reader feel like they inhabit the same universe as their favorite characters. And it’s a fabulous way to let them be part of the stories they love.
