Heidi Heilig




Mark
4,499 books | 2,569 friends

Sarah G...
542 books | 233 friends

James
2,032 books | 1,614 friends

Stephanie
1,576 books | 590 friends

Sophie
1,169 books | 1,997 friends

Riley R...
755 books | 182 friends

Mishma
1,012 books | 1,146 friends

Julia E...
364 books | 773 friends

More friends…



Heidi Heilig

Goodreads Author


Born
in Honolulu, Hawaii
April 03

Website

Twitter

Genre

Member Since
December 2013

URL


Heidi grew up in Hawaii where she rode horses and raised peacocks, and then she moved to New York City and grew up even more, as one tends to do. Her favorite thing, outside of writing, is travel, and she has haggled for rugs in Morocco, hiked the trails of the Ko'olau Valley, and huddled in a tent in Africa while lions roared in the dark.

She holds an MFA from New York University in Musical Theatre Writing, of all things, and she's written books and lyrics for shows including The Time Travelers Convention, Under Construction, and The Hole. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and their pet snake, whose wings will likely grow in any day now.

To ask Heidi Heilig questions, please sign up.

Popular Answered Questions

Heidi Heilig My advice to aspiring writers? Stop calling yourself aspiring--just call yourself a writer. Start now! I still struggle with calling myself a writer…moreMy advice to aspiring writers? Stop calling yourself aspiring--just call yourself a writer. Start now! I still struggle with calling myself a writer and I have a book coming out in a year, and two more due according to a contract with my name signed at the bottom--not in blood, but in ink, which is much harder to wash away.

For writers aspiring to be better writers (and I think all writers are), my advice is to read--not just for fun, but also critically. For me, each book is a lesson--How One Writer Did It!-- as well as a story. It's the best way to learn, thinking about what I loved and what I didn't and why.(less)
Heidi Heilig This is actually a lot of questions in one! :) I'll try to keep the answer brief:

The bulk of the work of actually getting the deal was done by my…more
This is actually a lot of questions in one! :) I'll try to keep the answer brief:

The bulk of the work of actually getting the deal was done by my agent (i don't want to take credit where it isn't due!) I wrote the book and was going to throw it on Wattpad, but then my mom (who always has good ideas) told me I should try to find an agent, so I did.

I gave myself 6 months to try (after which I told myself I'd just go back to the original idea of Wattpad and writing whatever was next). Then I worked on the Query Letter (QueryShark was a HUGE resource for me), and then just searched for YA agents who rep'd fantasy and historical novels. I sent queries to something like 17 agents over the course of 3 months. Two of them ended up offering rep, and I chose Molly at The Bent Agency. Together, we did one round of revisions with her, and then about 4 months after we signed our contract, she sold the book using her special agent magic. It wasn't too time consuming or difficult (for me) though I'm certain she was running around and doing a ton of work!

After the whole editing process--i actually am not 100% sure since I only JUST finished. Between big-picture edits, line edits, copy edits, and post-ARC tweaking, there is a lot of editing! I think the book is only now (two and a half months out) finally ready for print. In the meantime, I'm working on a lot of blog posts and scheduling time away for various trips to book events next year. Soon i might plan a launch party? I'm eager to see what comes next.

My favorite part hands-down has been all the wonderful people I've met on this journey. The people at HarperCollins and at Hotkey, the book community, fellow authors and bloggers and of course readers. As a writer, you spend a lot of time hanging out with the people you made up, and i never could have imagined a community as vibrant and welcoming as this one.(less)
Average rating: 3.71 · 4,798 ratings · 1,311 reviews · 2 distinct works · Similar authors
The Girl from Everywhere (T...

3.70 avg rating — 4,731 ratings — published 2016 — 12 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating
The Ship Beyond Time (The G...

4.17 avg rating — 63 ratings — expected publication 2017 — 9 editions
Rate this book
Clear rating

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Soooooooo The Ship Beyond Time comes out in less than two months and I haven’t done anything to promote it.


[insert sailor swears here]


This is not because the book is no good. Au contraire! The Ship Beyond Time got rave reviews from Kirkus, Booklist, and School Library Journal (they even gave me a star, yay!) Entertainment Weekly called it one of their most anticipated books of 2017, and more im...

Read more of this blog post »
1 like ·   •  0 comments  •  flag
Twitter icon
Published on January 09, 2017 07:36 • 33 views
The Girl from Everywhere The Ship Beyond Time
The Girl from Everywhere (2 books)
by
3.71 avg rating — 4,787 ratings

Upcoming Events

No scheduled events. Add an event.

Heidi’s Recent Updates

Heidi Heilig wants to read
14 Hollow Road by Jenn Bishop
14 Hollow Road
by Jenn Bishop (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Heidi Heilig entered a giveaway
14 Hollow Road by Jenn Bishop
14 Hollow Road
by Jenn Bishop (Goodreads Author)
1 copy available, ends on February 02, 2017 Enter to win »
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
Dread Nation by Justina Ireland
Rate this book
Clear rating
This is what i'm envisioning after every zombie slay.

[image]
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney
A Blade So Black
by L.L. McKinney (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
I cannot wait for this book.

[image]
Heidi Heilig has read
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
Tyler Johnson Was Here
by Jay Coles (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
i need it now.

now na now.

Now?

nooooooooooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww.
Heidi Heilig and 2 other people liked Ricky's review of Tyler Johnson Was Here:
Tyler Johnson Was Here by Jay Coles
"Angie Thomas is giving us the BLM masterpiece of 2017, of that I'm sure.

And Jay Coles is giving us the BLM masterpiece of 2018, of that I'm equally sure."
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
The Girl with the Red Balloon by Katherine  Locke
Rate this book
Clear rating
Read and loved an early version of this magical devastation. Up, up and away!

[image]
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
The Edge of Everything by Jeff  Giles
The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Revenge, romance, and redemption: THE EDGE OF EVERYTHING left me on the edge of my seat.

[image]

A strange, dark, genre-busting urban fantastical story populated with characters so inventive you're sure they're real people because no one author could d
...more
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
The Edge of Everything by Jeff  Giles
The Edge of Everything
by Jeff Giles (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
Heidi Heilig rated a book it was amazing
The Library of Fates by Aditi Khorana
The Library of Fates
by Aditi Khorana (Goodreads Author)
Rate this book
Clear rating
A troubled kingdom--an inescapable fate--ancient mythology--that's basically everything I ever wanted in a book.

[image]

Open LIBRARY OF FATES and be transported to the mythical, magical country of Shalingar, where mystical vetalas, troubled oracles, i
...more
More of Heidi's books…
“Sometimes a person has to let go of something to take hold of something else.”
Heidi Heilig, The Girl from Everywhere
tags: slate

“Sometimes fate makes choices for us.”
Heidi Heilig, The Girl from Everywhere
tags: nix

“When I was young, I learned to expect loss. Every time you slept, something disappeared. Whenever you woke up, someone else was gone. But . . . I also learned that every day, you created everything anew. And whatever you had, you enjoyed as long as it lasted. Spend money when it’s in your pocket.” He took my hand and put the orange in it. “Eat fruit while it’s ripe.” His other hand found my cheek, his thumb brushing the corner of my mouth. “Paradise is a promise no god bothers to keep. There’s only now, and tomorrow nothing will be the same, whether we like it or not.”
Heidi Heilig, The Girl from Everywhere

Topics Mentioning This Author

topics posts views last activity  
Nothing But Readi...: Anita's Challenges 31 113 Dec 30, 2014 05:24AM  
29107 Park Slope Lit & Beer — 37 members — last activity Aug 19, 2012 05:09PM
for the bookish and fun in the Slope
96301 Breathing in the Pages ღ — 809 members — last activity Nov 24, 2016 02:38PM
Hello, it seems that you have stumbled upon this lovely group. This group is run by people that share a similar passion. Reading! Reading the wonderfu ...more
141033 Book Assassins — 125 members — last activity Jul 05, 2016 06:37PM
Hey guys and welcome! Here, we only read YA novels because they are the best and I'm sure you all agree. We will be reading two books a month, includi ...more
42560 ♥!The Young Adult Book Club!♥ — 14193 members — last activity 10 hours, 35 min ago
“You know you've read a good book when you turn the last page and feel a little as if you have lost a friend.” ― Paul Sweeney Welcome to The Young Ad ...more



No comments have been added yet.