D E PA R T M E N T S
First-time author Allan Evans, who took a rather unsusual route to publishing, releases his first three stories.
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ARTS
Thrill Seeker
Woodbury native Allan Evans releases his first two novels and short story. BY AVA DIAZ
AS AN ADVERTISING COPYWRITER BY DAY,
Woodbury native, thrill seeker and debut author Allan Evans always had a desire to write something for more than just clients. Inspired by personal paranormal experiences in his home, his children and the great state of Minnesota, Evans released his first novel Abnormally Abbey in September, short story Silent Night in December and book one of the Killer Blonde trilogy this month. His journey to publishing took an unconventional route. After receiving many rejections for his original manuscripts, Evans set out to Twitter, a haven for the literature world, to enter a pitching event. Tweeting the premises of his novel in just 280 characters using the hashtag #PitMad, he was soon discovered by Immortal Works Press. “If you have given up after 100 rejections then you have given up too soon,” Evans says. Through a “like” of the tweet by Immortal Works, Evans was given the “OK” to directly send his query for Killer Blonde, and eventually Abnormally Abbey, without going through an agent. “There is a thrill of discovering a new author and being able to find a good book and bring it into the world,” director of acquisitions at Immortal Works Beth Buck says. As a new author, Evans says it is important to find your own voice with a specific, intentional viewpoint. However, this doesn’t happen overnight. He explains that a unique perspective is developed throughout the rigorous reviPHOTO BY CHRIS EMEOTT
8 | FEBRUARY 2021
