This week, we're reposting two awesome interviews with authors who were just nominated for the Hugo Award. Our guest today was nominated 3 times for best short story, best novelette, and best novella.

Today’s guest is fantasy and science fiction author Catherynne Valente.

Catherynne Valente is the writer of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making (and the four books that followed it), Palimpsest, the Orphan’s Tales series and so many books you’ve probably read or heard about. She’s a New York Times bestselling author, winner of the Andre Norton, Tiptree, Sturgeon, Eugie Foster Memorial, Mythopoeic, Rhysling, Lambda, Locus, Hugo awards, and more.

Usually, in Geekdom Empowers we follow the paths of the geeks around the world who are not highlighted. And yet, Cat’s path is exactly the path we talk about. She talks about how, with the power of social media, before it was called social media, she got from knowing no one to what she is today. Social media helped her every stage of the way, including today where her Patreon gives her financial independence from the publishers.

It is the story of a rise to success of an author who came from nothing, knowing no one. It is the story of an author who made her own niche, who kept her style and authenticity, and who has withstood, as we’ll see, quite a bit of terrible pushback from science fiction and fantasy fans.

I think you’ll enjoy this interview. It’s fascinating.

You can find Catherynne Valente here:

Website: catherynnemvalente.com/

Twitter: twitter.com/catvalente

Instagram: www.instagram.com/catvalente

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