And now, a Guest Post from Publicist Overlord Morgan!

Hello! Publicist Overlord Morgan here to say a quick HELLO (in a non-threatening, no-weapon-yielding-today kind of way) to Amy’s loyal blog readers. I think we can all agree that answering YES to Amy’s initial question, “To Blog, or Not to Blog,” was a great idea. (If you disagree, please let me know @moregan on Twitter as not to spoil the array of positive reinforcement Amy receives in her comments.)

I wanted to share one of my favorite moments in the first book of the series, The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang, which I read for the first time in the past month.

I love this excerpt because I’m big on the idea WE NEED OUTSIDE ADVICE, especially from the people who know us best. (Lydia’s mom and sister are great examples.)  I’m 24 years old and I still call my mom a couple times a week to ask her opinion on something. (I’m actually aware that my mom thinks I call too much for a 24 year old who lives on her own in New York City, but that’s another topic.)

Asking for advice—and learning to accept it—is a huge part of growing up, as well as creating and maintaining relationships. Interesting tidbit: When I first talked to Amy about blogging and social media her response was the following: “Very exciting! This is good. I need deadlines and to be told what to do…Thanks, and please push me!” Gold star, Amy, for accepting and welcoming outside advice.

In a recent conversation with my mom, I was talking to her about my new-ish position at Abrams. I was relaying my jealousy of girls who get to go through middle school with The Popularity Papers as their guidebook. To this my mother replied: “Yes, as long as you don’t distract the author with your obsession with blogging, Twitter, and Facebook and give her no time to write new books…” We all need outside advice.

Amy here. First: AH HA HA HA HA HA HA!!! Second, OH MY GOD, YOU'RE ONLY 24? When I was 24 I was hardly making rent by illustrating terribly written educational anti-drug cartoons:

Stephanie: Let's do lots of drugs!

Lisa: I don't think that's a good idea. I once knew a girl who did drugs and then she went crazy and killed a bunch of kittens and then fell off of a cliff and died.

Stephanie: That sounds bad. Let's never do drugs!

I have those old cartoons somewhere in a file, and THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO STAY FOREVER AND EVER. Also when I was 24 I worked as an airbrush face and body painter for a guy who legally changed his name to Peanutbutter and always insisted on MORE GLITTER. So anyway, Morgan is a lot more successful than I was when I was her age, so I should probably listen to her advice. I'm not always going to take it, but I'll still listen.