In gratitude
Post-launch reflections
🙏🏽 Two weeks in and many thanks
It’s been a few weeks since my book came out and I’m delighted to see it making its way into bookstores and homes across the country. (UK readers, Rest Easy is available on 10/26!) My first book launched in the middle of the pandemic so there was no chance of having any kind of in-person event: every talk was virtual, and any book signing was done in the comfort of my own home. Every time I logged on for an event I’d get a rush of adrenaline talking about my book, but the come down would be harsh: the webinar would end, I’d click out of the tab, close the laptop, and then…nothing. No smiling faces coming to say hi or introduce themselves. No readers lingering to ask a question they were too shy to ask in front of the group. No personalizing book signings.
Obviously, I survived. It’s a privilege to publish a book, no matter when it comes out. But as many pandemic debut authors would likely admit, it was a bit of a letdown on the human connection front.
That made it all the more thrilling to get to celebrate the launch of my new book in person—on pub day no less! Nothing beats sharing the same space, breathing the same air, and looking each other in the eye in person. I’m feeling grateful for everyone who came out to celebrate, for all the booksellers and libraries who’ve stocked the book, and of course, for readers like you. It’s been such a thrill to spot my book out in the wild, to sign copies at my local bookstore, and to hear from readers like you. My next event is on 11/29 at P&T Knitwear—hope to see many of you there!
🔗 Links I loved
This piece on What Makes a Real New Yorker from Anne Kadet. It’s the perfect slice of local life, and Yes, I am a Real New Yorker by birth. I am, however, shocked there are no bagel questions! I await a follow up survey with bated breath. 👀🍿
Shameless promo, but here is a fun interview of me in Forbes, hosted by the lovely Melody Wilding, about my new book. You can also hear me chat about rest and writing in Meredith Arthur’s Beautiful Voyager Podcast and Nicole Gulotta’s Wild Words show.
🎧 📚 What I’m reading
The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Harris. This one got me. I did a summer internship at one of the Big Five publishing houses in college, and have worked with several publishers and editors since becoming an author. I loved this book for being set in the publishing industry, with all its quirks, headaches, and delights. But the twists from Harris make it so much more than a workplace book. Is this a horror story? A social commentary? A feminist read? All of the above. The book was recently adapted into a series for Hulu; I highly recommend reading the original first.
💸 Currently coveting
In advance of my book launch I attempted to do some shopping. I say “attempted” because I totally failed! The number of packages I returned in the months leading up to my launch is truly daunting. What I really covet is petite clothing that actually fits. I am a little lady, so finding pants that don’t sweep the floor can be a challenge. Send me your recs for petite pants that are actually meant for petites (shaking my fist at you, J.Crew) and I’ll love you forever.
📢 Coming soon
I have a very special project I’m excited to share with you soon. Stay tuned for the next edition of this newsletter for a special announcement!
💌 Thanks as always for reading along and supporting my work. If you like what you see, hit the heart button, drop a comment, or share this with someone you think will love it, too. You can order my new book or book me for a speaking event here. 💌