What to Expect When You're Expecting Part 1

Creating a Narrative for Yourself

I wrote a memoir, which is out now in paperback, and which you can buy at your favorite bookstore. Here is one of my favorite shops.

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Hi friends.

I’m heading out on vacation. If you’re in Paris on May 16, I’ll be in conversation with the great Lauren Collins at the American Library in Paris. If you’re in Italy for the last two weeks of May, I’ll be the one blissfully eating pasta and drinking wine. Please do not interrupt me, unless you are bringing me more pasta.

When I return I’ll start serious preparation for #1000wordsofsummer, which starts June 17. Have you started thinking about what you’re going to write yet? I think I’m going to spend the summer writing two different projects to see which one I like more, but for #1000wordsofsummer I’m going to try doing flash fiction for one of the projects, and basically write in the voice of a different character every day to see if I can get to know them, watch them move in the world. It’s the most kind of fun you can have, these purely generative sessions, where you can do absolutely no wrong. I’m really looking forward to it.

It’s snowball season!

A few weeks ago, I had coffee with a writer here in town. Her first book is coming out next year and she wanted to talk about what to expect and how to prepare for it. What she could do to set herself up for success, but also which things were worth worrying about and which things could just be ignored. Honestly where do we start?

I get asked about this topic quite a bit. My first book came out in 2006 and it was a much different playing field then and I have seen the industry evolve tremendously, and also you never fucking know anymore, if you know what I mean. But I have seen some things hold true over the years, so I thought I could help.

I will start this off by saying I think a lot of writers I know are overachievers in one way or another. Just to engage in the audacious act of sitting down and putting together a book, then sending it out to an agent, and doing what it takes to make sure it sells, all the while managing the rest of our often-complicated lives — to me that is the work of an achiever, if not an overachiever. And then to be the kind of person who doesn’t just sell a book but then wants even more information about the process? I mean, extra credit for after-school assignments, you know?

So that came up a little bit in the conversation. The idea that once you put everything into getting this book published, now you just have to sit and wait for a year (or whatever) for it to come out, how frustrating that can feel. The information I gave her was not necessarily anything that was guaranteed to make anyone a bestseller, because I have no idea how to do that! But it will make you feel a little more engaged and active while you wait. Overachievers like to feel like they’re doing everything they can.

And I would argue that this information is helpful to put in the back of your mind even if you’re just in the process of writing a book. Obviously what I want everyone to do while they’re writing is just to purely write, not stress out about the future that hasn’t happened yet. You should be thinking about making your art — that is your priority! But I think you’ll see how this information can translate in positive ways to your work.

(Also there is so much other information out there about this topic. Books and articles and newsletters and social media posts. These are just the parts I think are most important. But you could deep dive forever on how to publish your book.)

(Also also: I’m talking about traditional big publishing here, not self- or small publishing. I don’t know anything about doing that anymore — I haven’t put out my own work or a small press book in twenty plus years. But I support you and maybe this can help anyway!)

I’m breaking these into two separate newsletters because there’s so much information. I’ll start today on the subject of Creating a Narrative for Yourself.