Weekend Q & A Open Thread...Free for All!
Paid *and* free subscribers: ask me (and each other) all your questions about publishing, art, or Related Life Struggles. I'll do my best to answer what I can.
EDIT: Apologies, all: I seem to have accidentally disabled comments from free subscribers when I initially sent this out. The error should be fixed now.
*
Hello!
I’m still in France helping my sister take care of her new baby, and I’m going to level with you: I’m just too braindead to come up with an entire original newsletter topic this week.
However, I do still plenty of opinions...and come to think of it, we haven’t done a subscriber open thread Q and A in a while. So I’m hoping you all can help me out here by asking the questions. I will answer whatever I can, probably in about 10% more detail than you wished.
So, all of you: ask me (and each other!) anything. Have a question about book publishing I haven’t answered yet in the newsletter? Hit me. Have questions for each other as fellow book publishing types? Bring ‘em to the comments.
As always, the following ground rules apply:
Please don’t use this opportunity to pitch your book or ask me and others a “general question” that is in fact just a thinly-veiled book pitch. Please keep the sharing to that which might yield knowledge and community for many people.
Please be kind and respectful to each other and to me.
I reserve the right to delete any comment or question for any reason. Overt or covert pitching will get an automatic delete.
I also reserve the right to answer some questions by posting an applicable back issue of the newsletter that might or might not be behind a paywall. Please do not blame a woman for hustling a little with the free-to-all post here.
OK, have at it.
Hello Anna! I hope France is glorious in the spring and that your family time is joyful / not too exhausting and overwhelming.
My fourth novel is out in the UK in July. When my third novel came out (last June) I had a rough time - I was between editors, the book got neglected, but I did NOT help myself. I got burned out trying to take over all promotional duties, etc, and drove myself crazy, and felt sad/mad all summer.
This time, I want to celebrate in a sane way, and set myself up for success - success being approaching publication with my mental health first! I’ve got a couple of other fun projects on the go that will distract / take the edge off, and I want to make sure I’m rested, reasonably well nourished, etc. Is there anything specific that you can suggest for my sanity toolbox? It isn’t my first rodeo BUT sometimes I feel that the more I ride, the less sure I am of my horse…
Thank you for doing this! I'm wondering how big of a challenge you think it will be to query a trio of novellas. Thanks again!