Spring Updates

And Exploring New Publishing Roads

Spring in New England has felt rainy and tropical and I have been taking a lot of early morning walks to beat the heat! There’s something about moving for an hour without stopping that gets my mental wheels spinning, whether I’m brainstorming a new story, pondering career moves, or simply processing something that’s going on in my life.

Gorgeous flowers I saw in Cambridge!

General Updates

Life has been nice and quiet lately, for which I am grateful. I do not have a book out this year and it’s been restful! I’ve been reading, teaching, planning, and building new skill sets (more on this in a bit). After constantly being in the “harvest” phase for so many years, I am now enjoying the “planting” phase. There’s a beautiful quote from Audrey Hepburn that says, “To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow,” and I am sowing seeds that I hope will sprout soon.

I used to feel the pressure to churn out projects, afraid that readers would forget me if I took time off and convinced that relentless momentum was the key to success. But anxiety is antithetical to creativity. I want to produce good work, but I can’t do that if I’m always burned out on a hamster wheel of my own making. Who says I can’t rest? Who says I have to put out a new book every single year? Who says that because this career is such a gift, such a privilege, and so rare and difficult to achieve that I must base my whole identity on it out of gratitude?

Newbie author Julie, that’s who. But I’m no longer newbie author Julie. The times are changing, my mindset is shifting, and I have a feeling I’m going to be happier and write better books in the long run. I had a publishing setback lately (more on this in a bit as well) and it didn’t faze me after an initial pang of disappointment and regret for someone else who was much more affected by it. This line of work is all about ups and downs, the most glorious of highs and the most devastating of lows, and if we are lucky enough to stick around long enough, we’ll experience them all. I’m happy that after 10+ years, I can better regulate my emotions and separate my identity — me, the person — from my job.

But yes, life is going well. I’m spending quality time with loved ones, looking forward to upcoming vacations, and focusing on my health and well-being. I put on ten pounds of muscle! I’m so proud of myself! I don’t particularly enjoy working out, but consistency pays off. I used to struggle with putting suitcases in the overhead bin (due to my height and also weakness), but thanks to strength training, I can now safely and easily lift a hefty carry-on high above my head without breaking a sweat. It feels amazing.

Shelving My Shining Book

A couple of months ago, I got the news that my wonderful editor was part of a string of publishing layoffs. It is frustrating that so many hardworking, talented folks have to leave the industry, and I honestly do not know what is going to happen as the roster of editors everywhere gets smaller and smaller. Not to mention marginalized editors who champion marginalized voices. These books make a difference. Most people are too privileged to see it or to care, but at so many schools I visit, there’s a kid telling me how much they loved reading about a character who looks like them, eats the food they eat, and has a family similar to theirs.

Literacy is already tanking at an alarming rate thanks to AI and social media. I dread the impact that less reading, less emphasis on books, and fewer books getting acquired is having on the general population in terms of critical thinking and empathy.

And I’m really sad for my editor. The series I worked on with her wouldn’t be what it is without her. I happen to think they are fantastic books even if they haven’t “broken out” in the eyes of traditional publishing.

Shining Book was written in the hopes of getting to work with her again. My agent and I submitted one hundred pages and a proposal to her before we got this news, so I’ve decided to put them lovingly away for the time being. I will never say “never.” Perhaps the story will find a way to emerge someday, if it is meant to!

Taking the Next Step

And that leads me to a new path I would like to wander: self-publishing!

I’ve always planned to be a hybrid author with eggs in all sorts of different baskets. I want to continue to be traditionally published, but I also want to write screenplays, to teach about the craft, and to try audio-first fiction. Most of all, I want to publish books that are written by me, formatted by me, marketed by me, edited by someone I hired, and illustrated and/or designed by the artist I choose.

I want to control the creative process from beginning to end. I want to earn the lion’s share of the profits for once. I want to write my weird, offbeat, niche fiction that trad pub insists they cannot sell. I want to try new genres and explore the freedom of a pen name or several. I want to write short stories and novellas. I want fresh audiences to fall in love with my writing. I want to write something that people will become obsessed with, without a face or a name or a sales track for them to judge.

Publishing as we know it is changing, and it’s time I change right alongside it.

I’ve been dedicating my time to learning all about this new world. I’m researching every platform on which to self-publish, from Kindle to Kobo, Apple to Google Play. I made an Excel spreadsheet and a 12-page Word document on the pros and cons of each. I’m reading newsletters and watching YouTube videos by seasoned self-pub pros to understand the ins and outs, because this path is so much more than just throwing your work out into the ether. I’m studying cover design and marketing techniques from NetGalley co-ops to BookBub promotions to giveaways.

Trad pub authors do a ton of self-marketing anyway, so I’m glad for the foundational knowledge I’ve built over the past decade.

I downloaded Vellum (not an affiliate link), a program that formats Word documents into both e-books and print books. I think it only goes on sale once a year, so I recommend setting a reminder to buy it on Black Friday like I did, if you’re interested. I like it and I’ve been completely absorbed in reformatting and editing books in it (more on this in the very near future!). Once this initial stage of tinkering is over, I’m going to be able to pump out future books quickly, neatly, and efficiently.

Next on my to-do list is learning Canva. I have basic — maybe even borderline intermediate? — graphic design skills, thanks to a decade of using Gimp and iMovie to create content for Instagram and TikTok (and before that, promo banners for my fan fiction back in my pre-pub days). I hear Canva has an intuitive interface, so I’m excited to roll my sleeves up. I’m going to pay for Canva Pro to get all the bells and whistles and start generating material for my self-published works. Social media algorithms are maddening because where I used to easily get 800 likes per post, I’m now barely breaking 80, but I’m not going into this with the mindset of trying to wrestle that beast. I just want to have fun and make some beautiful graphics.

Some of my self-published books, I will plan to share here and let you all know I wrote them. But others? I want to start fresh and anonymous and see what happens. The idea of that is so appealing to me — it will be like coming full circle, since my career basically started when I was writing fan fiction in 2007 without a face or a name and built up a lovely readership anyway!

I am swimming in ideas for novels, novellas, and new series. Like I said, I want and hope to continue my career in trad pub. But this is a side quest that I hope will remind me that I am a good writer, that I still love storytelling even after all these years, and that my words are worthy of an audience without having to prove anything else.

I’m looking forward to all of it.

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What I’m Reading and Watching

• John Williams’s Film Night: I went to this Boston Symphony Orchestra concert last month and loved it! The BSO played selections from John Williams’s repertoire, as well as pieces by the composers who inspired him, and there were videos of him discussing his creative process. I think it’s fascinating how different mediums of art can share very specific similarities. I wish these concerts would expand to include his lesser known scores — I’d love to hear “Memoirs of a Geisha” or “Hook” live — but I understand the need to reach a more general audience. And I’m not complaining about hearing Star Wars and Indiana Jones again!

• Black Swan at A.R.T.: My partner and I saw the world premiere of this musical at the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, MA, and it was amazing. I hope it goes to Broadway! It’s based loosely on the Oscar-winning Natalie Portman movie and there are a lot of smart changes. The special effects were creepy and well done, and the music was great. I never thought I’d hear the “Swan Lake” ballet set to electronica and hiphop influences, but it really worked. Horror and the performing arts is so niche and it is my jam.

• The Other Bennet Sister: I am a British period drama junkie. Name it and I’ve likely seen it! After hearing all the hype about this adaptation, I subscribed to BritBox. It’s a really charming and lovely show. I’ve always identified with Mary Bennet, as the kid who used to be told constantly — by my parents, aunts, and uncles — that I was the plainest of all my cousins (in fact, an aunt told me this just last year, so it doesn’t stop even in adulthood). I get Mary. I want to see her grow up in these last few episodes and be happy and fulfilled and confident!

• Best Offer Wins by Marisa Kashino: I listened to this audiobook recently and was flabbergasted and so engrossed in the story that I finished it in record time! It’s about a woman who descends into madness amid the competitive housing market in D.C. The narrator did an incredible job. I can’t wait to see the film adaptation staring Greta Lee.

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke: I also listened to this on audiobook and was also riveted by the tale of a trad wife influencer who somehow gets transported back to the time period she’s romanticizing. The voice is so sharp. I think I keep seeing the word “biting” used to describe the narration, and it’s appropriate for sure.

• I Am Not Jessica Chen by Ann Liang: This YA is next on my TBR! It’s about a girl under immense pressure from her immigrant parents who makes a wish to become her perfect cousin — and the wish comes true. I’ve heard good things and I’m excited to read it.

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Thank you for reading, as always!

I have so much more to share regarding self-publishing and two releases (!) planned for the very near future. I’m teaching a two-week summer writing intensive for teens and I’m excited to tell you what I learn from that. More personal essays coming on Substack as well, including the VHS that changed my life (how’s that for a time capsule?!) and that one time I slept over at my friend’s haunted dorm in college.

I hope you’re all doing well and enjoying whatever you may be reading and writing!

More from me soon!

Julie