#36 - This Is How It's Done, Done, Done
AKA "i'm back on deadline and i'm totally not panicked about it"
PROLOGUE
July marks the first month this year where I am not traveling to or from somewhere! Someone please clap, and then despair with me because I only noticed that in time to write this newsletter.
Right now, I’m nervously waiting for early reviews of AN ARCANE INHERITANCE to come in, hahaha help, because a limited amount of ARCs were given away at ALA last weekend. In the meantime, I’m quietly working on my second Adult book, which I met with my editor about last week. Originally, it was going to be a sapphic gothic horror, but we’ve pivoted to the kind of dark fantasy that forms my current author brand; this story is perfect for fans of Fullmetal Alchemist, Arcane, and The Acolyte, set in a version of our world where alchemy remained a respected science, and I’m having so much fun with it so far.
I’m also thinking about my next young adult fantasy, WICKED ENDEAVORS, because I’ve received my first edit letter. The first draft was a hot mess; the second draft needs to look more story-shaped. My edit letter is seven pages long and a developmental overhaul, and, as always, my editor has given suggestions that make me so excited and asked questions that have made me think. Both my second Adult book and my next YA duology come out in 2027, so hang tight, friends! I have so many more stories to tell.
In the meantime, I’ve been reading a lot. I finished Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis, which was amazing, and I finally got around to watching Kpop Demon Hunters, which was also amazing. As a result, I’ve been listening to the soundtrack a lot. Like, a lot. Watch this adorable and fun movie, and then go read Last of the Talons by Sophie Kim and And Break the Pretty Kings by Lena Jeong, or I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee and Once Upon a K-Pop by Kat Cho, to capture that same feeling in book form.
All right, let’s get into it.
CHAPTER 1: THE REALITY OF PERFORMANCE ANXIETY
I have to begin this paragraph by doing something I hate to do, which is humblebrag. SO LET THEM BURN was an instant indie bestseller, and it’s been nominated for multiple awards, including a Goodreads Choice Award (Opening Round) and a Lodestar Award. AN ARCANE INHERITANCE’s first Goodreads giveaway got over 20,000 entries, which is four times as many as my largest one (So Let Them Burn’s giveaway got around 5,000)—and no one’s even read it yet. In terms of literary achivements, I can pretty safely say that my books have been a success so far.
And now, as I stare down my second Adult book and my second YA duology, I am petrified. What if I can’t write something anywhere near as “successful”, whatever that means?
The only thing that an author can control is their writing. We craft stories as best we can and then we give them away, trying to emotionally disconnect from what those stories don’t or don’t achiveve (bestseller lists and award nominations and fanart and fan followings, etc) because otherwise we’ll go mad. But no matter how the first book does, the second book is a terrifying mountain to climb. First of all, you always want to write a better story than you’ve written before, to get better with every book. But, second of all, you pin all of your hopes and dreams on the next project and the next and the next—and that can make it hard to even begin.
I don’t know if WICKED ENDEAVORS or ADULT BOOK #2 will be bestsellers or award-nominees. Hell, I don’t even know if AN ARCANE INHERITANCE will be well-received. THIS ENDS IN EMBERS, the sequel to So Let Them Burn, certainly came out more quietly than the first book did, as sequels often do. But I told my editor on our call to talk about Adult Book #2 that the more compliments I got about An Arcane Inheritance, the more terrified I was that it was a fluke and Adult Book #2 would only disappoint.
(That’s imposter syndrome talking. The only guarantees in this world are death, taxes, and imposter syndrome.)
I don’t have the answers for how to quiet that voice that says this project will never be “good enough” or “as good as” or both. All I can say is that, for me, I’ve chosen to weaponize that voice in my head that says the book is Never Good Enough. Because if it’s never good enough, then what am I even worried about? I may as well just write the best book that I can, if there’s no way to make it perfect. I may as well send it to my agent, my editor, my readers, and let them find something in it to connect to. Some of my favorite books, the books that made me who I am today, have many issues—hell, no book is truly perfect. It’s just perfect for me, as a reader, at the perfect time.
If my next books can be that for someone, anyone, then they will be a success. Accolades come and go, but every book is a fresh chance to help a reader feel seen and supported. And I am going to take that chance as often as publishing will allow.
CHAPTER 3: THE REC ROOM
Welcome to the Rec Room, the section of my newsletter that I use to highlight books coming out each month I’m really excited about. For July, we have…
LOVE SPELLS TROUBLE by Nia Davenport
You Should See Me in a Crown meets Black girl magic—literally—in this enchanting rom-com about a reluctant witch caught up in a faking dating scheme.
A MASTERY OF MONSTERS by Liselle Sambury
Ninth House meets Legendborn in this “bold and bloody” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) first book in a dark academia fantasy series about a teen who’s willing to do anything to find her brother—even infiltrate a secret society full of monsters.
LOVE IS A WAR SONG by Danica Nava
A Muscogee pop star and a cowboy who couldn’t be more different come together to strike a deal in this new romantic comedy by Danica Nava, USA Today bestselling author of The Truth According to Ember.
A RAGING HEART by Kaylie Smith
In this stunning conclusion to the Ruinous Fate trilogy by the #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Wicked Games series, romance, magic, and destiny abound as Calla and her friends face their ultimate test: The Fates’ War.
CHAPTER 4: LOOK AT MY CAT!!!
One thing about Sora is that she loves to be scratched under her chin. Look at this spoiled, happy cat.
EPILOGUE
Thank you for subscribing and/or for sticking around! I hope you like rambles, shenanigans, and nonsense, because that’s truly all this is. Every day, the world is on fire, politically and environmentally, but even though we can’t fix everything, every day we can do at least one thing to change the world. Donate to the ACLU or a family in need. Sign a petition or write your representatives. Work on that book that could save someone’s life. You got this, and, together, we got this.
I am, as ever, rooting & cheering for you <3