How the pros do it

Pub day is coming - I asked Elin, Abby, Carley and Ali for tips.

It’s March, the absolutely fake start of spring in the northeast, and also the month when I realize the only thing standing between my book release and me is the piddly little month of April. Cue my annual wrestling match with rising panic.

A book release is a lot of things - it’s the book coming out in the world and people reading it. It’s that dream where you’re walking through the mall and look down to notice you’re completely naked. It’s a book tour, which is heaven - sort of like going to your own birthday party ten days in a row, but the only people invited are enthusiastic, thoughtful book people. You need things to wear and things to say and cosmetics that are less than 3.4 ounces in volume.

It’s a lot to think about, so I asked the big dogs, the Fab Four of Romance™ how they prepare, and they were nice enough to tell me. Enjoy.

Tip 1: Control what you can

Abby Jimenez, author of the forthcoming SAY YOU’LL REMEMBER ME, says “I always gets a Brazilian blow out so my hair acts right.” Genius. Being on book tour is basically waking up in the morning and immediately going to the airport. Your zipper might break and your flight might be delayed, smart to wrangle your hair into submission.

Sitting with bleach-filled foil packets in my hair the week before pub day, I always wonder if Stephen King worries about this stuff.

Tip 2: Pack the rainbow, but don’t check it

Elin Hilderbrand, author of every single book including the forthcoming THE ACADEMY which she wrote with her daughter, Shelby Cunningham, says, “To prepare for tour I OF COURSE pack in advance. Because all my events have a signature color, there can be no swapping of outfits or last minute changes. So every color coded outfit goes into my carry-on. (Yes, I take only a carry-on, my ex-husband and I started our relationship by backpacking around the world and he taught me the art of packing only what I need.) Fun fact: in addition to my outfits, I pack a tiny fan for the hotel Pelotons…I consider this a necessity!”

Like Elin needs more fans. Lol.

I’m with her on the no checked bags thing. No one cares what color I wear, but I make sure it all fits in the overhead compartment. I choose ten dresses not for how they look but for how flat they lay in a suitcase. Anything with a ruffle or a puffed sleeve stays home.

Tip 3: Be a weather girl

Carley Fortune, author of the forthcoming ONE GOLDEN SUMMER (this one I’ve already read and LOVED) says, “I spend most of my planning energy looking at the weather for each city I'm visiting and figuring out what to wear so I'll be stylish and hopefully not too sweaty!”

Wish I’d asked this earlier, Carley. Last summer I left breezy California and rolled into Texas, greeting the 105 degree weather in a long sleeved dress. Let’s just say the good people of Dallas got to experience me at full glow.

Tip 4: Go to your happy place

Ali Hazelwood, author of the runaway hit, DEEP END, says, “I delete all my social media apps and make sure every website that could potentially contain a review is blocked on all my devices.”

Wise, wise, woman. Even though her reviews are beyond positive, at some point when you’re about to go out into the world, you need to clear your head and fortify your confidence. All the Stewart Smalley affirmations in the world dissolve in the presence of a bad review. It’s smart to limit exposure. When my first book, Nora Goes Off Script, was coming out, I was so busy working on my next book that I forgot to freak out. It went great, and I’ve used this strategy ever since - going deep into the next summer’s book so my mind doesn’t do any unnecessary shenanigans. Deleting the apps is next level, and I will take it under consideration.

Writing update

I like what I’m writing. It feels fun and has the potential to someday make sense, and there are parts where my heart starts wiggling in my chest. We’re not there yet, but this is all positive.

(My editor, reading this on vacation: “OH THANK GOD.”)

Upcoming Events

TODAY Are you a Hoosier? I’m going to be in Indiana this afternoon at Turn the Page in Westfield, IN from 3:30 to 4:30. I’ll be signing books and leaving bookplates for preorders. Please come if you’re local.

March 16th, I’ll be at the Oxford Exchange in Tampa, FL to talk with Jill Santopolo about her new novel, THE LOVE WE FOUND. It is the long awaited sequel to her New York Times Bestselling heart-ripper THE LIGHT WE LOST.

April 3 I get to be part of a virtual author telethon and preorder party on Facebook. It’s going to be a very special episode of Wine & Words with Wade at 6:30 p.m. ET with big giveaways for Viola Shipman’s THE PAGE TURNER, Kristy Woodson Harvey’s BEACH HOUSE RULES, Brendan Slocumb’s DARK MAESTRO, and my IT’S A LOVE STORY

Get more info and preorder now at this link and you will be eligible to win lots of fun prizes…

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Headed to the airport. I get to see my college son tonight and participate in something called Mom’s Weekend. Those are two words I’ve always wanted to see together, and I suspect there may be a red Solo cup or two in my future. I’ll report back.

lots of love,

Annabel

PS - IT’S A LOVE STORY got a starred review from Publishers Weekly! “[A] bingeable beachy contemporary . . . Monaghan mines a lot of joy out of [a] close-knit family dynamic and the scenic coastal setting, while creating a heroine readers will root for. This is an addictive romp.” Love this so much. If you could use an addictive romp, please preorder!

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