Hi Everyone! Hope you’re enjoying these final days of August.

I’ve been promising to share what I’ve learned since I self-published A Different Type of Poison last November—specifically, what’s worked for me—and what hasn’t—marketing-wise. Here we go!

Before I begin, I want to be clear that I can only speak to my experience. Results will vary widely based on genre, cover, and descriptions packed with those perfect (yet ever-changing) keywords. So take all of this with a grain—or shaker—of salt.

Let’s start with my recent BookBub deal. I’d always heard that securing a featured deal was the Holy Grail, the promotional fairy dust that would catapult your book from obscurity to the top of the Kindle rankings with the speed and sparkle of a Freida McFadden novel on launch day.

I’d also read that you could expect long tail sales as the algorithm went to work for you. Purchases would flood in for weeks, maybe even months, people told me. I’d watched reels in which authors said the number of reviews on their featured title doubled and even quadrupled within just a few weeks. Sounds fantastic, right?

Subscribe now

I should note that before I submitted my $944—the cost of this sought-after opportunity—I did a little research and found a Reddit thread where authors noted that featured deals weren’t yielding the results they had several years ago. Now a thriller might see 750 to 7,000 ebooks sold in the days immediately after the deal—quite a range—and then flatline. Still, I was game to see how my book would fare.

Spoiler: It came in on the lower end of that range. Let me break down the numbers. But before I do, a quick ask. Often when you arrive at the point in a newsletter where an author shares sales figures, expenses, or the “real reason” their marriage ended1, they put the meatier details behind a paywall and you must subscribe to read on.

I’m not going to do that here. This is the kind of information I’m always seeking, so I want to make it available to anyone who’s wondering, “Should I invest in this??”

In lieu of a paid subscription, if you’d like to support me in a way that costs nothing beyond a few minutes of your time, would you mind asking your library to purchase the audiobook of either A Different Type of Poison or You’ll Be Sorry? The info you need (ISBN, price, publisher) is available here and here. This not only helps my sales, it also allows new readers (listeners?) to find my work, and hopefully, explore my backlist.

Thank you! Now on with the numbers!

Share

On June 26, the day of the BookBub deal, I checked my KDP dashboard before even making my first cup of coffee. One quick plug for self-publishing, there’s nothing quite like watching your sales numbers in almost-real time. (For better or worse.)

By noon, I’d sold several hundred ebooks. Would that momentum continue? To stop myself from getting arthritis in my index finger from constant refreshing, I went to the Montclair Art Museum to admire my talented friend Christine Romanell’s stunning installation and feel inspired by the act of creating rather than dwell on the burden of monetizing.

By the end of the day, I’d sold 505 ebooks, which was about 500 more than the day before the deal. My rank in the Kindle store soared to just under 1,000, a significant jump from the 40,000 to 60,000 range where it had been hovering for weeks. Great, right? Yes, but would I sell the same amount or more the following day?

Spoiler #2: Nope.

The next day, I sold 253 digital copies,

• the next: 112,

• the next: 70,

• the next: 47,

• the next: 19.

I’m no math whiz but those numbers definitely went in the wrong direction. My page reads followed a similar downward spiral—about six times higher than usual initially, but those, too, tapered off within the first week.

For the month of June, I made about $700 more than I’d averaged for each of the three months prior to the deal. (When your ebook is priced at 99¢ and your royalty rate is 35%, you need to move some serious volume to recoup your investment and turn a profit.) So I can’t say it paid for itself right out of the gate. But, who knows, perhaps someone who picked up A Different Type of Poison went on to purchase books from my backlist, and I don’t know it because I don’t have access to that information.

I’ve received about 40 new reviews in the past six weeks. A result of the BookBub deal? Maybe.

For the month of July, my earnings were slightly higher than they were in May, maybe by 15%, but nothing that confirmed a BookBub deal is a magic bullet that offers a long-lasting boost. Still, I don’t consider it a total bust. It was fun to open the dashboard and see more than ‘1’ in the Orders column, that’s for sure! But would I do it again? Jury’s still out. Thank you to everyone who shared the deal! I truly appreciate it!

Now let’s look at other strategies that have yielded a better outcome over the years … and some that weren’t worth the time, money, or energy.

Leave a comment

What’s worked:

Jane Friedman recently shared this piece: Why You Should Focus on Local Book Publicity First. I couldn’t agree more.

When The Perfect Neighborhood was released four years ago, I reached out to Vicinity, a local magazine. They did a small write-up about the book, and that has been the gift that keeps on giving.

My former dental hygienist—a great one (Hi, Maribeth!) as opposed to this nightmare—spotted it and reached out. We reconnected, and since then, she’s not only bought copies for me to sign to give as gifts, she routinely tells patients about my novels. (And they can’t stop her because her hands are in their mouths.) She also introduced me to author Yvonne Ventresca, who has a thriller, If I’m Gone, coming out next spring. (Read the description, it’s going to be fantastic!) Yvonne has become a treasured friend. She generously featured me on her blog in support of the launch of my latest suspense novel, You’ll Be Sorry. Thank you again, Yvonne!

That same brief piece in the local mag is how I connected with my prolific pal Lee Kelly, co-author of The Midnight Show. At the time, Lee’s With Regrets was coming out with the same publisher that released The Perfect Neighborhood and she lived a few towns away. Lee reached out and we’ve partnered (and celebrated and commiserated) countless times in the past few years.

In fact, we’re linking up again for a Halloween-themed thriller event in PA, so stay tuned!

If it weren’t for that 200-word piece in Vicinity, I wouldn’t know these talented women.

Appearing at local book festivals, fairs, and swaps has been another great way to meet readers who’ve kindly invited me to their book clubs and recommended my novels to friends and family. Even some of my not-so-well-attended book signings have brought me new friends who’ve been amazingly supportive. (Thank you, Melissa & Bridget!)

Here’s another example of how in-person meetings can lead to surprisingly happy endings: My friend and fellow author Keri Kelly kindly put me in touch with the Arts Pavilion in Wildwood Crest, where I set up a pop-up shop as one of the artists-of-the-month for August. While there, I met a potter who told me about Ostara, a coffee shop in Cape May committed to supporting New Jersey-based authors.

“You should reach out! Tell them Susan sent you,” the artist said.

Every time something like this happens, I immediately think, “Wow, that’s so cool!” but also, “Oh, man, do they really want to hear from me?” Anyway, I messaged the owners and they wrote back to say, “We’ll buy 10 copies of your latest novel.” Amazing, right? Thank you, Ostara!

Probably the biggest marketing surprise has been TikTok. For a long time, I feared this app, mainly because my sons (probably in a ploy to keep me from embarrassing them) told me it was filled with half-naked people dancing.

“Really? Even on BookTok?” I’d asked after months (okay, years) of hearing that not establishing a presence there was a huge missed opportunity.

Each time I mentioned it, my boys responded with, “Stop! Don’t even think about it!” the way I did when they were little and on the verge of doing something dangerous.

I didn’t listen and I’m so glad because I’ve met the kindest and most generous readers. In fact, I’ve somehow acquired a trio of guardian angels there who’ve read all or most of my books and have shared them not just on the app but by purchasing them through my website for themselves and as gifts. Can you imagine my good fortune? I never expected that. Kim, Marla, and Rachelle, thank you! I’m beyond grateful for your kindness, support, and friendship.

Following word-of-mouth recommendations, I always hear that the second best thing to do to sell your books is “Write the next one!”

When You Shouldn’t Have Done That came out in March 2025, I saw a surge in sales of my backlist. Since You’ll Be Sorry was released, I’ve seen a steady increase in sales for A Different Type of Poison, which has been a great surprise—especially because I’ve stopped running all ads for it on Facebook and Amazon. On that note…

What hasn’t worked:

I never truly felt like I got a handle on Facebook and Amazon ads. I hired experts to help me with each before Poison’s launch. I tried to keep the ad spend to $200 or less per month total so I was still making a bit of a profit. I invested ($169) in Publisher Rocket, a tool designed to help you optimize your “book listings and dominate the Amazon marketplace.” I watched all the videos, fiddled around with the key words, etc. but I’m not sure it did the trick—or that I ever fully understood it, to be honest.

I’ve read a ton of conflicting info on this front:

You must pay for ads or Amazon doesn’t show your book to anyone! And Amazon ads aren’t enough! You must run Facebook ads too because Amazon likes when traffic comes from other sites!

vs.

You don’t need to advertise! Find your audience for free on social media!

Do you have any thoughts or experience with ads vs. social media? If so, I’d love to read it!

Leave a comment

I’ve tried BookBub ads and I can confidently say I might as well have set that money on fire. Anecdotally, I don’t know anyone who’s had success with these.

Promotional newsletters like Fussy Librarian, Bargain Booksy, and Robin Reads haven’t provided a great return on investment for me either. I tried each in the weeks after Poison’s release and Fussy Librarian garnered the most sales, though still not enough to cover the cost of appearing in the newsletter. I paid $37 to run another Fussy Librarian promo the day after my BookBub deal as I’d read promo stacking can help sustain momentum. I’m not sure it made a difference.

Also in the undecided column: podcasts. I LOVE podcasts—listening, hosting, guesting but … do they sell books? I can’t tell. When The Perfect Neighborhood was released, I joined Podmatch and appeared on a few dozen podcasts. Because I didn’t have access to sales numbers in real time, I don’t know if it helped from that perspective, but I will say that I met wonderful hosts like Shannon Russell and David Gwyn who’ve become friends. Every once in a while, someone will write to say, “I heard you on a podcast and bought your book,” and it’s a delightful surprise.

I’m not the only one who’s not entirely sold on the idea of podcasts giving your book a bump. Last September, shared this post:

Amie McNee

I went on one of the biggest podcast in the world

I was on the Jay Shetty Podcast two weeks ago. It was an incredible experience. I am so grateful to Jay, who asked me to come on simply because he was a fan of my work. Because he has a very genuine, voracious appetite to learn. When we eventually got to record, the experience itself was beautiful. He is the most gentle and thoughtful soul. As we spoke…

Read more

a year ago · 778 likes · 130 comments · Amie McNee

I now think of podcasts as an opportunity to have a great conversation with an interesting person and if listeners seek out my books, that’s a bonus.

Share

Would I self-publish again?

Yes! I’m actually working on the sequel to You Shouldn’t Have Done That and plan to self-publish it in 2027. Full transparency: I pitched this one to Inkubator Books, who put out both You Shouldn’t Have Done That and You’ll Be Sorry. The team there has done a fabulous job of getting these books into readers’ hands and onto their Kindles.

Unfortunately, they passed on my proposal, which wasn’t too surprising as they’d cautioned me they don’t really do psych thriller sequels and added that too much time had passed between book one and whenever I’d deliver book two. I was disappointed but I get it. After writing the pitch and outline to share with them, I became invested in this story and since I’ve self-published once, why not do it again?

I love the idea of assembling a team of people you trust—editors, cover designer, formatter, etc.—to help usher your book into the world. I’ve also loved having complete control over the cover, the title, and the pricing.

Before I go down this road again though, I’d love to gain more marketing insight. With that, I’m taking this course:

On September 5th-6th, Reedsy is bringing together the leading voices in the indie publishing world for How to Self-Publish a Bestseller in 2026, a two-day online conference that will walk you through each stage of the self-publishing process, and dig deep into the strategies that sell books.

Check out the full line-up here and use the code LIZ20 to save $20 on your ticket.2

Thank you to Reedsy for sharing this piece on how their novel writing course helped as I drafted You’ll Be Sorry.

Also, for the sake of transparency, I should add that I used the audiobook advance I received for Poison to fund self-publishing the ebook and paperback and all the marketing endeavors listed above. I’d been curious about indie publishing for years, especially after experiencing a series of disappointments with agents and more traditional publishing routes.

So, in a way, I felt like I was gambling with the house’s money, making the risk easier to absorb. I’m still in the black and routinely earn more in a month for this title than I do in a six-month period for most of my others, which has been good, bad, eye-opening? I’ll go with d) all of the above.

If you’d like to learn more about self-publishing, I’m teaching a 90-minute workshop on Friday, Sept. 19 at noon Eastern. Register here.

I may or may not be wearing this t-shirt:

Where I’ll Be:

Saturday, Aug. 29 from noon to 2 p.m.: My friends Liz Castle, Eva Lesko Natiello and I will be signing our latest novels at The Book House Long Branch.

I’m teaching two memoir workshops this fall:

• Beginning Memoir (Virtual): Thursdays, 7 to 9 p.m. Seven weeks beginning Sept. 10. Register here.

• Memoir Writers Circle: In-person at The Nature of Reading, Madison, NJ. Mondays, 7 to 9 p.m. Nine weeks beginning Sept. 28. Register here.​​

Saturday, Sept. 19, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.: I’ll be at Brooklyn Books & Booze Author Book Fair: Barrow’s Intense Tasting Room (86 34th Street, Brooklyn, NY) More information here.

Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Great Big Book Swap Liquid Church 299 Webro Rd, Parsippany, NJ.

Saturday, Oct. 3, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.: Chapters and Coffee Pompton Plains, NJ.

More to come!

Share

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi and welcome new subscribers! Thank you for being here and thank you to everyone who generously and kindly supported the launch of my latest suspense novel, You’ll Be Sorry. If you purchased a copy, read it, reviewed it, or are considering sending one to your thriller-loving cousin, please know how truly grateful I am.

The book’s been out for a week now. When anyone asks how it’s going, I say while it’s been fun and friends and reviewers (and even former Bachelorette Becca Kufrin who included it in an Instagram story among her August reads) have been beyond supportive, I think it’s time I took a brief break from promotion and talking about myself. (If you’ve ever wondered if it’s possible to give yourself the ick, as the young people say, the answer is yes!)

Instead, I’d love to talk about the incredibly talented writer, producer, and performer , who has not one but two one-woman shows coming up in September at The SoHo Playhouse.

Bailey and I met at & Elizabeth’s Must Love Memoir, a monthly New York City-based reading series. (If you’re nearby, you should definitely check it out!)

Originally from Memphis, Tennessee, Bailey shared a hilarious and heartfelt piece about moving to NYC for a job that wasn’t quite what she expected while looking to leave a relationship at the same time her beloved dad was dying.

I can confidently speak for everyone in the room that night when I say Bailey blew us away with her honesty, humor, and a delivery so pitch-perfect I wanted to ask if she’d be willing to read my essay for me while I watched from the audience.

Despite her very busy schedule, Bailey, a Moth StorySLAM winner and a (twice!) New York Times Recommended Pick, graciously agreed to answer my questions about her writing process and her upcoming shows. Thank you, Bailey! I’m in awe of your talent.

Do you mind sharing a bit about how you came to writing and performing?

I moved to New York to work in magazines (I majored in feature writing), but at the same time, I started taking improv and sketch classes at the UCB (Upright Citizens Brigade) and the PIT (Peoples Improv Theater). Over the last 15 years or so, I’ve worked as a corporate writer during the day, and have been a sketch comedy writer, a musical improv and cabaret performer, a storyteller, and a standup at night.

During the pandemic, I focused much more on writing essays (my Substack is The Bailey Mail), storytelling and solo work because well, there weren’t too many stages open at the time. Once things opened back up, I started my storytelling hour “We Love a Theme” at Pete’s Candy Store and that one project has brought about so many connections, including my friend Ricky Sim, who encouraged me to start thinking a little bigger about my work, eventually pushing me to join him at the Edinburgh Fringe (which we speak more about below). My Fringe experience really opened my eyes to what was possible and reignited my love for live theatre (I was a big-time drama nerd in high school and college).

Share

The world of comedy and performance has continued to expand for me and I think a lot of that has to do with getting to live in New York, surrounded by some of the most creative people and experiences in the world. I feel so lucky.

Speaking of performing in New York, congratulations on your shows at The SoHo Playhouse! Can you share the premise of each?

Thank you!

Gimme a Sign! is a love letter to my family and focuses on our collective grief and my own personal search for signs and direction from my dad’s ghost. It’s a very millennial, nostalgic, and heartfelt story about feeling completely lost and having no choice but to start listening to your own inner compass. This show is very personal and touches on some sad stuff, but is ultimately a fun ride down memory lane, exploring girlhood from middle school to mid-20s.

A Baby For Me? No Thank You, Please! was *born* from the conversations I continually found myself in—after I got married. It seemed that everyone in my life (or the most important people, at least) really felt that I should have kids. All the baby talk filled me with self-doubt. I mean, I’d been pretty sure my whole life that I didn’t want to be a parent, but what if I was wrong? Then, I was confronted with a very unique and slightly scary gynecological situation that made me face myself and my future with honesty and without fear. But it’s funny!

You took a show to the Edinburgh1 Fringe2, which is amazing! What was that experience like?

The Edinburgh Fringe is like summer camp for theatre kids who became comedians, clowns, storytellers, dramatists, acrobats, poets, and [insert any other type of performance artist here]. It is an intense, month-long opportunity to perform your work every single day for (mostly Scottish) strangers. You also get to see so many shows by artists from around the world at pretty much any hour of the day. I love the Fringe for all it has taught me about perseverance, tenacity, community, and artistry. I hate the Fringe for how expensive it is—the cost of renting your venue, housing, PR, posters and advertising, flyers… adds up quickly! That said, I’ve never eaten so cheap. Tesco Meal Deals are a lifesaver and make me feel like I’m in college again!

Subscribe now

How do you decide whether a piece is better suited to the page or the stage?

Ooh! Great question. I think you can turn almost any essay into a stage story (and I’m actually working on a curriculum to start teaching this skill!). What’s super helpful is that most of the storytelling shows in NYC have time limits (5, 7, 10 minutes). So once you have an essay you love, you can take it and decide what is worth sharing on stage and what looks better in writing. Since most of my work is comedic, I usually make sure the story arc and jokes are prominent for live performance, and in essays, I may go on longer about details and specifics.

Take us behind the scenes. What does the writing and rehearsing process look like?

My shows usually start as essays, which are then turned into 5-10 minute stage stories. Sometimes I see a narrative arc among my stories and that’s how I decide to take on a full solo show. I use screenwriting software (shoutout, Final Draft!) to write all my shows and I rehearse them the same way I would any play—by adding blocking, and some tech and media cues—with a director in my apartment, one-two times a week.

How do you go about getting a show into a festival or booking a run at a landmark institution like The SoHo Playhouse?

I’ve created a couple pitch decks, not unlike the ones you see at a corporate marketing job, and I use them to apply to festivals and venues around the country. I’m sure you and your readers are familiar with the uncomfortable process of pitching oneself. (This is Liz interjecting, Oh, yes, very familiar!)

That being said, SoHo Playhouse has been so wonderful to work with and it really is a dream realized to have my shows there next month.

Theater is so immediate. Does the work change and evolve depending on how the audience responds?

I’d love to say “Oh it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks,” but it absolutely does. In some ways, the audience is like a built-in writing partner. If a joke doesn’t work or get the reaction we need, then we scrap it and rewrite immediately.

Leave a comment

How do you balance honesty with protecting the privacy of the real people in your stories?

I do my best to maintain their privacy by changing names, identifying details, and locations. But with Gimme a Sign!, my dad isn’t here anymore and I sometimes wonder if he would be mad that I’m doing a whole show about him or if he’d love it. I choose to believe that he’d love it, especially because I tell everyone how young- and good-looking he was. (This is Liz again. I saw Gimme a Sign! and though I never met him, I believe Bailey’s dad would absolutely love it.)

Is there a scene or part you've performed dozens of times that still feels new or fresh every time?

The cool thing about performing your own writing is you can change it as much as you want. Even though my director Desmond and I have been working together on A Baby For Me? since December and already premiered it in April, we are still updating blocking, tech, and jokes because I think we both believe in constantly making things better and more up to date. That helps to make it feel fresh—and keep me on my toes.

How do you keep your energy up show after show?

I love to have something to look forward to afterwards, whether that is catching up with a friend who came to see it, or a mini trip, or taking the next day to decompress (hopefully near water) with my husband and dog. Also, caffeine.

You have such a great, natural delivery. Does that come to you easily or is it a skill you’ve honed over time? (In other words, is there hope for me if I keep practicing?)

Liz, your delivery is perfect. (Liz again: Aw, thank you!) Here is the trick (and it’s not a fun one): I force myself to make eye contact with the audience, which makes the show feel much more like a conversation than a performance. They probably hate it, but I don’t care!

What’s the most memorable reaction you’ve ever received after a performance?

One of the stories in Gimme a Sign! is about the guilt I felt after my grandmother’s funeral. I was a teen and was annoyed that I was missing the school play, instead of actively grieving my family member. I shared this story at a ghost-themed storytelling salon and a medium came up to me afterward and told me my grandmother was in the room with us the whole night. Spooky-ooky!

What’s next for you?

After performing Gimme a Sign! and A Baby For Me? at SoHo Playhouse, I’m taking A Baby For Me? to Los Angeles and Chicago. I’m also adapting Gimme a Sign! into a memoir of essays.

This year, I’ve started offering solo show consulting and story coaching for any folks who think this may be interested in taking their writing onstage. DM me on Instagram @heybailay for more details!

Leave a comment

Thank you again, Bailey, you are an inspiration and I can’t wait to see you on Sept. 19!

For tickets to Bailey’s upcoming shows, visit sohoplayhouse.com and TDF! For tickets in L.A., click here and Chicago here.

What’s next for me? ​​

My friends Liz Castle, and I will be signing our latest novels at The Book House Long Branch Saturday, Aug. 29 from noon to 2 p.m.

​I’m teaching two memoir workshops this fall: Beginning Memoir (Virtual): Thursdays, 7 to 9 p.m. Seven weeks beginning Sept. 10. Register here.

Memoir Writers Circle: In-person at The Nature of Reading, Madison, NJ. Mondays, 7 to 9 p.m. Nine weeks beginning Sept. 28. Register here.

I’ll write my promised follow-up about my BookBub deal and share everything that has and hasn’t worked since self-publishing A Different Type of Poison in my next newsletter!

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading! And if you’re going to see Bailey on Sept. 19, please say hi to both of us!

Hi Everyone! Welcome new subscribers! Hope you’ve been well. I’ve been better. Everything is fine, except for my teeth, apparently. Who knew?

I had a lovely dentist, known around certain parts of New Jersey as “the gentle dentist,” and things were going great for me from an oral hygiene standpoint — or so I thought — until he left our insurance plan.

While looking for a new provider, I continued brushing several times a day and using those floss sticks that seem to end up littering parking lots from Bar Harbor to Baton Rouge. (I wasn’t using those exact sticks but you know what I mean.) Anytime my sink basin has less blood than the opening of Saving Private Ryan, I assume my gums are all good.

Oh, how wrong I was. Still, I went into my recent appointment without an ounce of trepidation.

Subscribe now

As soon as I arrived, I was told I needed a full set of x-rays — not just those awful bitewings that make you feel like someone shoved a busted-up Amazon box between your molars, but a full scan. A scan I can only describe as a mammogram for the face (complete with the whole “stop breathing” mandate). It was a real Hannibal Lecter situation:

After making small talk about the Fourth of July, my new dentist asked, “Anything else we should know?”

Not wanting to keep secrets so early in our relationship, I mentioned that about a year ago I’d gotten a night guard for grinding and clenching and it seemed to be working.

He perked right up. “We can get you some Botox. You’ll probably need more than one injection and you’ll have to come back every three months but that’ll definitely help.”

As cartoon dollar signs flashed in his eyes, I thought, “But, wait, I just said the night guard was working…” Maybe he couldn’t understand me with his gloved fingers stuffed in my mouth?

He became even more excited when he saw that I still have two wisdom teeth.

“Let’s take those out!” He all but winked. “And then, once they’re gone, we can talk about getting you braces to address some of this crowding. You’ve heard of Invisalign?”

Now let’s stop right there. I already had braces — in my teens. (Spoiler: it sucked.) At the insistence of my orthodontist (who had a veritable fleet of Porsches now that I reflect on it), I had four teeth pulled before getting that hideous hardware.

If I’m going back to braces, I also want to return to the days of few responsibilities and unlined skin, to afternoons spent reading or watching Brady Bunch until my mom calls me down to dinner. I want a princess phone and Squeeze on my turntable.

“You’ve also got two cracked teeth!” the dentist continued with glee. “You’ll need some crowns!”

“And a home equity loan or a lottery win,” I murmured, my breath reeking of latex and shame.

Share

For the sake of brevity, I’ll do a quick recap of the rest of this appointment.

I was hustled into the next room for a routine cleaning only to be told I needed a “deep cleaning,” one that would involve numbing and scraping and multiple follow-up appointments.

“You will now be regarded as one of my ‘periodontal patients!’” the dentist exclaimed with delight while the hygienist whispered, “Noooooo.”

I bit my tongue with my one good tooth not to say, “I’ve had a ‘geriatric pregnancy,’ sir. Your labels don’t scare me.”

“We’ll be seeing a lot more of each other!” he added, pirouetting out the door, no doubt to contact his luxury yacht broker.

Now I’m not saying I don’t need some or all of these treatments, but that’s a lot to absorb within fifteen minutes. I also think I could’ve handled this news if it hadn’t been delivered with so much unbridled joy or if I hadn’t been treated like a Skittle-popping degenerate.

I told them I’d need to process all this, by which I meant You’ll never see me again.

Before I fled the office, the dentist tried to convince me to at least get these wisdom teeth removed. When I told him I didn’t have a great experience last time — code for “I had a dry socket and was two Percocet away from murdering an oral surgeon,” — I watched him visibly deflate like he was a bouncy castle and someone had just pulled his plug.

Reluctantly unlatching my bib, the hygienist urged me to buy a $250 electric toothbrush. I think she’d have tried to sell me the chair and flat screen TV if I’d stayed a minute longer. I’ve attended timeshare presentations where the sales pitch was less intense.

I went home upset — really upset. I’m no stranger to traumatizing appointments and still I couldn’t get the bad taste of this visit out of my mouth. Why?

Okay, here’s where I’m going to attempt to tie this back to writing. Let me know if I land this plane.

Leave a comment

Often when I teach a workshop, I tell students not to be put off if they don’t have an ending in mind or their essay doesn’t have a clear message or theme yet.

“Just write and see where the words take you,” I advise and then to boost my credibility, I lean on Joan Didion’s famous quote: “I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”

Preach, Joan. I realized as I was composing this in my mind that it wasn’t about my teeth per se, though I suppose the days of me gnawing on railroad ties for kicks are long gone. It was about so much more, like the fact that:

• I’m starting more sentences with the phrase, “As I was just telling my foot doctor…” or “I’d love to but I have physical therapy then…”

• My oldest son got a job and moved hours away and I’m happy for him but still it’s strange…

• My middle son, who turned 21 last week, loves to tell me I need to stop referring to myself as middle-aged unless I plan to live to 110 (which I do if only to spite him and live in his basement).

• My youngest son, 19, told me he’s over me kissing him goodnight.

• I’m fighting a condition I refer to as the marshmallowing of all my limbs. They might look firm from a distance but touch them and they’re squishier than a NeeDoh (which I just learned about from my nephew). As I type this, I can feel my Instagram feed recalibrating, replacing comedians and cat videos with strength training ads.

• I can no longer read without glasses but because they’re progressive lenses I can’t wear them while descending a staircase without giving myself vertigo.

• My mom has been in and out of the hospital, yet despite repeated warnings about high cholesterol and clogged arteries, she keeps inviting me to Burger King.

This dental visit was merely the catalyst that set the David Byrne lyric “Well… how did I get here?” looping through my mind.

Yes, I have a ton to be grateful for and I am but it can also feel like a lot.

Bottom line, I’ll be looking for a new dental care provider and expect a dentist to meet a terrible fate in an upcoming novel.

Thank you for listening!

Speaking of teeth, I recently finished reading Just One Bite by Miranda Rijks, which is a deliciously twisty tale that follows celebrity chef Brittany Cole, who has perhaps bitten off a bit more than she can chew as she juggles her popular TV series, parenting her adorable daughter, and taking on a barn renovation that will serve as her new studio. Brittany‘s popularity comes at a price when fake videos begin surfacing that suggest she’s a terrible parent…and perhaps a murderer. This thriller will make you reconsider how much you share online and leave you glad to remain out of the spotlight.

Miranda’s books always make me anxious in the best way and keep me guessing right up to the very end. The ebook of her hit I Want You Gone is free from now through July 25.

Where I’ll Be:

If you’ve ever wanted to attend a book festival from your couch, here’s your chance! On July 25, I’m participating in The Phictly Global Digital Book Festival, an all-digital event where attendees meet authors face-to-face in live private video sessions, and discover new books all from your phone. Join us if you’d like!

I have a few events coming up in September and October in support of my latest, You’ll Be Sorry. Stay tuned!

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone! Welcome New Subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here. I hope everyone’s summer is off to a great start.

I have some news: The suspense novel I worked on in France (and then for months after) will come out in August. I’m excited but admittedly confused.

The entire time I drafted and revised it—and even through final edits—it was called Still With Me, which comes from a line in the book and refers to relationships that linger long after they’ve ended.

Side note: I love when you find a book’s title in the prose. I remember when I read A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates (a chilling novel I always recommend) and spotted the title in one of the last chapters, I closed the book, whispered, “Masterful,” and then continued to the final page.

For much of the time I was drafting A Different Type of Poison, it was title-less. Then one night my oldest son and I were either watching Jeopardy! or talking about how to off one of the neighbors (Joking! Just seeing who’s still reading!) and he said, “That’s a different type of poison,” and I was like, “Damn, that’s my title!” So I wrote a line into the book so that sentence would have meaning. Backward, I know, but since I self-published that novel, I had the freedom to shoehorn it in and call the book whatever I wanted. If I’d gone a more traditional route, I’m certain the title would’ve been changed to The Book Club or A Dangerous Invitation. (And who knows, maybe those would’ve appealed to a broader audience?! Too late now!)

Fast forward to a few weeks ago and I learned that Still With Me was changing to You’ll Be Sorry. This is what I looked like when I found out:

It was a shock because a) I thought if a change were to be made I’d have known about it earlier and b) I was deeply committed to Still With Me, which I was told was “too vague and literary.” (Another side note: It bothers when “literary” and “commercial” are used as quasi-insults and pitted against each other.)

Anyway … I’ve been having trouble remembering this new title. It’s not that I dislike it, I’m just not used to it. I joke that it’s like if my husband, Rich, one day said, “Call me ‘Bob!’” It’s going to take some time.

When sharing this update with friends, I said I felt as if I’d gone to the hospital intending to name my baby after a beloved grandparent only to discover my OB/GYN had chosen an entirely new name and completed the birth certificate while I was busy begging for hemorrhoid cream.

Often when I visit with book clubs, members will ask, “How much say do you have in the title and cover?” And the answer—unless you’re self-publishing—is “Not much.” At least in my case. Authors, feel free to weigh in!

One consolation? I’m in good company. Not only did this just happen to a friend who has a thriller coming out next spring, but also I saw Liane Moriarty share that her bestselling Big Little Lies had several different titles before her editor changed it.

I met a woman at a writing retreat several years ago whose acclaimed novel had been translated in a half-dozen languages. She had zero input on any of the covers, she told us.

You’ll Be Sorry will come out in August with Inkubator Books. The team did a wonderful job getting You Shouldn’t Have Done That into readers’ hands and onto their Kindles, so as George Michael would implore me, I gotta have faith.

I’m excited that Simon Maverick, who put out A Different Type of Poison’s audiobook secured top-notch narrators—Christine Lakin (loved her work bringing the Flynn family to life in Lost Lambs) & Stacy Carolan (fantastic as the dad trying to keep his family together in Culpability) for You’ll Be Sorry.

So without further ado, the cover:

Here’s the premise:

On the eve of her fortieth birthday, Amelia Montgomery flips through a magazine and freezes at the sight of a familiar face—Ethan Blackmore, the man who shattered her heart more than a decade ago.

What should’ve been her happily-ever-after took a devastating turn that spiraled into the darkest period of Amelia’s life. Blindsided and betrayed, she spent years reinventing herself, building a thriving business, and vowing never to look back.

Until now.

Seeing him again reminds Amelia of the shame and humiliation she endured at the hands of her ex and his family. And Ethan? He’s clearly moved on—new wife, new career, new life—without a thought for the wreckage he left behind.

But Amelia is a different woman now—strong, successful, and resourceful. And she knows exactly what she wants for her birthday: Revenge.

Subscribe now

If you’ve ever had a partner’s family meddle in your relationship, this one’s for you!

Thank you to everyone who purchased a copy of A Different Type of Poison or shared the link during my BookBub deal price drop. The ebook is available for 99 cents through July 2. I’ll recap how this promotion (and others) worked out in my August newsletter. Stay tuned!

Where I’ll Be:

Take a class with me this summer:

​Beginning Memoir Workshop

In Person - The Nature of Reading, Madison, NJ

Six weeks beginning July 6

Register here.​

For teens: LOL 101:

Comedy Camp with Liz Alterman

Summer Intensive at Drew University

Register here.

I’m not only teaching classes, I’m taking one. As I mentioned in previous newsletters, editing early pages of You’ll Be Sorry really threw me as I ended up shifting chapters one, two, and three around like I was playing my own personal shell game.

So when Reedsy invited me to take the editing course below, I jumped at the chance. I enjoyed Reedsy’s How to Write a Novel course last spring. Instructor Tom Bromley was the first to (rightly!) point out in a live editing session that maybe my chapter one wasn’t working. If you could also use a little help in the editing area, read on:

On July 19th, Reedsy is presenting a ‘Layer by Layer: How to Edit Your Book’ virtual conference with presentations and live Q&As by seasoned editors from Big 5 publishers. The conference will cover topics such as: the different types of editing and why each one matters; how to self-edit effectively before working with a professional; practical advice for refining your writing in multiple stages; how to get the most out of working with an editor.

Through presentations and Q&As with seasoned editors from Big 5 publishers, you will learn how to move from a rough first draft to a polished manuscript, one layer at a time. At the end of the day, you’ll leave with practical tools and a clearer plan for making your book shine.

Sounds good to me! Register here.1 Use the discount code LIZALTERMAN to save $10 on enrollment.

On July 25, I’m participating in The Phictly Global Digital Book Festival, a global, all-digital event where attendees meet authors face-to-face in live private video sessions, and discover new books all from your phone. Join us if you’d like!

Leave a comment

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone, I hope you had a great weekend!

I’m excited to share a guest post from author and book coach , who co-writes the always enlightening .

Andromeda’s new thriller, What Boys Learn, is a Kindle Daily Deal today, June 2! If you haven’t read this one yet, here’s your chance.

In the following essay, Andromeda shares how she examines injustices and frustrations and weaves them into page-turning stories that illuminate the dark corners of human nature. Take it away, Andromeda!

Never write a book in order to get revenge is a warning often given to memoirists. Sounds reasonable, right?

But sometimes that advice goes further, asking writers of all kinds to work from a place of expansive joy. Sometimes, that’s possible. And sometimes—hello, 2020s America!—that’s not.

As a book coach and author who gripes with fellow authors, I can’t tell you how many people have said to me, “I can’t write these days. The news / uncertainty / my family life / some simmering conflict or chronic frustration is preventing me from creating.”

I have a secret to share with you: negative emotions can be the sand in the oyster that creates the pearl. Especially when that original adverse emotion co-exists with a nurturing environment and a willingness to move from negativity toward discovery.

Let’s talk about the irritation phase, first. It needn’t be rushed!

Years ago, I was at a party where I cornered a friend in order to rant about certain creative nonfiction writers who fabricated the truth to an outrageous extent—including a person who’d written magazine articles pretending to be journalism (they weren’t) and an anthology on writing (spreading the gospel of his unethical, self-serving ways).

Spleen vented, I was ready to listen to my friend, a psychology textbook editor, as she told me about the proverbial splinter in her own side. She was editing textbook passages about John Watson, father of Behaviorism, a well-meaning pioneer who performed experiments on babies, making them hang from iron bars and dunking them in water, and much worse, scaring them in ways that could become lifelong phobias. The most famous experiment involving using a rat to scare a baby named Albert. (Nice!)

My friend mentioned that Watson had a young woman assistant: Rosalie Rayner, newly graduated from Vassar. (Rosalie would soon begin an affair with her mentor and their 1920s scandal would end up making big city headlines, wrecking Rosalie’s career forever, but not John’s. Men!)

I wasn’t surprised that a man would be so careless about infant welfare. But a woman?

I left the party wondering, What was Rosalie thinking? Did she have a problem with the early experiments? How about the later ones, in which she and John attempted to frighten their own children? Does anyone really know, given that she died mysteriously, in her early 30s, and her husband burned all her papers?

Share

I’ve never gone from seed to story-seedling faster. I went home, started googling, and knew before midnight that my next historical novel would be about the unknown woman behind the famous man—and their strange and extremely powerful legacy. That novel, Behave, was an Indie Next and Amazon pick; even though it’s fiction, it has been taught in university psych courses as a companion text to explain behaviorism.

(Liz interjecting here: How cool is that?)

Many times since, I’ve been struck by some irritation or indignation that just wouldn’t quit until I shaped it into a story. That in itself is often the signal I pay attention to: that I just can’t stop thinking about something, whether it’s an injustice, or an esoteric footnote, or a disturbing firsthand experience.

Subscribe now

Over the years, I witnessed cruel behavior in writing workshops, but it never occurred to me that could be the basis of a novel until I had a particularly strange experience watching vulnerable writers being singled out for emotional manipulation. I transformed that experience into my first suspense novel, called The Deepest Lake. Memoir workshops are harsh! I’m glad I didn’t choose to vent about the topic in a small academic essay. Instead, I fashioned it into a mystery plot, my first. As a Barnes and Noble Monthly Pick, it sold better in paperback than any book I’ve ever written.

(Liz here again: I flew through this novel, which definitely inspired me to do a lot more due diligence before booking writing retreats!)

Two years later, I was worrying about boys in our society. In this case, I wasn’t angry, I was worried. After writing a mother-daughter thriller, I tried to brainstorm a mother-son plot, but my brain refused to supply a compelling storyline in which the boy was the victim. I could only think of the boy as a potential suspect. Why? Not because boys are the only ones who do bad things. Not because boys aren’t victims as much as offenders. Only because it feels like boys—and men—are especially lost right now. They’re vulnerable to toxic influences, from online influencers (the obvious idiots) to the antifeminist blather of successful men (the not-so-obvious idiots).

The experience of writing that book led me even deeper into anxiety, as I learned about influencers, psychopathology, and the difficulty of diagnosing children who show no remorse. But it also led me out of anxiety, as I developed the character of a teenager and allowed myself to understand him and his mother. The result was my second mystery/thriller, What Boys Learn, available in hardcover and as a Kindle Daily Deal today. Lowest price it will ever be! (Shameless plug.)

Telling It Slant—and Letting Emotions Change

Often, it’s possible to take a negative emotion or situation and, as Emily Dickinson would say, “tell it slant.” In fact, “slant” is often better.

After 9/11, I was immediately skeptical about mindless patriotism and war-mongering, so I wrote a book about a cellist navigating his way through fascist times in Spain. I had no interest in writing about the Bush era. But if I could look at war and propaganda in another time and place, allowing historical fiction to be a mirror? Possibly. That book became my debut novel, The Spanish Bow.

In the end, my debut novel wasn’t only about politics. It was about something beautiful—classical music—and how art and artists can be used and corrupted by politics. The irritation made the pearl, and that pearl or pearls (cello music! European landscapes! Spanish food and architecture!) were something so pleasurable to write about that it allowed me to move from a place of worry and anger to a place of awe.

Leave a comment

That, I think, is something worth striving for, even while you allow yourself some time to fret, sulk, or rage. Use the bad stuff, but make space for the good. I don’t mean anything sentimental. I certainly don’t mean morals or prescriptions for the reader. I didn’t propose any solution to the Spanish Civil War, or to bad science, or to toxic masculinity. But I did follow my characters’ arcs toward beautiful, optimistic, or at least meaningful moments. It’s what we writers do, both for ourselves and for our readers. We search for patterns. We seek catharsis and resolution. We develop and foster empathy—even for dictators and early behaviorists!

I could talk about my irritations all day (thanks, Liz!), but I want to leave you with time to think about your own. If you’re a writer, what’s bothering you about the world? What injustice or anxiety just won’t go away? Would it help to take it out of your head and put it into the head and life of a character? Can you give him or her the freedom to proceed organically from there, perhaps even leading you away from your funk or frustration?

We live in troubled times. You’ve got lots of oysters and even more sand at your disposal. Good luck!

Liz here one last time: Thank you so much, Andromeda! I completely agree with finding inspiration amid frustration. In fact, I worked through a lot of my publishing-related dissatisfaction in my last novel, A Different Type of Poison and it was cathartic—not to mention fun! I can’t wait to see where you shine a light next!

Andromeda Romano-Lax is a book coach and the author of the mystery novel, What Boys Learn, a Kindle Daily Deal on sale today, plus six other novels and a travel memoir. Subscribe to her Substack for free.

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thanks for reading!

Hi Everyone & Welcome New Subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here!

It’s been six months since I self-published my suspense novel A Different Type of Poison. I know I’ve been promising to write about the pros and cons of this endeavor and I plan to do that later this summer. I’ve somehow secured a BookBub featured deal (thank you, benevolent promotion gods!) for late June so I’d like to see how it plays out and then include my findings in that newsletter.

For those who don’t know, a BookBub featured deal is regarded by some as a magic bullet that all but guarantees oodles of sales. In the thriller category, BookBub sends a daily newsletter featuring your ebook (and those of other lucky deal recipients) to more than 2 million subscribers (which is why it costs $944 and why we’ll be eating Ellio’s pizza until Thanksgiving, kids, if you’re reading this!). You drop your ebook’s price to 99 cents or $1.99 in the hope that tens of thousands of readers will make a purchase at this low, low rate.

Publishers have gotten BookBub deals for me in the past for The Perfect Neighborhood & The House on Cold Creek Lane and we’ve seen a big bump in sales, so I’m crossing my fingers that happens again.

Subscribe now

So check back in August when I’ll share how this “deal” pans out along with the scoop on other marketing initiatives I’ve tried.

For now I’d like to address one of the unexpected things—perhaps “conditions” is more accurate—I’ve experienced since putting out this book myself.

In January, I mentioned that I’d become addicted to checking the KDP dashboard, where I can view book sales (or lack of them) in almost real time. Well, that’s still got me in its soul-crushing clutches. But now there’s another thing I can’t seem to curtail: obsessing about self-promotion.

Here’s how this new affliction began:

In October, as I was exploring marketing and advertising options, I had a call with a Meta ads expert who said, “If you’re not on TikTok talking about your books, you’re wasting a free opportunity to connect with readers.”

Oof.

“But my kids told me TikTok was filled with half-naked people dancing,” I fought the urge to say, but, of course, I knew there had to be more to the platform than that. My boys just didn’t want me on there, picking up their slang and blowing their meager inheritance on faux linen overalls and hard-to-pronounce eye creams purchased from the TikTok shop.

Leave a comment

Still, I committed to trying it (albeit cluelessly and awkwardly) and before long I met several incredible readers (Hi, Marla!) who’ve been beyond supportive—like purchased-my-entire-backlist supportive, like shared-and-reposted-my-videos supportive, like sent-me-custom-coffee-mugs supportive. We’ve become friends and now I kick myself for not embracing TikTok sooner, even as my middle son tells me, “Your videos are showing up in my friends’ feeds and it’s so cringe.” (Thanks for that feedback, baby. Now please remind them to like and share!”)

With so much awful news bombarding us on the internet, connecting with kind people who are willing to take a chance on my writing is so uplifting and generous, it restores my faith.

That said, there is a downside to hurling yourself into the self-promotion flywheel: you need to keep coming up with content.

And so now anytime I leave the house, I see things through this weird “Is this something that could win me a dozen likes?” lens.

I might be out for a walk with my children and I’ll say, “Hey, can you slow down? I need to take a picture of this goose.”

“Um, why!?” they demand.

When I reveal that after I capture this shot, I’ll spend (i.e. waste) countless hours scouring the internet for a pithy yet inspiring quote from a non-problematic poet to post beside the aforementioned goose and share it with a goal of “going viral,” one of my boys will say, “Seriously, Mom, you’re scaring us,” and I’m like, “I’m scared too, son, now help me find this goose’s best angle.”

Share Liz’s Newsletter

No matter how you publish, much of the marketing and promotion will fall to you. But when it’s all on you, it’s tough to silence the steady drumbeat that thumps: Post! Post! Post!

And I’ll be the first to admit it, it feels strange and unfamiliar. On one hand, it’s a challenge. What can I come up with today? On the other, I wonder: Is it working and am I merely hiding from my writing? And should I have gone with that goose photo up top instead of the duck!? Wait, don’t tell me.1

I recently attended a webinar (fully clothed) where someone likened social media (and self-promotion in general) to buying lottery tickets. Is this the one that will change everything for you? Who knows? You gotta be in it to win it! And meeting my pal, Marla, and other lovely readers, has been that win for me.

I love hearing about what others do and where they draw the line. In this Craft Talks episode, author Jo Piazza shared that her husband put a wrap on her car to advertise her book. That’s next level!

If you’re putting yourself out there, I’d love to hear what’s working for you and if you also find yourself photographing wildlife while whispering, “This is all going to pay off someday!”

Leave a comment

Where I’ll Be:

Selling & signing books at this Community Book Fair on Friday, June 12 from 5 to 9 p.m.

Take a class with me this summer:

​Beginning Memoir Workshop

In Person - The Nature of Reading, Madison, NJ

Six weeks beginning July 6

Register here.​

For teens: LOL 101:

Comedy Camp with Liz Alterman

Summer Intensive at Drew University.

Register here.

In other news:

If you’ve been hoping to read A Different Type of Poison for free, you can now request it through your local library on Libby and Hoopla. Here is the ISBN you’ll need: 979–899924704 - it’s also available on audio.

If you choose it for a book club, I would love to pop in virtually—or in person if you’re near Morris County, NJ! Thank you so much for your continued support. It means the world to me!

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

1

Hi Everyone & Welcome New Subscribers. Thanks for joining me!

Last week I had lunch with a dear friend who shares an April birthday. (Hello, Susannah!) It had been a few months since we’d seen each other and she asked what’s new with my writing. I told her my next suspense novel, Still With Me, comes out July 21. (Stay tuned for the cover reveal and lots more on this one soon!)

Like the great friend she is, she rubbed her palms together as if she couldn’t wait to get her hands on it …

Or maybe she was just brushing off focaccia crumbs … anyway, I could’ve (should’ve) stopped there.

Instead, I babbled about how excited I was to send off this manuscript to the publisher—not only because I had a lot of fun writing this story but also because I’d spent far too long wrestling chapters into the best sequence—right up until the last rounds of edits.

Here’s how it went down:

Last spring/summer I took a novel writing course with Reedsy 1 and the instructor confirmed my fears that chapters one and two were in the wrong order. I switched them, but, upon further review and much editing, moved them back.

Subscribe now

Then I went to France for a writing residency and told myself to stop overthinking the opening and just write forward. During our workshops, I shared chapters one and two. My fellow writers agreed with the Reedsy instructor and suggested these chapters should appear in opposite order. As I mentioned in last month’s newsletter, when I get the same feedback from multiple sources, I try to take it to heart. So I swapped and reworked them, giving my already troubled main character whiplash.

In January, I took a revision class and the instructor said maybe chapter two could come later … my peers agreed. I told them I’d consider it … after I spent some time screaming and sobbing inside my minivan.

Though I mulled it, ultimately, I didn’t make the change—not after so much back and forth had already occurred and so many piles of Trader Joe’s School House cookies had been consumed in fear and frustration.

In late March, I sent the manuscript to my editor at Inkubator (the publisher that released You Shouldn’t Have Done That). She asked, “Is chapter two necessary?”

As I shared my story’s backstory with my friend, I noticed a shift from the aforementioned enthusiasm to this:

And I realized that while this level of detail is the kind of thing writers could talk about all damn day, maybe readers don’t need or want to know how a book comes together.

There’s this push for authors to be real and authentic and yet (cue the Carrie Bradshaw voiceover) I couldn’t help but wonder if sharing this left my friend thinking I’ll be handing her 85,000 words of gibberish in July.

Not too long ago, wrote about this trend among bestselling authors who post carousels of their messy homes and painstaking processes, complete with huge chunks of text about all they had to overcome to bring their books into the world.

Extreme stuff like: “If I lost all my fingers and toes, I’d have typed this one with my nose because that is how much I love this novel and you will too!” Meanwhile they’re standing in a living room that looks more disheveled and chaotic than a Chuck E. Cheese at closing time. (Think half-eaten pizza littering every surface.)

The first time you see it, you think, Hmm, interesting. The nineteenth, you whisper, Who’s making you do this?!

All of it has me questioning: How much is too much? At what point do you tip from professional to martyr/maniac?

Leave a comment

Speaking of Andromeda, who co-writes the wonderful , she’ll be teaching with Allison K. Williams and agent Jessica Berg on the Queen Mary 2, a true Writing+Publishing journey in high style, September 5-12. A “Literary London” add-on tour is also available.

If I hadn’t gone to France last fall, I’d pack my bags for this one!

Where I’ll Be:

Friday, May 1 (Tonight!) from 7 to 9 p.m. The Mom Coms will be at The Vintage Tea in Staten Island, NY​​. To stay up to date with other events, subscribe to The Mom Coms Substack and stay tuned for the podcast!

Book recommendations

Just released:

Catherine Mack’s This Weekend Doesn’t End Well for Anyone: The third in the witty and captivating series following bestselling author Eleanor Dash, who once again has to swap her sun hat for her detective hat, when a body is found at a murder mystery writing conference in the Bahamas.

This gave me a thrill: Catherine asked me to read an early copy, and now my blurb appears beside M.K. Oliver’s! Oliver wrote the deliciously snarky A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage which I recommended in a previous newsletter.

Matt Witten’s 51%: In a future where corporations own everything—including people—one murder could ignite a revolution.

Two dear friends have books up on Netgalley 2 today:

’s: The Dog Sitter: Perfect for readers who love the humor and heart of The Guncle and the emotionally layered storytelling of The Wedding People.

Liz Castle’s Hot Lips: An up-and-coming singer/songwriter and a young photographer taking the art world by storm must learn to put their past and pride aside to pursue the ultimate encore: another chance at love.

In April, I listened to Saoirse by Charleen Hurtubise. The narrator is fantastic. I’d love to talk about the structure and the ending with anyone who’s read it. Much like Bad Sisters, it made me desperately want to visit Ireland.

I also want to share that The Little Book Nook, which generously supported me by purchasing three signed copies of Claire Casey’s Had Enough, will celebrate its Grand Opening on May 9— just in time for Mother’s Day! If you’re in NJ, please check this out!

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone & Welcome New Subscribers. Thanks for being here!

I’m back from the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop where I had the chance to see many funny friends whose work I admire: , , , and to name a few. I also loved hearing people tell me how much they learned from my pal ’s presentations, giving me a chance to gush, “I love Eva too! We live near each other. Did you know she has a new book coming out!?!”

I wasn’t selected for the stand-up comedy evening, which worked out well since I had laryngitis that refused to go away. (I think the universe is telling me to talk less, listen more. Noted!)

In addition to many other wonderful sessions, I attended the Comedy Bootcamp led by legendary comic Carole Montgomery, the powerhouse behind Funny Women of a Certain Age. If you haven’t watched these specials, I highly recommend them.

I also learned a ton from Dena Blizzard and Missy Hall’s Speak Like an Artist: The Funny Business of Comedy Writing.

The insights Carole, Dena, and Missy shared transcend humor writing and can be applied to any genre, which worked out well because before I left town, I got my edits back for my next suspense manuscript. (More on that next month, I hope!)

My editor, whom I adore, offered some thoughts that echoed feedback I received in my revision class. I firmly believe if you get the same note more than once, heed it.

Often when I’ve received edits in the past, I’ve bristled and needed to sit and let them sink in before diving back into the manuscript. But this time it felt a lot easier and I realized that I have stand-up comedy to thank for this shift. Here’s how it’s helped me:

The audience doesn’t know what you’ve left out.

In comedy, we often hear: Less is more. Get to the punchline faster. Go on too long and you risk losing ‘em.

All true.

When it comes to writing advice, we’re painfully familiar with the phrase Kill your darlings, meaning you need to remove beloved pieces that don’t serve the story.

This can be a tough one, like do I really have to get rid of that subtle jab at the music of Kenny G?

Yes, probably.

But here’s the good news: the audience won’t miss what you’ve cut because they don’t know it existed in the first place. In fact, they’ll appreciate that you’re not wasting their time. Pacing is key so don’t be afraid to be ruthless when it comes to hitting the delete button.

Dena and Missy had us pitch our books to one another repeatedly, shortening the amount of time we had to deliver the hook by asking ourselves: “Is this necessary? Do I need it?”

Try it!

In that spirit, I’m challenging myself to write tighter and determined to keep this newsletter 26% shorter than the last one!1

Make your sentences work as hard as they can for you.

The hilarious Liz Glazer recommended Finding Your Comic Genius: An in-depth guide to the art of stand-up comedy by Adam Bloom, which digs into setting up a sentence and explores how the placement of words changes the impact—either winning you a laugh or blowing it.

Whether I’m writing a joke or revising a manuscript, I’m studying every sentence now with this advice in mind.

If you’re not having fun, the audience can feel it.

When I took my first stand-up class, the instructor Chip, who currently runs The Basement (if you’re near Bergenfield, NJ take his class or catch a show), would tell us, “Just have fun up there!”

This seems like a tall order when you’re simply trying not to pass out from nerves, but I get it. When you watch someone who’s anxious, you absorb it, and instead of listening to their material, you’re actively rooting for them not to cry or collapse. Longtime newsletter readers may recall this sad comic my family saw on a cruise ship. Instead of laughing at his set, I wanted to buy him a beer or maybe see if there was a therapist on board.

When I’m revising, if a paragraph feels flat or dull, I rework it until it becomes interesting. If that’s not possible, I cut it.

There’s no substitute for practice.

I also think that part of the reason this revision seems easier is because this is my eighth book. I’ve had plenty of experience lobbing off paragraphs, patching plot holes, and tightening dialogue over the years. I think I’m less precious about it.

Last month, I had the opportunity to open for Dena, Leighann Lord, and Veronica Mosey as part of Ladies of Laughter. In the days leading up to it, I practiced in the car, in the shower, and in the kitchen, talking into my phone to time myself and, again, cut and tighten. I repeated it to the point that if they could speak, my cats could do my act. (And wouldn’t that be a money-maker?)

As comic Becky Veduccio shared in her Q&A: “Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.” So I did and I know it helped.

What also got me through was the kindness and generosity of my fellow performers. Another good thing? The theater lights only illuminated the first two rows. So if someone was scowling in row three or beyond, I couldn’t see them. Phew!

Subscribe now

Speaking of Comedy & Writing…

On April 10 (TODAY!) from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne, and I will be at The Book House in Millburn, NJ talking about writing, comedy and improv, and celebrating the launch of their latest, The Midnight Show. If you’re hoping to catch these two on tour but can’t make it, check out the rest of their schedule.

Friday, May 1 from 7 to 9 p.m. The MomComs will be at The Vintage Tea in Staten Island, NY​​. To stay up-to-date with other MomComs events, subscribe to the Substack.

Leave a comment

Audiobooks I’ve Enjoyed:

On the way to and from Erma, I had lots of time to listen to audiobooks in the car. Here’s what kept me company:

M.K. Oliver’s deliciously snarky A Sociopath’s Guide to a Successful Marriage made the nine-hour drive to Ohio fly by. If you enjoyed Bella Mackie’s How to Kill Your Family, pick this up and let me know what you think.

On the way home, I listened to a few hours of Good Writing: 36 Ways to Improve Your Sentences by Neal Allen and Anne Lamott. Insightful and charming, this one’s read by the married couple and includes little glimpses into their relationship. If you love craft books or are a Bird by Bird fan, I think you’ll like it. I’ll pick it up again soon but I think I’d hit a wall with writing advice so I shifted to Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash, which is quirky and delightful. Christine Lakin is doing a fabulous job bringing the wacky Flynn family to life. I’d seen it compared to Big Swiss, which I also found engaging and unique.

If there’s the potential to laugh out loud, as I have with all of these, I’m in!

Share

Time for my obligatory cat photos:

As always, thank you for reading! Happy reading & writing!

Hi Everyone & Welcome New Subscribers. Thank you for joining me!

We’ve made it to spring, and with that, two of my writing workshops (the very things getting me through winter) have come to an end. I’ll miss them both.

I want to talk about workshops because I’ve been experiencing that Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon, also known as Frequency Illusion. If you’re not familiar with this, it’s described as a cognitive bias in which you become aware of something — a word, phrase, concept, etc. — and then begin to notice it everywhere.

Here’s what keeps popping up for me: Maybe there’s not a single perfect way to run a workshop, but we can all agree attendees hopefully come away excited to write—or at least not tempted to hurl their laptops into a roaring fire.

I’ve been on both sides. I took a creative writing workshop in college and while the teacher was great and some of my classmates’ work made me say, “Wow,” we also had a few people whose sole feedback went like this: “I’d put a paragraph break here,” or a “Yeah, I didn’t get what you were going for.”

That was it. Nothing more.

Everyone’s entitled to their opinion but comments like those aren’t really helpful. When I think back on that class now, it’s often with the Vampire Weekend song that opens with “Who gives a f*ck about an Oxford comma?” playing in my head.

In 2018, I attended a workshop where I received the following feedback from the instructor: “Why are you starting here? Why do you need this character? This feels too commercial.”

It wasn’t that those comments were bad or even wrong, but her harsh delivery (coupled with some head shaking and sighing), gave me big “Why bother?” feelings. While more instructive than that college course where we debated the merits of single vs. double spacing, it certainly didn’t inspire me to skip out of that classroom and dive back into my pages.

So, when I was invited to teach a “Beginning Your Memoir” workshop last fall, I went into it with a “First, do no harm” mantra. Whenever I lead a class or workshop, I feel this huge responsibility and continually ask myself: Am I helping these writers? Did anyone leave feeling excited about their work and ready to tackle the next blank page?

I always hope so because it’s very easy to talk ourselves out of writing. With so many demands on our time, this work, especially when its unpaid, can end up relegated to the bottom of our to-do lists.

In a recent newsletter, wrote: “… I feel a writer’s motivation is their most precious resource. It’s something no one else can create for you — your creative vision lives or dies by it.”

I totally agree and while no one can create it for you, they can absolutely destroy it if you allow negative comments or discouraging feedback to take hold.

When my revision workshop began in late January, our wonderful instructor started off by saying she wanted to create a positive environment for us and she did. I said the same to my memoir students. Sharing your work is never easy, but when you’re reading aloud in front of people you’ve just met, it becomes even more daunting.

A friend shared that when she taught a workshop, she later learned that a seemingly innocuous comment made by one student kept another from writing for a year.

Upsetting, yes. Uncommon, no.

Subscribe now

In her bestselling memoir Strangers, Belle Burden shares — in details that made me want to hire a hitman on her behalf — how her husband of two decades leaves her and their children with little more than a “See ya!”

Nearly as maddening to me is that as a student, Burden wanted to become a writer. Yet after receiving harsh criticism from a classmate (dubbed Greg in her book), she decided to go to law school, delaying her writing dreams by decades. I hope “Greg” saw the news that her memoir sparked a bidding war for the film rights.

Share

In her craft book A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction, Elizabeth McCracken also talks about (I’m paraphrasing) how we join workshops because we love writing. The act of attending them shouldn’t disabuse us of our affection for this endeavor.

In a recent newsletter, announced that 1000 Words of Summer will start May 30 and run through June 12. More about that here.

She also wrote something that really spoke to me:

Writing anything is a lot of work and we barely break even in the end. So shit should be fun.

What if all I want to do in the end is just tell you that writing is good for you, good for your soul, your heart, your mind, and that you should make time for it because it will help you to be an ever so slightly better version of yourself? What if all I care about is pushing you closer to the page so that you can be closer to yourself?

This sums up my feelings perfectly. Thank you, Jami!

And Now for More ‘Bad Naked’…

In other news, I led a self-publishing workshop last month. It was going well until a nude man appeared in one of the squares “having a go at himself,” as a British friend would say.

It was shocking but also not. In today’s world, you only need to catch two seconds of the news to know that a man pulling down his pants is just about the least original thing he can do. As I said to friends after recounting this episode, if a guy wants to shock me now, he’s gonna have to make a donation to public radio or tell an original knock-knock joke. Because a man lying flat on his back, moaning, looking like he’s strangling a rubber chicken is no longer surprising.

What a sad state we’re in when we’re so desensitized to men behaving badly that a vile flasher garners little more than an eye-roll. I saw the faces of attendees and most looked like this:

Now personally, my first thought was “Hey, at least I’m fully dressed!” (If nude Zooming is another Frequency Illusion, I pray it stops here!)

He was kicked out only to return moments later. Eventually, he was blocked by our host.

I’m hoping attendees remember the workshop for more than this. I’m also hoping to share more about my adventures in self-publishing and other writing news in an upcoming newsletter. Getting my expenses together for tax season has helped me (read: forced me) to look at what’s working and what isn’t.

Where I’ll Be:

Speaking of workshops, I’m attending the Erma Bombeck Writers Conference week. If you’ll be there, please find me! I hope to do a recap. I’m still quoting from the wonderful presentations and keynotes from the 2024 conference.

On April 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne, and I will be at The Book House in Millburn, NJ talking about writing, comedy and improv, and celebrating the launch of their latest, The Midnight Show. I cannot wait! If you’re hoping to catch these two on tour but can’t make it on the 10th, check out the rest of their schedule.

Share

With the weather improving (finally), I hope to get out and enjoy more live events. is a great resource! If you’re in the NY-NJ area, I recommend subscribing.

Leave a comment

Time for my obligatory cat photo

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone & Welcome New Subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here.

The knee-deep snow in New Jersey has finally melted and I’ve dug myself out from under pages and pages of manuscript revisions. I hope to share more about that soon!

Today, I’m excited to introduce my friend , author of Real Girls Guide to Midlife: Hot Takes, True Stories, and Fearless Advice from Women Who’ve Lived It & Experts Who Get It, and founder of the Substack Real Girls Guide, which I regard as the pep talk that always seems to arrive when I need it most.

Subscribe now

We were introduced by my former neighbor when Angela was exploring different publishing models. By the end of our first Zoom call, I felt like we’d been pals for ages. There are so many things I adore about Angela: her humor, her energy, her “I’m digging in and doing this!” spirit, and so many other attributes that would push this newsletter beyond the length Substack allows for easy reading in email.

An award-winning high-tech marketing leader, Angela took one of my favorite quotes from Toni Morrison to heart, “If there is a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, you must be the one to write it.”

Her stellar debut, in which she turns “all the messiness of midlife into stories, strategies, and the occasional snort-laugh,” was released in December 2025. The idea for it, however, arrived decades ago, as Angela explains below.

I love that in the intervening years Angela didn’t beat herself up about not working on this project. Instead, she went about her life, gathering more grit, wisdom, and material — and ultimately proved that creative endeavors don’t come with expiration dates. In fact, some ripen with age.

To enter to win a copy of Real Girls Guide to Midlife, leave a comment. I’ll announce the winner on Sunday, March 15.

Leave a comment

Tell us about your book!

Real Girls Guide to Midlife actually started when I was 35.

I had a red folder on my desk with that title scribbled across the front. I was deep in career, marriage, motherhood, performing competence like a professional sport, and I already sensed women weren’t being told the full truth about what midlife would feel like. I didn’t have the language yet, but I knew the narrative was incomplete.

Then life happened. Promotions. Three boys. Divorce. Rebuilding. Hormones. Long-distance love. Retirement from corporate.

Twenty years later, while clearing out my office, I found the folder. This time it didn’t feel like a cute idea. It felt like an instruction.

The difference was that now I had lived it.

The book weaves my experience with expert insight on sex, marriage, divorce, parenting adult children, money, identity, and power. It frames midlife as a structural shift and an opportunity for radical midlife self-possession.

It was also written for my boys.

They grew up hearing my “momtras” on repeat and still do.

Writing and publishing this book was me living those lessons out loud.

The red folder was the spark. The last twenty years were the research.

Your book and newsletter include so much expert insight. How did you find those voices that complement your own and pull it all together?

The experts came straight from the questions I was navigating and the ones I knew so many other women were quietly carrying.

If I was wrestling with libido shifts, hormone tornadoes, body changes, medical gaslighting, divorce, family rupture, or money and power dynamics, I went looking for the people who’ve dedicated their work to those issues. Yes, there’s actually a chapter titled Mirror, Mirror, What the Fck? because sometimes that’s the only accurate framing.

Some experts came through referrals and professional networks. Others came through journalist callouts and submission sites, which honestly surprised me. I had a backup plan in case I didn’t get the voices I wanted. Instead, I was overwhelmed by how many people wanted in. Women shared their stories generously. Experts dove deep with me.

What’s wild is that the structure I sketched out twenty years ago in that red folder is the exact one I used now. My story. Other women’s stories. Expert insight to guide us. Lived experience in conversation with people who’ve studied this work professionally. That framework held.

I wasn’t interested in surface commentary. I wanted rigor and nuance.

Pulling it together took discipline. The book couldn’t read like stitched interviews. The narrative and the expertise had to feel cohesive and grounded. That blend is what gives the work credibility.

And I can’t say enough about the editor I found. Brad kept me sharp, kept me honest, and made sure the voice stayed strong without tipping into indulgent.

I’m so grateful that we’ve had each other for support throughout our self-publishing adventures! How did you decide on this path?

Timing and control were part of it. I also sent out eleven book proposals as an unagented author, which is its own education since not everyone will even accept a submission. I got a couple of encouraging bites and one immediate rejection from a traditional publisher, which I was told is actually a good sign.

Still, the process feels like a string of bad first dates. You send out a piece of yourself, most places tell you you’ll only hear back if they’re interested, and you’re politely encouraged not to follow up. It’s humbling. Woof.

At the same time, I knew midlife women are still often softened to make the market more comfortable. I didn’t want the voice diluted, and I didn’t want to wait years for approval cycles while the conversation was already happening.

Self-publishing gave me control over tone, positioning, timeline, and launch strategy. It also required me to own the risk. Like I tell my boys, if you’re going to bet on something, be willing to bet on yourself.

How has the experience been—the good, the bad, the ugly?

The good is ownership, speed, and direct reader connection.

The bad is that you own everything. Editing. Production. Distribution. Marketing. Pricing. There are dozens of small decisions most people never see.

The ugly is that the promotion machine does not turn off. Once the book is out, the work shifts. It doesn’t end.

Writing itself is hard work. Keeping attention on it is harder. I have enormous respect for people who build full careers around writing. It takes more stamina and humility than I ever imagined.

Biggest win? Biggest lesson learned?

The biggest win has been women telling me they feel less alone. That never gets old.

The biggest lesson is that there are countless cost decisions along the way. You can do it inexpensively or you can invest. You have to choose your lane intentionally.

Investing in yourself may sting at first. It often does. But cutting corners in areas that matter, especially editing and design, costs more later.

What surprised you most?

How ready women and men are for directness. And my brand of directness is definitely not for everyone!

There’s a real appetite for honesty about resentment, intimacy, desire, careers, money tension, estrangement, and grief. Not drama. Not gloss. Just clarity.

That hunger is bigger than I expected.

What advice would you give someone considering self-publishing?

Get clear on your goals and your budget.

There are dozens of line items people don’t anticipate. Editing. Design. Formatting. Printing. Ads. Platform tools. You can bootstrap it or you can invest. Both are valid. Just be intentional about the lane you pick.

Build an audience before you launch. Community changes everything.

And understand that publishing the book isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line for promotion.

How did you manage writing the book, your newsletter, and promoting both simultaneously?

I treat it as one connected body of work.

The newsletter is where real-time conversations are happening. The book is where I expand and solidify the bigger ideas. They inform each other without duplicating each other.

Some weeks I feel strategic. Some weeks I feel scrappy. And yes, I’m awkward on social media. My cringey reels are proof. (This is Liz jumping in to say this is not true! In fact, Angela needs her own TV series!) But showing up imperfectly is part of the deal.

Momentum matters more than polish.

What’s next for you?

A companion to the book that’s more interactive. Something readers can actually work through. Prompts. Exercises. Deeper reflection. A place to dig in and do the work instead of just reading about it. It will carry a bit of my business edge but still feel completely like me.

More speaking. More workshops. More community engagement.

And continuing to build this in a way that proves to my boys, and to myself, that finishing what you start and betting on yourself aren’t just things I say. They’re practices.

The red folder sat buried for twenty years.

I’m done burying things.

Thank you, Angela! You are a constant source of inspiration!

Leave a comment

For more, buy Angela’s book here, check out her Substack here or follow her on social media here.

Where I’ll Be

Ladies of Laughter has kindly included me among these hilarious comics. If you’re free, join us March 12 at SOPAC. If you’ll be there, please let me buy you a drink after the show. I’m finding a spot now and will keep you posted!

On April 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne, and I will be at The Book House in Millburn, NJ talking about writing, comedy and improv, and celebrating the launch of their latest, The Midnight Show. I cannot wait! If you’re hoping to catch these two on tour but can’t make it on the 10th, check out the rest of their schedule.

Share

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thanks for reading!

Hi Everyone, hope you’re doing well!

I won’t lie, winter is not my favorite season. During the cold, gray January and February days, I try to tell myself these are “great writing conditions.”

If you enjoy suspense, as I do, what better way to spend your time than by experiencing persistent panic, fearing that your pipes may freeze and, later, burst? (Who needs Netflix when you’ve got this nail-biter streaming inside your head 24/7?)

Living in a drafty old house has loads of atmosphere but I’ve been dressing in so many layers, I’ve begun to feel like either little brother Randy from A Christmas Story or those people who board flights wearing all their clothing to avoid checked baggage fees.

My favorite accessory is my space heater, which I carry from room to room like a socialite with a lapdog.

Subscribe now

So what’s getting me through this winter? I’m in the fortunate position to be leading a memoir workshop and taking a revision class to polish up the manuscript I worked on in France. This one, tentatively titled Still With Me, is pretty much done if you don’t count the 160 comments I left for myself, the typos, and, of course, the sentences that trail off without warning.

I finished this draft faster than the 12-18 months it typically takes me thanks to that residency where I had the luxury of time and focus. Also, I tried something new. Instead of editing chapters before moving forward, I left things loose. (“Too loose,” present day Liz would admonish freewheeling, past Liz, but that’s a war I’ll wage privately.)

So now I’m wading through a lot of notes that read: Find a stronger verb! Think of a better metaphor! and Maybe rename all these characters?? Apparently, September Liz, high on two daily servings of pain au chocolat, seemed to believe February Liz wouldn’t mind chapters left in a complete state of disarray. (Spoiler: She does mind. A lot.)

So much for focus, right? Will I try this deal-with-it-later strategy again? Jury’s still out.

Leave a comment

Back to my Writers Circle workshops. Thanks to these classes, I’m enjoying the best of both worlds: memoir and fiction that spans genres.

Listening to writers share their personal stories, told with humor, honesty and vulnerability, on Monday evenings is an honor and a privilege. On Thursday mornings, I get to slip inside imaginary worlds built with care and creativity by my classmates and gather feedback on my messy pages work. In both, I’m reminded of the importance of community.

Along with the joy of reveling in their words, I’m inspired by every person who is carving out time for their passion, committing to their craft, and sharing their stories. What a gift.

In a writing workshop several years ago I met the unstoppable force also known as Susan Osborn, Ph.D., author of Surviving the Wreck, Elizabeth Bowen: New Perspectives, and the forthcoming She’s Such a Liar: Incest, Knowledge & Power. Susan has worked tirelessly and tenaciously to bring her latest, available April 7, to fruition. A bold analysis of the systems that oppress and subordinate women, this work is one I hope will be adopted by women’s studies and gender studies departments globally. Susan, I’m in awe of your dedication and fierce determination.

Leave a comment

Here’s another slightly adjacent shift that’s getting me through these otherwise gloomy weeks. During my time in France, I met many wonderful and talented artists. Following them on social media has changed my feed. More beauty, less noise. I’d like to highlight two Alices: Alice Colin, who just completed a daily watercolor challenge that was beyond gorgeous, and Alice, who’s begun selling her stunning crocheted creations via Instagram. She fashioned a pair of pants so incredible, they may just convince me to exercise so I can wear them without looking like a big ball of yarn.

, whose podcast and Substack I adore, recently talked about this, too. In short: Change your feed, change your outlook. Change your outlook, change your life.

I recognize this newsletter may seem a bit all over the place but I’m thinking of it as a belated Valentine or simply a thank you note (if you think it’s too soon in our relationship) to everyone who is doing the work, the making and the creating, while giving the middle finger to AI and the thought of churning out 200 novels a year because you and Claude can.

In a world (say it in the movie trailer voice, please) where we’re constantly encouraged to stop thinking for ourselves (Gmail, with your incessant “Press / for Help me write” and “Tab” to improve,” I’m looking at you), you are giving me hope.

Thank you.

Where I’ll Be

Want to attend a book club meeting without leaving the house? Join me and the Fresh Fiction Video Book Club as we chat about my suspense novel A Different Type of Poison on Wednesday, Feb. 18th at 7 p.m. CT. My interview begins at 7:30 p.m. and a Q&A follows. If you haven't read the book, you've got time! It's available in Kindle Unlimited and the ebook is on sale now. Or try the audio? Thanks for considering it! Register here.

I’m leading a free webinar, Taking the Self Publishing Path After Traditional Publishing, with the Mystery Writers of America - Midwest Chapter on February 19 at 8 p.m. Register here.

Ladies of Laughter has kindly included me among these hilarious comics. (Please send me all your good thoughts and beta-blockers). If you’re free, join us March 12 at SOPAC.

On April 10 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Lee Kelly, Jennifer Thorne, and I will be at The Book House in Millburn, NJ talking about writing, comedy and improv, and celebrating the launch of their latest, The Midnight Show. I cannot wait!

What I’ve Been Enjoying

I listened to Seascraper read by the author, Benjamin Wood, on the recommendation of , whose suggestions never let me down. I was blown away by this novella, Longlisted for the Booker Prize. On the surface, it seems like a simple story but it has stayed with me and is nothing short of magical on a sentence level. Rarely does my heart race while emptying the dishwasher, but Wood’s prose had me clutching my silverware in nervous anticipation during a scene in which Thomas, the main character, is lost in a fog.

The Resident Murder by Jessi Kroft is a fast-paced medical thriller that weaves real-life crime stories into the narrative and kept me guessing right up until the end. I’m ready for book 2 in this series.

I’m a big fan of ’s Substack so I knew I’d love her debut novel, Gap Year. I’m 70% in and the main character’s snark and inner monologue have me smiling and nodding. I will miss Jane when I finish this one and hope maybe a sequel is in the works?

Last month, I listened to A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction by Elizabeth McCracken. Though it has “fiction” in the title, it’s filled with gems that apply to non-fiction writing as well. I found it frank and encouraging. If you’re looking for a craft book, check it out!

I’m also reading Leanne Morgan’s memoir, What in the World?!: A Southern Woman’s Guide to Laughing at Life’s Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings, which was gifted to me by my new friend Marla. Happy birthday, Marla!

Marla and I met on TikTok, which has been the surprising hero of my self-publishing journey—more on that in my workshop.

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

Share

As always, thank you for reading. Hope you’re staying warm!

Hi everyone! Welcome, new subscribers! I hope 2026 is off to a great start for you.

Last month, I had a full house with all three of my kids home for the holidays. I asked my oldest son to proofread my most recent newsletter to ensure his reading extended beyond group texts and memes during his school break.

When he finished, he frowned. “This is a lot about you.”

“Well, it’s my newsletter,” I explained.

“Well, it’s a lot about writing,” he said.

“Yeah, because I’m writer!” I responded, to which he replied, “I don’t know, I was hoping for something funny.”

This struck me as hilarious because most of the time when I test out material on my boys, their reactions range from gentle cringing to the face you make when you’re blasted with unexpected microphone feedback.

I told him, “Hey, these can’t all be about your brother collapsing on a mid-Atlantic flight or your mother’s Zoom flashing.”

Subscribe now

Anyway … for this newsletter I wanted to focus less on myself and more on “something funny”—specifically, stand-up comedy. The hilarious, award-winning writer, comedian, and comedy coach Becky Veduccio generously agreed to a Q&A. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know thanks to , who brought our Mom Coms group together. I’ve learned so much from watching Becky win over audiences within seconds of taking the stage.

As I’ve mentioned, I decided to try stand-up to pull myself out of a writing slump and it worked. Whenever I say I’m dabbling in it, people confide that they’ve wanted to give it a go and ask for advice that I’m too green to offer beyond Take a class! Becky teaches at West Side Comedy Club so I thought she’d be the perfect comic to provide some wisdom.

While Becky’s responses are funny, honest, practical, and insightful, she shares a devastating loss that sidelined her stand-up career for more than a decade and may be difficult for some readers. Please read with care.

How long have you been doing stand-up and how did you get started?

How did I get started? I was a 12-year-old chubby Italian girl with acne and a mustache. I had to get some jokes!

I was bullied a lot by these boys in middle school. One day I zinged this kid back in front of his friends. And they laughed—at HIM. I thought, wow, that was powerful. It’s all good—it helped me to develop a personality.

The first time I did stand-up was in the 1900s but technically I “started” a few times. I moved from NYC to London, then back to NYC. I was finally gaining momentum when I got pregnant. By the way, pregnant comedy is the BEST—like, five stars. Because you waddle up there and the audience loves you immediately. Or pities you? I don’t know. I performed until two weeks before my son was due. There was just so much love. I was like, after I have this baby, I’m gonna stuff my shirt with a pillow and be the perpetually pregnant comic on the circuit.

Unfortunately, when I was 9 months pregnant, my baby died the day before he was due. He was a full-term stillbirth. I was in the depths of grief. I blamed myself for making jokes about the pregnancy. I think for a while I associated the stage with him dying. I gave up comedy for twelve years.

During that time, I had three more kids, started teaching comedy to kids, and hosted their shows. Someone sent a tape of me performing ‘momedy’ to America’s Got Talent. I was literally doing laundry when the casting director called and invited me to be on the show. I thought it was a prank. The weirdest part was that the casting director was called “Destiny” (no joke), so I put her name in all caps in my contacts so it would say “DESTINY CALLING.”

I went from grief and momming to performing in front of Simon Cowell and 4,000 audience members. I got four “yeses,” flew home, and the next night was hosting my kids’ elementary school talent show.

I had been a comic but not a mom and then a mom but not a comic, but when I was on AGT I remember thinking, I’m finally both. I didn’t make it to their live shows—but I used it as a springboard to start comedy. Again.

Can you share a bit about your writing process? For example, I’ve heard some comics say they write a joke a day. Others say they work out their material on stage.

Everyone has their own creative process. Here's what I do: Thoughts come in—I would say, almost intrusively. I write them in my notes app (I hope no one ever reads my notes app) and then I pace around my laundry room and rant out loud. Like, alone. I’ll tell my kids, “Mommy’s on a Zoom!” but I’m really just talking to myself. While I’m ranting, if something funny comes out, I write it down. Then, later, I put it into joke structure.

In his book How to Write Funny, Scott Dikkers says—and I’m paraphrasing—that comedians have two halves of their brains: The clown and the editor and that these two should not meet too soon in the writing process. Ranting out loud is clowning. Stand-up should start with how you FEEL. You’ve got to work yourself up emotionally. If you don’t feel strongly about it, why should the audience?

Do you test out your material on your family? If so, how does that go? (Personally, I had to stop because the blank stares were killing my confidence.) Have you ever tested out new jokes on an unsuspecting crowd, say, at a wedding or back-to-school night?

No! Don’t do it! The whole “Do you think this is funny?” Yikes! Your living room doesn’t have the same vibe as a club. It’s not going to come out of your mouth the same way. It’s too self-conscious making. And too much pressure for your family and friends (see: blank stares).

That said, I definitely test out material in a stealth way. I try to work it into conversations at dinners, on the soccer sideline, with comedy pals. People have asked me, “Is this a bit?” I’m always like, “Noooo! Why? Should it be…?” (wink, wink)

A lot of people tell me they’ve been curious to try stand-up but are put off by the public speaking aspect. Do you have any tips or tricks for overcoming this common fear?

Public speaking as an aspect of stand-up—ha! That’s like, I want to work for Uber, the problem is that pesky driving part. Or, I want to be a surgeon, I just faint at the sight of blood. Performing (public speaking) is literally half of what stand-up is.

In stand-up, you are using every tool you have to communicate and entertain the audience. Not just your words—your physicality. You’re using facial expressions, your voice, posture, emotions, attitude, gestures, characters.

Okay, three options on this:

1. If you really want to do stand-up but are afraid, the only way to overcome the fear is exposure therapy. In this case, getting on stage as much as possible. There are open mics everywhere—go! In stand-up we call it getting in your “reps.” It is a muscle. If you’re just starting, I highly recommend joining a stand-up comedy workshop (like mine!). You meet for six weeks, get feedback in a safe, supportive environment, bond with peers, and it culminates in a showcase. That’s how I started. I have no idea how people just get up on stage for the first time with no guard rails. It’s very brave!

2. If you want to share your writing, but don’t want to do stand-up, you could stage readings of your work in black box theaters, bookstores, or share a story at The Moth’s StorySlams. David Sedaris performs staged readings of excerpts from his books and they are so entertaining and funny. Fun fact: I was gifted (Sedaris’s) Barrel Fever by my college writing professor and it singlehandedly inspired me to be a humor writer.

3. If you love comedy writing but decide you don’t want to perform at all, there are a lot of other great ways to share your humor. There are so many periodicals and platforms to self-publish. Alternatively, you can write for other people—sketches, jokes, scripts, speeches.

Some might argue that certain people are born with great senses of humor and others not so much. Do you have any tips for strengthening that funny bone?

I really believe that everyone is born with some potential for humor. If someone doesn’t have any sense of humor—that’s freaking scary. That’s some serial killer energy, if you ask me.

I do think people are born with comic timing. Like some people are born with musicality. Comedy has a rhythm to it. A poetry to it. If you have comedic timing and a joke doesn’t “scan,” you can feel it. You don’t know how you know, you just do.

When I teach stand-up, I’m not trying to teach everyone to be a famous comedian. I’m trying to teach people how to get in touch with their own, unique, inner comedic voice. To be the funniest version of themselves.

If you want to strengthen your funny bone—take classes, watch stand-up comedy, read funny things, hang around funny people—it’s contagious. Have you ever read a Dr. Seuss book and then for the rest of the day you’re rhyme-spiraling? It gets in your head.

Has doing stand-up changed your outlook on life? For example, does everything have the potential to become part of “the act?”

When you start to write and perform stand-up, you start to develop “comedy goggles.” You start seeing the world in a different way—through the prism of humor. Everything has potential. Everything. It changes your outlook on life.

Another common fear is the thought of going blank while on stage. Any tricks for memorizing a set?

Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse. I say that not so you get up there and become a joke robot, I say this so that you know it SO WELL, that nothing can throw you. There’s a confidence to knowing that you know it.

Also, it’s important to remember no one knows what you’re going to say. This ain’t Hamlet. You’re not gonna be like, “To be or…??” And they’re thinking, “Not to be, idiot!”

Super important, especially if you’re just starting: Have a “set list” in your pocket. This is a list of words or phrases, in order, that remind you of your next joke. Do not hold this or put it on a stool because you will live in between worlds and not be present on stage. Just keep it in your pocket for insurance.

Remember that if you go blank it feels like slo-mo. An eternity. Just take a breath, take a moment, look at a friendly audience member and say to them, “What was I just saying?” You’ll probably get a laugh. When I teach improv we say, “The answer is in your partner’s eyes.” It’s true. If you look down or up you will disconnect from the audience. Find that friendly face. If you still can’t remember, pull out your set list and make a joke about it. They’ll laugh again because you’re being truthful and in the moment.

Authors are encouraged to put themselves out there on social media. But in the stand-up world, some comics fear joke theft or prefer to spend the time writing new material or practicing a set. Others, of course, credit these with expanding their audience exponentially. Can you share a bit about what’s expected in terms of promoting yourself and how do you handle the blessing-and-a-curse nature of social media?

Years ago, it used to be “Are you funny?” and now the first question is “How many followers do you have? Also, are you funny?” If you have both, you will likely succeed. Having followers is having choice—and having choice is having freedom.

When I told the social media guru Melanie Vesey that I hated social media, she said, “Social media is a tool. It’s like a hammer, you can smash things to pieces with it or build something great. Don’t hate the tool.”

It’s such a personal choice and people have to do what feels comfortable for them, but if you learn some basics, social media doesn’t have to be daunting. You’re just putting yourself out into the ether, internationally, in perpetuity, to be trolled. No bigs, right? You're like, I hate hammers!

Some comics prefer to post clips of great crowd work so that they aren’t giving away their jokes online. Crowd work can often be the best, biggest laugh of your set because it’s so real. You are so in the moment, so present. Jessica Kirson, Harrison Greenbaum and Matt Rife are known for their amazing crowd work.

Putting yourself out there is hard, but sometimes you’ve just got to push the boat out. You never know what could happen. What if Leanne Morgan kept her material inside the walls of local clubs?

When using social media, I tell my kids: Don’t put anything out there you don’t want to go viral. Keep your sense of humor. Be positive. Think: What am I trying to say?

All this said by the woman with less than 1,500 followers, who uses Comic Sans, spends 20 minutes picking out a song, and is afraid to share photos because she's not symmetrical. I’m working on it! Follow me on Insta!

In addition to public speaking & memory loss fears, a lot of us worry about hecklers. Do you have any advice on how to handle that?

There are good hecklers and bad hecklers. Good hecklers are people who are well intentioned but perhaps got overly enthusiastic (drunk) and want to interact with you. Bad hecklers are mean-spirited and disruptive.

My advice for both is the same: Pre-write something to keep in your comedy “holster” in case you encounter a chatty audience member. For a good heckler, think of a way to kindly, gently quiet them down so you can finish your material. It’s more difficult than you think to quiet another adult down without sounding condescending.

For a bad heckler, you want to write something that shuts them down without escalating the situation. But if they’re relentless, it’s important as a comic that you come out as the “winner” of this unintentional roast battle. The standard operating procedure is three strikes. If possible, ignore the first comment. If they say something else, try the gentle approach (as you would with a “good heckler”). If they shout out a third time or say something derogatory, you’ve got to step up. You have to stay in control of the room. Remember, you have the mic. Most of the time, the audience is on your side, and will be relieved that you put them in their place.

I had a boyfriend who used to say, “Sometimes these jokes are just for me,” after he said something and no one laughed. What do you do if you’ve written a joke that you love but it just doesn’t land?

First of all, I’m glad you’re not dating him anymore. He sounds like a total riot.

It’s hard to love a “joke” if it’s not landing. It’s more likely that you love the premise.

First things first: Identify WHY it isn’t working.

It could be that it’s simply not clear enough to the audience what it is you’re talking about. We have a lot of assumed knowledge about our material. I think it was Jerry Seinfeld who said, “The question in the audience’s mind is the enemy of the laugh.” If they have questions or feel confused, they’re going to stop listening to you.

Another reason a joke might not be landing: You’re using the wrong attitude or emotion when delivering it. Or worse, you’re not using an attitude or emotion at all and they don’t understand how you feel about what you’re saying.

It could also be that the punchline isn’t strong enough. Either not funny enough or maybe they can see it coming. Remember, as comedians, we’re not trying to be humorous up there, we’re trying to make strangers make an involuntary noise from their bodies. This happens when they’re surprised.

I read that in the writer’s room at SNL, if two people came up with the same joke, they would discard it. If they both thought of it, the audience would definitely see it coming. Reach further!

Is there anything about the comedy world that has surprised you or been different from what you might’ve expected when you were getting started?

I’m surprised by how much I love it. I’m kind of obsessed. I could talk about it all day. I guess as a private comedy coach and writer—I DO get to talk about it all day! I’m lucky!

I’m also surprised at the friends I’ve made. Stand-up seems like a solo pursuit, but the truth is, it’s a community. I’ve met the most diverse, fun, intelligent, vibrant people. It’s not a competition. No one is taking your place. No one else has your voice. We need to support each other—especially women!

For writers, we have critique partners, editors, & beta readers, do you get together with other comics and punch up each other’s jokes?

Beta readers? Do tell! Can you be in the same room or will you fight to the death?!

Comedy is a never-ending process. You are never “done.” You don’t get to the top of a comedy mountain, put a flag down and say, “I did it!” For as long as you pursue comedy, you should be writing. Your comedy should evolve and grow with you.

I do have some comedy pals that I do “30/30” with on Zoom. That means 30 minutes of them throwing out ideas, 30 minutes for me. We don’t write for each other. It’s more talking out premises. Riffing. I also highly recommend getting a comedy mentor. I have one. This is someone who is beyond your level of experience that can give you advice, talk out premises, suggest next steps, kick your ass when needed.

I have no ego about learning—seeking out further knowledge about what I love to do. After every gig I ask myself: What did you learn? It could be about a new joke, a new tag, unexpected crowd work, observing if I was too much in my head, or simply understanding the fact that I shouldn’t eat Burger King at midnight on the ride home.

People always talk about how hard stand-up is. It is. It is the hardest, best thing. The Kingda Ka of internal, emotional roller coasters. But I’ve spent time without it and I don’t ever want to do that again. Comedy is anxiety making and stretches my comfort zone, but it’s also what I do for fun, to relax. Comedy is my yoga.

Share

Please follow Becky and if you’re near one of her upcoming shows, go see her in person. As you can tell, she’s phenomenal!

Where I’ll be:

I’m teaching Beginning Memoir with The Writers Circle starting Monday, January 26. The workshop is held at the charming Nature of Reading Bookshop in Madison. If you’d like to join me, register here.

I’m leading a free webinar, Taking the Self Publishing Path After Traditional Publishing, with the Mystery Writers of America - Midwest Chapter on February 19 at 8 p.m. Register here.

Ladies of Laughter has kindly included me among these hilarious comics. (Please send me all your good thoughts and beta-blockers). If you’re free, join us March 12 at SOPAC. (I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a hard stop on a poster before but I like it!)

Leave a comment

Time for my cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone! Happy New Year and welcome new subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here.

As promised, I want to share a bit about my adventures in self-publishing. I’m going to look at various aspects of this endeavor over the next few newsletters because a) I’m still figuring out what’s working and what isn’t, and b) it’s way too much for any of us to think about at one time without collapsing.

So I’ll start with my biggest takeaway: I SHOULD NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THIS MUCH INFORMATION!

What do I mean? I can see my sales (or lack of sales depending on if you’re going into 2026 as an optimist or pessimist ) in real time.

Initially, I thought I’d regard the KDP dashboard, which updates ebook, paperback, and hardcover sales as well as Kindle page reads every few seconds, the same way I treat reviews: Don’t look and you won’t get upset.

But the temptation is far too great. And, with that, here’s how I now spend my days.

Every time I check and see that someone’s bought a book or read a page:

Every time they stop and I have to will them to get back to it:

Sometimes I’ll be sitting in my dining room and I’ll randomly scream, “I just made 41 cents in the last five minutes! Here we go!” Other times, like when six hours pass and the numbers haven’t changed, I’m all What made you think this was a good idea??

(True confession: I thought about titling this “How Does an Author Lose Her Mind?”

Subhead: She’d tell you if only she could peel herself away from the KDP dashboard.)

Share

When I worked with publishers1, I had no clue how my books were selling in real time. I’d have to wait to get a royalty statement and those don’t come that frequently. For example, for the period spanning Jan. 1 to June 30, I won’t actually see the statement until August. This is why when you ask an author, “So, how are sales?” they shrug and look like they’d rather attempt to French braid your Shih Tzu’s hair than continue the conversation.

Not having access to real-time data makes it challenging to know what’s working and where to invest your energy. I’d write an essay or a humor piece, appear on a podcast, or teach a class, and still have no clue what, if anything, moved the needle. Sure, I could check Amazon rankings, but those are relative, shifting in relation to how other books are performing. So while it’s always good to move up, you don’t really know how many books you’ve sold—or what led readers to make a purchase.

So, in some ways, having this information (available 24/7!) is helpful, but at the same time it’s left me tapping my keyboard refresh, refresh, refresh! with the fervor of my mom at a nickel slot machine.

I’ve never thought of writing as get-rich-quick-scheme and I certainly wasn’t counting on this book to catapult me toward early retirement. But when you have access to the data, it’s tough not to obsess about what you could do differently and better to get your book into the hands of more readers. Because isn’t that what this is about—sharing the thing you created with an audience you hope will enjoy it? Seeing these numbers is a blessing and a curse that way. I’m trying to remember that I started this for the love of storytelling and not to try to set some personal ebook sales record.

Subscribe now

This isn’t the only part that’s probably not great for my mental health. Before the book came out, I signed up for a Netgalley co-op. For about $65, I put an early copy of A Different Type of Poison on the site for one month so members could read and review it. This helps authors get early ratings and reviews on Goodreads. Readers can also give a thumbs up or thumbs down to your cover. (Though we know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, we do! And if you’re getting lots of thumbs down, you may want to do a switcheroo before your pub date.)

Requests to download the book came directly to me so I could see the reviewer’s profile and either approve or decline. Here’s where things get interesting. You’d be surprised (or at least I was) by how many readers have a 2.2 average star rating (out of a possible 5).

I’m sorry but if you’re reading hundreds of books (you can also see how many approved requests each reviewer has) and you don’t really love or even like any of them, either you’re reading in the wrong genre or reading is not for you.

If I went fly fishing and each time gave it 2 out of 5 stars, I’d find another hobby. Just sayin.’

So you’re probably thinking, OK, who cares, just decline those requests, right? Well, not so fast because then you read comments left by other authors that go something like, “I declined this person’s request and then they went on Goodreads and gave me 1 star and they haven’t even read the book!”

I want to know: Who are these 1-star people and how do they have this much free time and such a thirst for meaningless vengeance? (And is there a thriller in here?)

Anyway, once you find a reader who seems to enjoy your genre (or at least not hate words), and you approve their request, their review comes direct to your inbox—arriving at all hours of the day and even on Christmas. Cue my screaming.

While I’m so grateful for reviewers, I try to avoid reading reviews, especially while I’m drafting a new project. As many agree, reviews are for readers. As authors, sure, we can learn from them if we find merit in the feedback — and, of course, we savor the good ones — but the book is complete. If you don’t like it, telling us about it isn’t going to change the story. Plus, everyone’s taste is different. One person’s Best Book of 2025 is another person’s DNF (did not finish).

Side note: I have several author friends who’ll profess “Bad reviews don’t bother me…” until they get one and suddenly it’s “Can you believe this $#@! wrote this?!?!” and I’m like, “But I thought you said…” My point is, you can believe your skin is thicker than the paneling on a Cybertruck but when you get a “3.5 stars rounded down because too many words were in italics…” I will nod in sympathy.

Moving on… To try to give my book the best shot at a successful launch, I hired a Meta ads specialist and an Amazon ads specialist (more on these two in the next newsletter). I booked promos on sites like The Fussy Librarian, Bargain Booksy, and Robin Reads. I’ve written about the book everywhere, short of graffitiing the title on my town’s train trestle. Lord help me, I’ve even tried TikTok-ing. (Probably not what people who are actually good at TikTok call it…) I’ve pushed myself out of my comfort zone and asked anyone who said they read and enjoyed it to please leave a star rating or review. (If that’s you, thank you and sorry!)

All of this brings me to my word of the year, which is: “whatever.” I chose “surrender” as my word for 2025 following a series of mishaps so I feel like “whatever” is a nice extension of that—or dare I say “surrender”’s badass little cousin?

What I mean is I’m trying all the things (please see TikTok-ing above) and if they work, great and if they don’t, I know I’ve done as much as I can2.

I also mean “whatever” in that flippant teenage way—as in, I need to remember that this is only one aspect of my life—not my entire life. If this goes well, yay! If it doesn’t, I’ve learned a lot along the way and that’s never a bad thing.

Leave a comment

What’s Next?

I’m looking forward to teaching Beginning Memoir with The Writers Circle again starting Monday, January 26. The workshop is held at the charming Nature of Reading Bookshop in Madison. If you’d like to join me, register here.

If you’re interested in hearing more about my path to self-publishing, join me and the Mystery Writers of America - Midwest Chapter on February 19 at 8 p.m. for a free webinar: Taking the Self Publishing Path (After Traditional Publishing). Register here.

Books I’m Excited to Read & Share in 2026

My pal released her wise and wonderful Real Girls Guide to Midlife: Hot Takes, True Stories, and Fearless Advice from Women Who’ve Lived It & Experts Who Get It in early December. Run and grab this one!

Amanda Casile’s debut novel came out Dec. 9. I read early pages a while back and was totally hooked so I cannot wait to get lost on this Broken Trail.

I’ve been on a pre-ordering spree and these are a few of the titles I’m looking forward to popping up in my mailbox and inbox:

In order of release:

What Boys Learn by (out Jan. 6)

The Resident Murder by Jessi Kroft (out Jan. 15)

Her Name Was Lola by Rebecca Taylor (out Jan. 27)

Gap Year by (out Feb. 3.)

Lie in the Bay by Holly Danvers (out June 2)

Somebody Worth Killing by (out June 16)

What are you looking forward to reading in 2026?

Leave a comment

Time for my cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading!

Hi Everyone, happy holidays!

Who is Cal Whitaker and what are we celebrating? you may be wondering.

Cal is a character in my novel You Shouldn’t Have Done That.

The TLDR (Too Long Don’t Read) version of this newsletter (it’s the holiday season, unless you’re hiding from your family or stuck in an endless line at Costco, who’s got the time?!) is that this book begins on Saturday, Dec. 13. Today!

When it came out in March, a friend generously bought the paperback. Her son has an amazing mind, the kind that can look at a date and know exactly which day of the week it is depending on the year. (In case you haven’t seen or heard of this ability, actress Marilu Henner has it too.)

Anyway, my friend’s son opened the book, saw Saturday, Dec. 13, and asked, “Why did Liz choose to set her book in 2014?” (That’s the last time Dec. 13 fell on a Saturday. Who knew? Danny knew!)

Reader, the book is not set in 2014. I think what happened was I started writing this manuscript in the fall of 2022 and figured it would be at least three years before it saw the light of day.

I wanted it to begin on a Saturday when two friends go skiing and only one returns (dun dun dun dunnnn). With the 13th having all those ominous connotations, I chose that date.

Share

In Feb. 2023, I sent the first three chapters to my then-agent who said she didn’t like where I was beginning—with Cal and his “friend” Brad instead of their moms. Your audience is moms! she insisted.

As we know, writers can be sensitive creatures and while feedback is crucial to improving a story, the delivery of that feedback matters greatly.

When she told me that (in a manner I’d describe as somewhere between harsh and blistering), it paralyzed me for about six weeks. I wrote nothing. A dear friend offered to recommend a hypnotherapist to pull me out of my slump. I said, “Thanks. I’m gonna give it two more weeks and if I’m still stuck, then, yes, please!”

I began again and asked my then-agent if she’d like to read the new opening to see if I was starting in the right place. “You need to do this yourself. I cannot hold your hand every step of the way,” she said.

Um, ouch, but okay. I just didn’t want to write 90,000 words only hear they were all wrong, which is, spoiler, pretty much what happened.

Subscribe now

Again, I’ll try to keep this condensed. I wrote the book and enjoyed the process. I’d fallen in love with certain side characters and plot twists. But because my self-confidence had taken a hit, I hired a developmental editor to give it a read before I turned it in to my agent. This editor pointed out many areas that could be enhanced. (Yet he never mentioned that the closest Saturday, Dec. 13 was happening two years in the future!)

I sent it to my agent and the following year (2024), she told me she was stopping at the midway point, believing I needed to start again, eliminate some points of view and make other changes that didn’t align with my vision for this story.

We parted ways and I sat on this book for a while and started another. In an extremely fortunate twist for me, when I sent the manuscript to Inkubator Books, they offered to publish it. Despite many more rounds of edits, Saturday, Dec. 13 never came up—until my last spring when my friend’s eagle-eyed son made the catch. (I’m booking him the next time I need an editor.)

Because Inkubator is nimble in getting books to market, it came out about six months after it was acquired.

So in celebration of this date finally arriving, I would like to offer a giveaway. (US only, I’m sorry, the cost of postage is getting outrageous.)

To enter to win, please leave a comment below. If selected, I will sign a copy of You Shouldn’t Have Done That (or my latest if you’d prefer) and ship it to you or to the recipient of your choice. I’ll randomly choose a winner on Wednesday, Dec. 17. (Danny, is that right? Help!) Check the comments for the winner.

Want to read the original first chapter? I just added it to my website!

My author pal , whose next thriller What Boys Learn comes out in January and is getting rave reviews, recently kicked off a cool preorder campaign. She’s also asked authors to share some of the more interesting ways they promoted their books.

I completely forgot that while I was writing You Shouldn’t Have Done That I kept telling my sons that I was going to have t-shirts made for them that read: #Where’sCal? — a nod to the social media campaign Cal’s sister launches in an effort to locate him — and force them to wear them all summer.

Lucky for them, I completely forgot BUT I have been threatening to write a sequel so maybe they’ll get those shirts after all!

If you’re an author with an interesting or innovative idea to share, reach out to Andromeda via her Substack here. Or subscribe to read the round-up when it posts.

Where I’ve been

A big thank you to and for having me on the Literary Mama podcast to talk about my memoir, Sad Sacked. As layoffs continue to dominate our newsfeeds, I like to think that this story will help those struggling with job loss feel a bit less alone.

Literary Mama

Liz Alterman: Humor is My Drug of Choice

Holly Rizzuto Palker and Eva Langston chat with Liz Alterman, author of Sad Sacked, about the perils and freedoms of unemployment, the dichotomy of working moms, and the need to write the book you want to read. Diving deep into her own family’s dual layoffs, Liz’s memoir uses humor as a healing force as she details the downsizing and uploading of life’s…

Listen now

9 months ago · 3 likes · Literary Mama, Liz Alterman, Holly Rizzuto Palker, and Eva Langston

And speaking of memoir … I’m teaching Beginning Memoir with The Writers Circle starting Monday, January 26. The workshop is held at the charming Nature of Reading Bookshop in Madison. Register here.

Time for my obligatory cat photo! In the spirit of giving, I’m sharing a video and a still photo.

Leave a comment

I’ll be back soon with an update on how things are going in the self-publishing trenches! If you’re interested, the ebook for A Different Type of Poison is on sale for 99 cents for the next week before I mark it up to $4.99. (Those #Where’sCal? t-shirts won’t just pay for themselves!)

As the year comes to a close, I’m so grateful for your support. Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting! Wishing you happy holidays!

Leave a comment

Hi Everyone! Hope you’re having a great week. Today marks the launch of my new suspense novel, A Different Type of Poison. Thank you for following along and a special shout-out to and Miranda Rijks for generously reading an early copy and sending their amazing blurbs. I’m so grateful to all those who’ve spread the word!

I often joke that writing a book is a bit like always having homework. Putting that book out into the world is more like an endless version of finals week. Am I ready? What if I fail? Can I fake a stomach bug and just hide under a blanket ‘til summer?

In the past, I’ve mentioned that, typically, I don’t celebrate publication day. By this point, I’m usually a mix of excited (Yay, it’s finally out there!), afraid (Are there still typos editors and I failed to catch?1), and exhausted (I’ve done so much, but shouldn’t I do more?).

Instead of popping champagne at a launch party, I settle into my couch with a cat and a mug of fudge ripple ice cream, plagued by a vague sense of “Now what?”

But I think today will be different. I wouldn’t say I’m more invested in seeing this book succeed, but because I’ve chosen to put out the print and ebook versions myself, all the marketing falls to me. And with that, I’m not really at the finish line. (In fact, I’m not sure when one might come into view.)

To try to ensure the novel has the best chance to reach readers, I’m working with two pros who are creating Meta & Amazon ads as these seem as complicated as quantum physics to me.

Subscribe now

I just learned from my Amazon ads expert that “in the early weeks of the launch, we’re trying to educate the algorithm on what the book is about. If it is bought by people who don’t normally buy in your genre, it could make it much harder to get organic sales. If your first few sales are to people who normally buy cozy mysteries, self-help books and spy thrillers, that’s who the algorithm will target.”

This is the same advice I received from Inkubator Books when You Shouldn’t Have Done That was released.

With that, if you’d like to show your support but this isn’t your genre, I’d love it if you asked your library to order a copy of the audiobook. Here are the details they usually need:

• Title: A Different Type of Poison

• Author: Liz Alterman

• Publisher: Simon Maverick (November 25, 2025)

• ISBN13: 9781668162613

• LIST PRICE $26.99 (may vary)

Thank you again to everyone who pre-ordered a copy. I’m so grateful for your support!

With Black Friday and its more relaxed cousin CyberMonday right around the corner, I’m offering free shipping (inside the U.S.) if you’d like to give a signed copy of any of my books as a gift. I will wrap, include a bookmark, and ship it directly to the recipient if you’d prefer. Thanks for considering this!

Order a signed copy

I’m excited to see what happens from here, and in the new year, I plan to share details on costs involved and what worked and what could be improved. Either way, this old dog has learned some new tricks! (See more below on a free self-publishing workshop in February.)

At the end of the day, I hope to go out to dinner with my husband and sons, who are home for Thanksgiving. We’re opting for Mexican because nothing helps me block out all the things I still haven’t done like a nice veggie burrito and a side of fresh guacamole.

From the “Don’t Give Up” files …

While I didn’t win one of the top spots in the Erma Bombeck “Humorist-in-Residence” program (complete with coveted bathrobe and two weeks of room service …swoon!), I’m excited to share that I received an honorable mention. This was my fourth attempt, so score one for not giving up.

Because I always wonder what others include in their applications, I thought I’d tell you about mine. My sample was the extended version of this essay and when asked what I’d work on if selected to lounge around the Dayton Marriott for two blissful weeks, I pitched the “finding love at midlife romcom” idea that won by a landslide in the poll that appeared in this newsletter:

I’m taking this as a sign to get back to that manuscript once I finish the one I worked on in France. It may be a while as I’m stuck at 41,000 words while I focus on promoting A Different Type of Poison.

Share

Where I’ll be:

I’m going to pick up some gifts in between selling books this Sunday!

If you’re interested in hearing more about my path to self-publishing, join me and the Mystery Writers of America - Midwest Chapter on February 19 at 8 p.m. for a free webinar: Taking the Self Publishing Path (After Traditional Publishing). Register here.

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Thanksgiving! If you could use a laugh this holiday season, please check out and ’s latest McSweeney’s piece: Thanksgiving or Perimenopause?

I’m so grateful for your time and your thoughtful comments on these newsletters! xx

Leave a comment

Hi everyone and welcome new subscribers! I’m so glad you’re here. I hope you’ve had a great month.

The scenery in the Northeast has been spectacular and I’m trying to get out from behind my laptop and savor it before the long, gray winter arrives. In late-October, I visited my pal Lisa Kusel in Vermont to celebrate her book launch then continued on to a wedding in New Hampshire.

Though I found the autumn leaves absolutely stunning, I heard on the radio, and again from a wedding guest, that the general consensus is: “It’s been a disappointing foliage season.”

People blamed it on the rain (a Milli Vanilli reference for those old enough to remember that iconic duo) or, rather, the lack of it.

Maybe I’m extra-sensitive ahead of the release of my latest book, but I came away thinking, “Wow! Now even leaves are getting harsh reviews. Yikes!”

Subscribe now

In some positive news, on Friday, I had the opportunity to speak with fifth graders about writing and, wow, these kids blew me away.

We often worry about the future: AI, the impact of social media on reading and writing, how Dictionary.com could name “67” its 2025 Word of the Year (!?!?!?).

But to say that this crew gave me hope would be an understatement.

They’ve been working on a unit about memoir, and I began by saying sometimes people wonder about the difference between memoir and autobiography. A student raised his hand and said, “Autobiography is like the whole watermelon; memoir is a slice.”

I was like, “Dude, let’s switch places. I want to learn from you!” (I asked if he’s available to help teach my Monday evening Beginning Memoir class and he told me that would conflict with his violin practice. See what I mean? These kids are impressive!)

So in response to the whole “Are you smarter than a fifth grader?” I’m going with a hard “no.”

Another thing that warmed my heart: When I asked students what they’re reading and enjoying, at least two-thirds of the class couldn’t wait to share their favorite titles and series. I left feeling optimistic, even as I drove past a scarecrow wearing what I consider to be my nicest sweater dress on my way out of town.

As for my own future, well, I’m feeling slightly weird about that. I try to be really transparent here so I thought I’d share a bit of the backstory that set me on the path to self-publishing my next suspense novel, A Different Type of Poison, out Nov. 25.

I started this manuscript in April 2024. I’d parted ways with my fourth agent months before that after we had a difference of opinion on characters and pacing in You Shouldn’t Have Done That. Unsure what I’d do with that manuscript, I set it aside and started this new one, which follows a thriller author who finds herself stepping into her scariest chapter yet. (Dun Dun Dunnnn!) I spent the next year drafting and revising it, and in the meantime, found a wonderful home for You Shouldn’t Have Done That with Inkubator Books.

About a month after that novel came out, I got an email from an editor at Simon Maverick, who asked if the audio rights were available. I was flattered but had already sold them. He asked if I was working on anything else. Fortunately, I was nearly finished with A Different Type of Poison so I told him I’d send it when it was complete. He said if he thought it was a good fit, he’d like to add it to their calendar for November release. We also talked about the importance of a great cover and pricing it attractively—two components that can make or break your sales and ones I’ve definitely wanted more control over going forward.

Given that tight turnaround, self-publishing seemed like the best option. (More transparency: I had an offer from a traditional publisher but the terms (sub-rights/royalty percentages) weren’t very appealing. Plus, production time would’ve probably run a year to 18 months, so I turned it down.)

Share

I’ve been curious about self-publishing for the past few years, but the project management aspect—putting together a team, learning all the steps involved, and then figuring out timelines—seemed so daunting. On the other hand, I loved the idea of not waiting and wishing someone would get back to me. Removing that stress of constantly checking email and wondering “Is today the day I get wonderful/terrible news?” freed up so much headspace and left me with a lot more confidence.

Side note: I was listening to a podcast recently in which a traditionally published author said he decided to self-publish his latest series because he believed in it so strongly and he didn’t want to sit around for a year or longer only to hear editors didn’t quite “get it.”

As someone who’s been on the receiving end of dozens of “I liked it, but I didn’t love it” emails, I feel this deeply. Also, my second and third agents would go months without responding to my emails and that drained my creative energy and enthusiasm for taking the more traditional route.

Industry expert recently announced her first self-published book and explained her decision:

I’m looking for partnership and collaboration. I want to assemble my own team to bring projects to life.

Leave a comment

So, when Simon Maverick offered me a two-book audio deal, I said, “Yes!” and “Thank you!” and psyched myself up to self-publish the print and ebook (priced at 99 cents for a limited time!).

To prepare, I took 3 courses:

• Self-Publishing Foundations: Prepare, Plan, and Promote for Long-term Success with David Wogahn

• How to Self-Publish Your Book with Jane Friedman

• Reedsy’s: How to Self-Publish Like a Pro1

Each of these is worthwhile if you’re considering self-publishing. You definitely don’t need all three as there is overlap, but a lot bears repeating and some instructors focus more on different aspects, which I found helpful. (My dear friend , who has given me invaluable advice over the years, will offer a self-publishing master class at the Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop. If you’re attending, don’t miss this!)

I feel extremely fortunate to have assembled a wonderful and responsive team who have helped me edit, format, and upload the book. My cover designer was amazing to work with and went above and beyond to bring my (very vague) concept to life.

As I’ve shared here before, I’m a big fan of ’s wonderful The Career Novelist podcast where she often discusses the value in pursuing different publishing avenues. She also talks about taking the pressure off by not thinking one book is the sum of your career. Instead, she recommends taking the long view, building a body of work, and discovering what serves you and your creativity at that point in time.

I’m currently in the scary pre-launch period where marketing and promotion consume most of my waking hours. Though, truthfully, this falls on the shoulders of traditionally published authors as well so I would probably be fixated on this regardless of how this book entered the world.

In the more quiet moments, I feel like I can hear the voice of Jesse Palmer, host of “The Bachelor,” asking, “Will Liz’s self-publishing journey lead to the happily ever after she’s hoping for? Or will it end in devastating heartbreak? Stay tuned!”

Pre-order? You're the best!

A quick question about this newsletter:

What I’ve Read & Listened To Lately:

One Little Mistake by Miranda Rijks is a fun, twisty read! What was Kate thinking when she created a spreadsheet ranking her closest friends? That’s the question Kate keeps asking herself after it’s leaked and her lovely life gets turned upside down.

As with Miranda’s other novels, once you pick this up, it’s nearly impossible to put down. Thank you, Miranda, for a wonderful escape from reality that made my life seem far less stressful by comparison to Kate’s! Can’t wait for your next one!

The Death of Us by Abigail Dean is brutal and brilliant. I cannot say enough good things about the voice actors who brought these characters to life.

Where I’ll Be:

I’m excited to join the Must Love Memoir lineup Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Jake’s Dilemma, 430 Amsterdam Ave. NY, NY.

I’m offering a free, one-hour Beginning Your Memoir workshop Nov. 18 from 7 to 8 p.m. at Library of the Chathams. Join me if you can!

I was recently a guest on ’s wonderful Get Writing podcast and we talked a lot about the importance of trusting your gut. Thanks again for having me, Liz!

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving if you celebrate, and, as always, thank you for reading!

Hi and I hope your October is going well! Thank you to everyone who read my last newsletter and extended their sympathy. I’m down to blushing and cringing a mere twice a day now.

I’m here with a quick mid-month update. I have a new suspense novel coming out in late November. (Surprise!) Without further ado, here’s the cover:

(Designed this myself…does it show? Just this trailer, I mean, not the cover.)

Subscribe now

I had a lot of fun with this manuscript, mainly because the main character is an author so I was able to exorcise some writing-life demons. There’s also a book within the book, which I enjoyed because, hey, get stuck in one plot, slide over and wrestle with the other.

Here’s a bit more about it:

The Plot meets Disclaimer in a simmering, slow-burn domestic thriller and psychological suspense novel that explores the stories we tell, the secrets we bury, and the price we pay for both, perfect for fans of Sally Hepworth, Liane Moriarty, and Lisa Jewell.

When a bestselling author receives an invitation to return to her hometown to discuss her dark campus thriller, she never suspects she may be walking into the most unsettling plot twist of her life.

After her first two books flatlined, author Molly Archer is thrilled that her latest, Birds at Night, is an instant hit. Newly divorced and raising two children in an upscale community north of Manhattan, Molly will do whatever it takes to sustain her novel’s momentum and support the lifestyle she’s worked so hard to achieve.

When an enthusiastic book club organizer from her hometown reaches out, Molly welcomes the opportunity to meet her readers. Traveling back to Ohio offers the perfect excuse to check on her widowed mom, whose health—and memory—appear to be unraveling.

As much as she looks forward to the trip, one thing troubles Molly: She can’t remember Anna Fox, the woman who extended the invitation and seems all too eager to reconnect. Will Molly’s visit introduce her to a new group of adoring fans or is she stepping into her deadliest chapter yet?

A taut literary thriller with shocking twists, A Different Type of Poison explores the line between where fiction ends and the truth begins.

Share

I’ve partnered with Simon Maverick for the audio and will release the print and ebook myself. I’ll share pre-order links and a lot more about this in my November newsletter. The ebook is currently available on Netgalley if you’re inclined to check out a free, early copy. Thank you for all your continued support!

Where I’ll Be

I’m excited to celebrate the launch of my pal Lisa Kusel’s latest thriller, Long Way Down, which delivers more metaphorical explosions than the Cooper family quarry at the center of their fortunes and misfortunes. We’ll be at The Wallflower Collective in Burlington, VT on October 23 from 5 to 7 p.m.

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thanks for reading!

Leave a comment

Hi Everyone! Happy October! September went by in a blink for me, mainly because I spent half of it in France at a writing residency. I’d gone into this with high expectations and I’m thrilled to report it exceeded them.

From the stunning chateau to the delicious food, I felt so well cared for and nurtured there. But my fellow attendees: writers, painters, and photographers, are what truly made it so special. I was once again reminded of the importance of community. The kindness and support we extended to one another is something I wish I could bottle and share with every artist who experiences moments (or months) of self-doubt.

It can feel indulgent to go on a solo trip in an attempt to work on something that lives only in your imagination, and yet it also feels necessary to find a way to keep your creativity alive in an increasingly chaotic world.

What I accomplished there in just under two weeks would’ve taken me six months at home. (For my stat lovers, I left New Jersey on Sept. 13 with 6,000 words and returned on Oct. 1 with 29,000, just 1,000 shy of my 30k goal.) With this manuscript, I’m trying to resist the temptation to go back and reread a billion times, knowing that I will do this in the countless editing rounds that lay/lie ahead.

Separated from daily chores and decision making, my fellow attendees and I agreed that we were stunned (in a good way) by how much we could create, and, once in that zone, how much more we yearned to accomplish.

We had a few writing workshops led by Suzi Q Smith, who was positively effervescent despite the fact that she was joining us via Zoom at 7 a.m. Mountain time. Early on, there was an open mic night, and because one of my goals for this residency (other than eating all the bread and cheese in the region) was to stretch beyond my comfort zone, I did a few minutes of stand-up. (Can I now add “performed in France” to my bio?) I went into it pretty fearful. If I bombed, for the next 10 days I’d be the sad American who thinks she’s funny. Fortunately, it was a very generous audience—either that or the secret to successful stand-up is following a poet who is reciting work about death.

One of my other hopes was to craft a short opening set for my friend Lisa Kusel’s book launch celebration (Have you pre-ordered her book? Don’t miss it!) and I tackled that as well.

The hardest part was saying goodbye to the wonderful new friends I made (and my massive bedroom with a glorious view). I am hoping to maintain this momentum and will let you know how that goes.

If you’re looking for a residency, I cannot say enough good things about this experience. Here’s the application. If you go, send me a postcard!

Share

Time for that cautionary tale!

After 13 magical days in Orquevaux, I returned to Paris on Monday afternoon. I visited Musée de l’Orangerie, home to Monet’s stunning waterlilies, and had dinner at Polidor, featured in Midnight in Paris. (Rumor has it Hemingway drank here, but where didn’t he drink, right?)

On Tuesday, I left my pint-sized hotel room (this isn’t a dig, more an important detail for the shocking turn of events we’ll get to shortly) at 9 a.m., strolled the gorgeous Luxembourg Gardens, took the metro to the Marais for a 3.5 hour walking food tour, where I ate just about everything in Paris. I then hustled nearly two miles to the Musée d’Orsay with two lovely women from Canada, who’d had tickets for Sunday but napped through their timed entry due to jet lag. We laughed about how easy it is to make mistakes when traveling. (Reader, this, too, is foreshadowing.)

We parted ways at the entrance to the museum with hugs and best wishes. (I’m sorry, this part ends in a cliffhanger. I don’t know if the museum honored their expired tickets though I looked for them everywhere. Side note: I could write a separate essay on the beauty of older women (think 70s) traveling together. In addition to this delightful duo headed next to Bordeaux, at the start of my trip I met a pair from Australia who were off to a sewing workshop in Kent.)

I spent two hours marveling at the John Singer Sargent exhibit where, again, I was reminded of just how much artists need each other and how those pesky “Why am I bothering?” feelings extend across time and mediums.

I returned to the hotel around 6:30 p.m. having clocked 17,000 steps with the aching feet that accompany them. Checking email, I found a reminder for a webinar taught by a publishing pro whose wisdom always inspires me. (I’m keeping this vague for reasons you’ll understand soon.)

Now I hate to skip a last meal in a fabulous city, but I was tired and stuffed from the food tour, which included a croissant, macarons, award-winning chocolate, beef bourguignon, a Moroccan specialty, a cream puff the size of a baby’s head, wine, and soft cheeses served with a baguette. I had a 9:45 a.m. flight the next morning. Maybe watching this webinar and packing would be a good way to relax, I reasoned.

I logged in and due to some shoddy math, I thought I was joining toward the end, when in fact it hadn’t begun.

“I have time for a quick shower,” I said aloud because I’d reached the “talking to myself” portion of my trip.

Friends, do you know where I’m going with this?

Leave a comment

I could’ve sworn I disconnected from Zoom, thinking I’d sign in again at the correct time. But at the stroke of 7 p.m. I heard the instructor’s cheerful voice. The Zoom screen was hidden by my inbox as I’d been responding to email before that ill-timed shower.

I came out of the bathroom in a towel, which I promptly dropped to apply body lotion. Why didn’t you stay in the bathroom to do that, Liz? you may be asking. Well, as lovely as this hotel was, I recall porta potties at Lollapalooza being more spacious. (One more macaron and I wouldn’t have fit in the stall shower.)

After moisturizing, I engaged in that age-old travel debate: Are these underpants clean or dirty? while standing naked at the edge of the bed with the laptop facing me. Why in front of the laptop, Liz? Because the only other place to go would’ve been inside the dollhouse-sized closet.

Are you dying of second-hand mortification? Thank you.

Next, topless, I leaned directly OVER the laptop. Why? Because despite having the body of a 54-year-old who just spent two weeks eating croissants and cheese, deep down I am a five-year-old who stores her pajamas beneath her pillow even when on vacation. (#dork)

Eventually, I sat on the bed, spun the laptop around to give the webinar my full attention. That’s when I saw my face, which looked haggard because I’d walked 17,000 steps and hadn’t slept that well. (I’m fairly certain Michael Flatley was staying above me, rehearsing for the Parisian version of Riverdance well into the wee hours of the morning.)

Once I got past the purple trenches beneath my eyes, the wheels turned: MY VIDEO HAS BEEN ON THIS ENTIRE TIME!

No! No! No!

Yes! Yes! Yes!

There were A LOT of messages in the chat (like 85 and rising) and one direct to me: “Do you know your camera is on?”

Considering I don’t even like showing my face on video, let’s just go, “No, no, I did not.”

The DM’er at once ignited and allayed my fears. “These are usually recorded and shared on YouTube,” she wrote, “but I sent HOST (name redacted) a message to edit this out.”

I panicked. I hadn’t felt this level of “HOLY SH!T! IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!” since I’d momentarily lost a child in a supermarket circa 2009.

I have no idea how much attendees (and I’m sure you’re curious so let me tell you: there were 138 of them) saw.

Should I apologize in the main chat? Would that be more distracting? I’ve already hijacked this webinar?! were the thoughts swirling through my brain. For the sake of what was left of my mental health, I did not open the main chat.

Instead, I wrote to the host directly to apologize. I then shared all of this with my husband, who said, “Maybe you were just in a tiny square, not the main one.” (Points for trying!) Needless to say, I slept for about 12 minutes that night and compulsively checked my email for people saying they were traumatized or had a cellulite cream to recommend.

Fortunately, by the time I boarded my flight, I was only thinking about the incident every 10 minutes. I tried telling myself, “Okay it’s a big world, so what if 138 people saw you naked simultaneously?”

By the time I landed, the host had written back and assured me that my antics were not recorded. She also said someone had flashed a webinar last year and that this was a more common occurrence than I might suspect. So now I am down to being horrified by all of this just once every 30 minutes.

(Thank you to my dear friends Lisa, Melissa, Annette, and Charlie, who also talked me off the ledge in the moments and hours after this disaster, and reminded me this is great “material.”)

Subscribe now

Where I’ll Be (fully clothed)

If you’re near Morris County, NJ and looking for a memoir workshop, I’m teaching in person starting Monday, Oct. 6. with The Writers Circle at the wonderful The Nature of Reading Bookshop. Register here. I’d love to see you!

I’ll be at Bedford Books on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the launch of the paperback version of Claire Casey’s Had Enough. Please join me if you can. Registration is free and can be found here. (Bonus: My cousin will be there and I’m bringing wine & cookies. Now who’s in??)

I’m super excited to celebrate the launch of my pal Lisa Kusel’s latest thriller, Long Way Down, which delivers more metaphorical explosions than the Cooper family quarry at the center of their fortunes and misfortunes. We’ll be at The Wallflower Collective in Burlington, VT on October 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. Kim Windyka, who writes the wonderful Substack, The Scenic Route, which gives me extreme wanderlust, was recently there and now I’m dying to check out this place in person!

Time for my obligatory cat photo…

I hope to have some publishing news next month, so stay tuned. As always, thanks for reading!

Subscribe now

Hi Everyone! I hope September is off to a great start for you!

In August, the lovely and prolific author had me on her Get Writing podcast. Thank you again, Liz, and thank you, Shannon Russell, author of the super-inspiring Start Your Second Act: How to Change Careers, Launch a Business, and Create Your Best Life, for connecting us!

Liz and I agreed that although we’d both spent years working as journalists, for ages we struggled with calling ourselves “writers.” We’re beyond that now (phew!) but we talked about what we once believed needed to happen for us to truly feel successful in our careers and perhaps worthy of the title “writer.”

Subscribe now

I shared that my definition of success has changed a lot over time. I used to think I’d have “made it” when I saw my books in airports. (Spoiler: I do see them in airports—’cause they’re in my luggage. I often carry a few so I can drop them in Little Free Libraries in new locales. I’ve also considered using them to bribe flight attendants into giving me a second Stroopwafel.)

Then I thought, “Wouldn't it be great if Netflix or Apple TV came calling for the rights to one of my books?" Then, I’ll be successful! Or, how cool/bizarre would it be to have a rest stop named for you on the Garden State Parkway? (Always aim high!)

But as time has passed, I’ve decided success is simpler. I’ve started defining it as not letting this industry snuff out your creative spark despite the constant ups and downs (a euphemism for soul-crushing disappointments).

Lately, I’ve been loving the transparency here on Substack. shared her sales figures and shattered the myth that bestselling authors only soar to greater heights with each new release. has been extremely candid about the bumpy (but also awesome!) ride that has been her “Debut Life.” started her addictive The Long Road to Publishing podcast, where she and guests speak openly and honestly about triumph and heartbreak. ’s Pitch Your Novel offers compelling weekly round-ups of publishing news and trends in a way that feels like they’re being whispered to you by your best friend over coffee and pastries.

Because so much of writing is a solitary endeavor, to have people pull back the curtain and say, “It might all look great on the outside, but here’s the backstory…” definitely makes me feel like, “Okay, so it’s not just me then?”

So why keep going? (Beyond spite & revenge, I mean.) At the risk of sounding like a car commercial, I’m trying to focus on the journey not the destination. I think it all comes down to something author and agent wrote in her recent newsletter:

Publishing doesn’t owe you shit…

You can only control what you make. If everything you make must be published/a success for you to be satisfied with your artistic life, then you have a tough road ahead of you. No one hits all homers.

Oof & amen.

And it’s not only the whole “get an agent, go on submission, hope an editor falls in love with your work, and pray it all goes smoothly from there” challenge. Sometimes you receive reviews and messages that make you wish you’d stuck with your original plan to go to law school even though reading contracts makes your eyes cross.

Exhibit A:

Over the weekend, my husband and I were watching Dexter: Resurrection so I was already feeling a little stabby when I saw that I’d received a message through my website. My anxiety spiked because I’ve gotten some unpleasant messages lately. (More on that below!) Plus, the sender had the same last name as one of the families in my thriller (or not-quite-a-thriller if you recall last month’s newsletter) You Shouldn’t Have Done That.

Now, it’s not an uncommon last name. Still, my first thought was, “Wow, now I really wish I’d gone to law school because this person is going to sue the Old Navy pants off me!”

Then, I thought, “Why are you so negative, Liz? What if it’s filled with flattery like those AI-generated emails that contain only vague but effusive praise for your unnamed novel and no website or phone number?”

Reader, it was good and bad…

Okay, sorry, but let’s look at the start of that second paragraph. Unless “Habit” is new slang with which I'm unfamiliar, I think it’s safe to say everyone makes mistakes and deserves a pass or three.

That said, I own this. I have never been able to keep lay, lie, lain, laid, etc. straight. (Wait until this person finds out I’m still grappling with farther vs. further!) For the record, I also can’t clap in time with people or music and have been known to add another ‘e’ to Massachusetts for no apparent reason.

All in all, I breathed a small sigh of relief after reading this message because a) this person (so far) doesn’t seem litigious and b) it wasn’t as bad as this…

Exhibit B:

Still, I’ve been mulling writing a sequel to You Shouldn’t Have Done That and you can bet that since one of the main families already has this surname, I’m going to add a character with this person’s first name and leave them lying in a ditch. (Still sounds weird to me but whatever…)

My point is that continuing to do what you love for the sheer joy of it, in spite of all the potential for heartache, feels a little bit like resistance and a lot like success to me.

A Giveaway!

My friend Miranda Rijks is generously offering a free copy of her novella The Cheat. Signup for her fabulous newsletter where she answers readers’ questions and reviews thrillers. Here’s the link. Enjoy! And thank you, Miranda!

Where I’ll Be:

On Friday, Sept. 19, I’m participating in Medium Day. Register here for a free, full-day live online conference that brings the writing community together. My talk focuses on Beginning Your Memoir and starts at 3 p.m. Eastern. While you can’t sign up for specific sessions, if you register, you’ll see the full roster.

On Thursday Oct. 2, I’ll be at the Coffee Corral in Red Bank, NJ from 4 to 6 p.m. talking about The House on Cold Creek Lane & signing copies. Tickets are available here.

If you’re near Morris County, NJ and looking for a memoir workshop, I’m teaching in person starting Monday, Oct. 6. with The Writers Circle at the wonderful The Nature of Reading Bookshop. Register here. I’d love to see you!

I’ll be at Bedford Books on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the launch of the paperback version of Claire Casey’s Had Enough. Please join me if you can. Registration is free and can be found here. (Bonus: My cousin will be there and I’m bringing wine & cookies. Now who’s in??)

If you’d like to try to win a copy of Claire Casey’s Had Enough, my publisher Severn House is hosting a Goodreads Giveaway. Enter here to win one of 20 ebooks.

Time for my obligatory cat photo:

As always, thank you for reading! What does success look like to you?

Leave a comment

Hi Everyone! Welcome new subscribers! Happy August. I hope you’ve had a great month.

Genre, reviews, and reader expectations have been on my mind lately.

Over the past week, a reviewer tagged me multiple times on separate platforms. She’d listened to the You Shouldn’t Have Done That audiobook, which came out in late July. (Check out a sample here.)

She begins her posts and reels (yes, both) by stating she nearly DNF’d (Did Not Finish) it at the 10% mark and again at 20%.

After that ego-boosting opening, naturally, I considered DNF-ing the rest of her review. But I soldiered on. And, friends, she had a lot of thoughts.

Share

She didn’t care for the narrator. Personally, I think Cat Protano knocked it out of the park. And after narrating my memoir, I have even more respect and admiration for voice actors. But, hey, everyone’s entitled to her opinion.

In addition to a few other complaints, this reviewer’s main gripe was that the book was marketed as a “thriller,” but she wasn’t sure it truly fulfilled the genre’s requirements. She conceded that yes, there’s a missing person. Yes, you’ve got characters making bad choices and, yes, there’s murder and a general sense of “something bad is about to happen,” yet she said she felt like she was watching it all unfold.

Hmmm … as opposed to what? I wondered, leaping inside the pages?

I got a nostalgic laugh remembering the show Super Why—one of my boys’ childhood favorites. In the animated series, characters live in Storyville and jump inside books to solve problems and change and/or fix the endings.

Share Liz’s Newsletter

Ultimately, her review (which she admits is “chaotic”) had a happy ending. She was glad she stuck with the story. (Put that rousing endorsement on my next cover, please!) While she urged her followers to pick it up, she remained flummoxed by how to categorize it.

I’m sharing this not to knock this reviewer as I’m truly grateful for every person who reads or listens to one of my books. But I stand by the idea that reviews are for readers rather than authors. The book is complete; I cannot go back and add elements that would make it align with this reviewer’s definition of a thriller. Plus, the publisher positions the novel and there’s not a lot you, as the author, can do about that.

Also, I wouldn’t tag an author in anything less than a glowing review—maybe that’s because I know what goes into writing a book or because I was raised by a mother who repeated, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything!” Of course now that she’s in her 80s, all bets are off. She’s more in line with Alice Roosevelt Longworth’s, “If you don’t have anything nice to say, sit right here by me,” as she roasts everyone in her circle. She’s basically the Don Rickles of the Rummikub set.

Of course, everyone is welcome to share his or her thoughts on a book, but I don’t need to read them. Often, reviews—not just of my own work but of anyone’s—destroy what’s left of my faith in humanity.

When I see a posthumously published memoir about the final months of a young mother’s cancer journey receive two stars because, “This was sad, y’all,” I want to scream. I also can’t stand what I’ve come to think of as “star stinginess” where a reviewer says she enjoyed the read but is rounding down from 3.5 stars to 3.25 stars because, “I know the world’s a hot mess with climate change and genocide and all that, but the one thing I absolutely cannot abide is pages with deckled edges. Who’s with me?”

Why am I telling you this? (Other than to vent to a new audience since my family doesn’t want to hear it anymore…)

I’m putting the finishing touches on a manuscript and while I’m pleased with how it turned out, there’s no question it’s a slow burn. I’m fine with that. But where will it sit in the market? And how many negative reviews will I receive if I dare to refer to it as a “thriller?” Do I pepper the cover with phrases like, “A simmering, slow-motion unraveling for people with patience and plenty o’ time …” or “May not meet all your thriller hopes and dreams by page 12—proceed accordingly!”

Personally, I don’t need a book to fit neatly into one genre in order to enjoy it. Over the past few months, I listened to Broken Country and Culpability. Both are considered literary fiction yet each has thriller-y elements. I didn’t stop the recording to shake a fist in the air and demand “Pick a genre already!”

As a reader, all I ask of a book is that it makes me care about the characters and the plot enough to see how it all comes together. As a writer, that’s what I’m trying to offer, regardless of what you call it.

On the topic, Andromeda Romano-Lax and Caitlin Wahrer, who write the always interesting have put together a free 8-week summer school. Their first post focused on genre. Next week’s will explore tension, and I’m looking forward to it.

Leave a comment

Where I’ve Been & Where I’ll Be

Thank you to everyone who voted in last month’s newsletter’s poll in which I asked you to weigh in on the project I should write next: A romcom about finding love at midlife or a revenge-themed suspense. Finding love won by a landslide and I was all in. Then, I appeared as a guest on Suzy Vadori’s Show Don’t Tell podcast. (I won this through Writers Helping Writers. Yay!) Suzy workshopped the first page of that revenge-themed suspense idea and now I’m back at a crossroads again.

I also completed the ‘How to Write a Novel’ Reedsy course I began in April. I’ll definitely miss it and the lessons on endings gave me a lot to think about. If you’re in the market for an online course with daily lessons and weekly live editing sessions, I highly recommend it. I didn’t come close to the 50k-word goal but I do have about 9k in two very different projects, so there’s that!

I often say that the best part of writing is the friendships I’ve made along the way. , host of the Dear Nina podcast, kindly had me on as a guest. We talked about intergenerational friendships as that’s a subplot in my romcom Claire Casey’s Had Enough. You can listen here:

Upcoming events:

If you’re near Morris County, NJ and looking for a memoir workshop, I’m teaching in person starting Monday, Oct. 6. with The Writers Circle. Register here. I’d love to see you!

I’ll be at Bedford Books on Wednesday, Oct. 8 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. to celebrate the launch of the paperback version of Claire Casey’s Had Enough. Please join me if you can!

I’m super excited to celebrate the launch of my pal Lisa Kusel’s latest thriller, Long Way Down, which delivers more metaphorical explosions than the Cooper family quarry at the center of their fortunes and misfortunes. We’ll be at The Wallflower Collective in Burlington, VT in October. , who writes the wonderful Substack, The Scenic Route, which gives me extreme wanderlust, was recently there and now I’m dying to check out this place in person!

Time for my obligatory cat photo…

Subscribe now

As always, thank you for reading!