hello, May
juggling a writing career with a 9-5, upcoming book travel, and book updates
April hustle is supposed to bring May muscle, but my April was spent recovering from a 2-year long marathon of writing. There was no hustle for me. I was blissfully a hobbit who burrowed in her garden and read lots of new books and tried, mostly, to take care of herself.
Unfortunately, I got bored of my hobbiting and decided to begin a New Work. As one who is an unhealthy high-achiever and serial overdoer does. I know Pippin is angrily shaking his fist at me. I’ll get better, one day.
But I am excited about this New Work. Like many things in infancy, this book is fragile and delicate, prone to startle at the slightest moment of being perceived, so I will not share much. But I can tell you how much it fills me with a sense of shy delight and eagerness. The characters are slowly speaking to me, and they have so much to tell. They are willful and crafty, and when I stop to think about them, I get excited. This was the same feeling I had when I started The Phoenix King. I may not know the destiny of this new book, but I hope by leaning into my instincts, by allowing my innate storyteller to feel out the world, I will have a book that I’m proud of. As an artist, there is nothing more you can control. The industry will change, trends will come and go, but as long as you cultivate your voice, your taste, your inner storyteller, you will always have a tale. And someone in this world will seek it.
So come, friends. Grab a hot mug of tea, or a beer (if you’re Pippin), and settle in. I promised you updates! I also promised you advice on juggling a writing career and a full-time 9-5. Sink into your favorite armchair, and let’s begin.
The Burning Queen Updates
The Burning Queen is set to come out on Nov 4th of this year, and I am currently rereading it for copy edits. It’s strange to revisit this book that I finished months ago. For those of you unfamiliar with the publishing schedule, authors submit their manuscripts months before the release date. That usually means, by the time they get copy edits, and certainly by the time their book comes out, they’ve already moved on to the next project. Rereading a book you finished ages ago feels like meeting an old friend who you love, but do not expect to see other than on holidays. It’s bewildering. It’s comforting.
The Burning Queen was a labor of love, and I am nostalgic when I look back on the woman who made it. Because, now, I’m different than her. Books are but snapshots of the writer. They capture who we were at the time, but humans change and grow, and by the time I got my copy edits, I’d grown as a writer. I also get to now do the fun part, which is commission artwork!
I teamed up with Ngoc again to create character cards that are now part of the preorder campaign. Most of you already know this. However, I just received official confirmation from Orbit that they will include a full-color artwork on the inner front flap of all US paperbacks of The Burning Queen! Here’s a sneak peek:
You can now preorder The Burning Queen at most book retailers, like Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Waterstones, etc. If you submit your preorder receipt to this Google form, my team will send you 1 of 3 cards, as shown below.
Book Events
Here’s where you can find me IRL. I know my books are dark, but I’m actually quite pleasant in person. I promise I won’t bite.
June 6 -7 | Washington D.C.
June 20-22 | Houston, TX
July 12 | Chesterton, IN
The Unsolicited Writing Advice
I want to start a new (column? corner? section?) part in my monthly newsletters to share my learnings as a young, relatively new author navigating the world of publishing while also working a full-time job.
At first, I thought no one would care for my thoughts on this subject, but a surprisingly passionate amount of people have asked how I juggle a demanding 9-5 with a professional writing career.
And the answer? I suck at it.
It is the biggest joke among writers with day jobs that we are terrible at balancing our two careers. And that’s because the publishing industry does not invite harmony. With deadlines, we’re either constantly working against the clock, or waiting for edits, a cover, marketing updates, etc. There are weeks where every night, I stay up until 1 or 2am writing or editing. It is not sustainable, but the work needs to get done.
Now that I have surfaced from the quagmire of editing, I’m a bit more discerning. And here’s what I’ve learned:
Writing takes discipline. Whether you write for a hour or even 30 minutes, you must show up for the Work. The book will not get written otherwise, so show up for your book and, most importantly, yourself as an artist.
Give yourself grace. December and January are the busiest and craziest months for me at the day job, and no matter how hard I try, no significant amount of writing gets done then. That’s okay. Life happens, art is meant to be fluid. I still try to write notes and story ideas, and I try not to feel too guilty about it.
Have your boundaries. Full stop.
The weekends will be sacrificed. I know, it’s not a fun thing to admit. But I got the majority of my writing for The Burning Queen done on the weekend. During these sessions, I would write anywhere from 3K to 6K words. I had all the words bubbling inside of me throughout the week, and I let them all onto the page. And that made up for the days I missed.
Take writing retreats. I can’t tell you how helpful these were for me. Sometimes, you need to disconnect and immerse yourself within your world. I was lucky to get PTO to do this, and I know not everyone can. But if you can manage it, take that retreat. It doesn’t have to be fancy. It can even be in your own hometown. But you and your work deserve it.
Have a plan for your next writing session. When I was drafting, I would often end my writing session in the middle of a scene. Before, I hated doing that. I would push myself to finish the chapter, but by stopping mid-scene, you give yourself momentum in the next writing session. I would look forward to revisiting the page again. And when you have limited time, each session counts.
Hopefully, these were helpful. I’m curious if there are other aspects about writing, publishing, or day jobs, you’d like to learn more about. Let me know?
What I’m Reading/Watching
Isle of the Silver Sea
Tasha Suri’s upcoming book is tender and evocative and full of characters who will steal your heart away on the first page. Preorder it now!
Sinners
Everyone and their mother is talking about this movie, and it’s well-deserved. Ryan Coogler’s vision is extraordinary, but more so, he has this innate sense of story that all good storytellers have. It’s not something you’re born with, no. But it’s something you cultivate, through watching, reading, observing. Storytelling is as much intuition as it is art. It is the job of the artist to make it purposeful.
Ten Incarnations of Rebellion
My agent sibling Vaishnavi Patel is coming out with another book and I just received the ARC. This is a tale of British India and revolution, of hope and resilience, and I cannot wait to dive in.
What’s Next
Though it’s not officially announced, I will be setting up a preorder campaign soon with BookPeople in Austin. You can get a signed copy + artwork not available anywhere else. I’m hoping to announce the campaign in the next two weeks. There are a bunch of exciting things happening around The Burning Queen that I hope I can share with you soon. Until then,
Keep a fire burning,
Aparna
Hey, I can't seem to be able to see the pre-order page for paperback here in India. Just letting you know in case you didn't.