Answering your questions about writing, books, & publishing
An AMA for the writers and the writer-curious among us
Hi friends,
This week, I’m answering your questions about writing, books, and publishing!
Before we get into that though, I wanted to share a couple of videos I posted on Instagram recently: this one features yours truly reading a passage about fear and love from my new book for you. This one of me seeing my book in ‘real life’ for the first time or doing what my teens called “an unboxing.” And finally this one (my personal favourite) is a keepsake for life: we surprised my mother with the news that I dedicated this book to her.1 🥹
All right, so a few weeks ago, when I asked what sort of things you’d like to explore in the lead-up to my fifth book coming out, a surprising number of you wanted to talk about the business and process side of writing and publishing. So here we are.
I opened up an AMA on Instagram Stories yesterday and your questions flooded in. I answered as many as I could fit into the email-length-limit here. Here is the run down ahead:
How many minutes/hours do you set aside in a day to write?
What are your writing routines? Morning? Night?
I have so many short stories and essays but do not know where to send them.
How many sweaters do you knit when you’re writing?
How do you narrow down your book ideas/focus on writing ONE book?
As a first time writer is it better to submit a completed first draft to publisher or a proposal?
Should I try to get an agent?
Best advice for starting the journey of getting published?
How long does writing a book actually take (from initial idea to hardback copy in your hand)?
Are book proposals worth it?
How’d you find your agent and publisher?
Do you read your bad reviews? or good ones?
How to write honourably but honestly about people who hurt you or just sucked?
How do you know you have something to say when there are so many other amazing folks?
Were you ever discouraged or did you ever give up when you were trying to make it as a writer? (long answer on this one, beware)
How do you find time to write?
And I’ll share a few of my favourite books about writing or creativity, too.
