BOOK NEWS

A funny thing that happens when you’re a writer is you find yourself in text and dm threads with other writers, the subject of which is mostly all the shit you can’t talk about. Some of it, you just don’t want to jinx it before the check clears. Some of it, it’s not real until it is. You’ve got a writer friend who’s sold UK rights but it hasn’t been announced yet. Another writer friend just found out a massive name author is reading their book for a blurb but dude what if they hate it. But wouldn’t it be cool if they loved it. One writer friend updates you about the film option that’ll probably never be made but it’s still cool and they’re going to dinner with the movie star and they have to tell someone. A writer friend is on submission but they just had a great call with an editor. Another writer friend is still on submission and how the fuck are people passing on this book.

Sometimes, often, it’s a pain in the ass to not be able to announce something, to know it may live and die in text messages. There’s only so much good news in this business. You want to tell. But it suits my general outlook of not believing something is real until it is, even then I sometimes have my doubts.

My threads, for months now, have been writer friends telling me I’d sell the proposal while I argued that there was a very real chance I’d never sell another book. This is because I’m a dumbass who doesn’t understand publishing at all, who still can’t quite grasp that I made the bestseller list or what that even means. But it’s also because it’s been a fucking ride, and not always the pleasant sort of ride. My book came out in a pandemic. There was no book tour. No party. And, well… that other shit.

That whole ride probably has a lot to do with why I got another dog. Why I bought a van. Why I want to do some driving. I’d been writing these pieces for Texas Highways, getting off the highway and out of the car and talking to people, seeing how different the world looks when I’ve got my dog with me. I’ll get into more of that later. The point is, I have a book to write.

Holy shit I have a book to write!

I am so fucking excited to be working with Anna Kaufman again. She was an editor on my first book and she’s the fucking best. I’m thrilled I get to work with the same incredible team at Anchor. My agents, Jamie Chambliss and Steve Troha are obviously fucking legends.

Thank you for hanging out for this weird damn ride. I wanted to tell y’all first. So here it is, the little screenshot every writer dreams of posting. I cannot believe I get to do it a second time.

I’ll keep you posted. Holy fuck I have to write a book!