The Write Place is TWO: some gratitude and some lessons learned
Does this make me a toddler author?
Cross-posted on Substack.
I know I should be promoting Not a Strong Enough Word right now. It releases in about a month, after all. So… I’m going to remind you that you can preorder ebooks and signed paperbacks from my website, and you should totally do that RIGHT NOW.
But, look, my first book baby turns two TODAY, so I can’t really let that go without celebrating it a little, now can I?
Did you participate in a protest last weekend? How did it go? I wasn’t able to, but I did several during the 2016-2020 years (including the Women’s March in Washington D.C., which was incredible), and they were always uplifting and energizing…and a good reminder to keep the momentum going. I hope, if you weren’t able to get out there (like me), you did something else to show your dissent. Personally, I’ve been donating some money. I am really, really good at spending money (ask my husband) so that’s where my efforts are right now.
As far as coffee goes, I have been using this salted caramel mocha flavor syrup in my cold brew and it is DIVINE. 10/10 absolutely do recommend.
If anyone were to tell me two years ago that The Write Place would get a lot of attention and continue to be my bestseller…well, actually, I probably would have believed you because I thought it was a really good book when I published it. (haha) Seriously, though, I believed in that baby from day one, and I’ll always look back on it fondly because I was starry-eyed and new to this indie author thing. When it was published, we were just on the tail end of social media as we knew it. People were still following and engaging on Instagram, TikTok wasn’t at risk of getting banned. Sure, the market was already oversaturated with romance novels and rising BookTok stars, but publishing that book felt like possibility. Since I was a little girl, I had always wanted to be an author. On April 11, 2023, that dream of mine came true.
A book club read The Write Place recently, and they asked me to come to their Zoom meeting to talk to them about it. One of the members asked me if there was anything I would change if I were to do it all over again. And, yes…I would make chapter 2 shorter, if we’re being honest. That chapter is LONG even though everything in there is necessary and their meet cute is, indeed, cute AF. But I likely would have split it up a bit, just for flow. Other than that? Honestly, no. I had an amazing team of readers, editors, and hype people. My hype people were so good, in fact, that when a major Bookstagrammer posted about it, they encouraged her to read it. She loved it. She reviewed it. And ever since, this little book has pulled in consistent sales and page reads. Hopefully, it has led some people to my other books, as well.
A lot of writers tell people that it’s okay if their debut doesn’t blow up. And that’s absolutely true. You keep getting better as you go, which is also true. Each one of my books has improved, and I’ve learned a lot about the business along the way. There isn’t much advice for people whose debut was—and remains—their most-read book, but I’m happy The Write Place is such a fan favorite. I was a debut author at its publication, but it wasn’t my first writing rodeo. I had written numerous articles and had a blog for a long time. I had an Etsy shop for a while, too. So I was no stranger to writing, marketing, community-building, and putting myself out there. Plus, I was 38 years old. I had been teaching for 16 years. I had parented small children (and taught high school) during COVID. It’s safe to say I had some life experience.
I’m a little more jaded now, (I mean, look around. How could you not be??) but each new book still feels like possibility to me. These characters have chosen me to tell their stories (we all know I’m not in charge here), and each reader has chosen my words over someone else’s. Sometimes, my words even resonate deeply with them. There is no greater privilege in the world than having someone choose to read my books. When they relate to them—love them—there’s no better feeling.
When I wrote The Write Place, I wrote it on a whim. I had this idea that a famous writer shadowing a high school English teacher might be a fun premise. I wrote it in stolen moments during naptimes and while waiting for dinner to cook and late into the night when everything was finally quiet. I published it on a whim, too. (Sort of. There was a lot of planning but, you know…naïveté.) I’m more precise in my endeavors now. I’ve carved out more space and time for them. I have plans and teams and an office and an agent. But despite all that, there’s something that will always remain so special about the sheer tenacity of writing and publishing that first book, with all the mistakes and missteps that came with it.
(And here is where I remind you that I am really good at writing bookish main characters, so if you loved The Write Place, you’ll love Not a Strong Enough Word, too. You should check it out.)
Preorder Not a Strong Enough Word
(AND ALSO, The Write Place is the first in a series of interconnected standalones. You should also definitely read The Write Time and The Write Choice! They are equally delightful.)
Not a Strong Enough Word advance review copies are going out on Monday! Turns out my body doesn’t understand the difference between sending out ARCs and being chased by a bear, so that’s fun. But! If you applied, you should have gotten an email from my PA either way. And if you didn’t get accepted this round, it’ll be on NetGalley soon, and you can request it that way.
You may have also noticed from earlier parts of this newsletter that you can buy ebooks directly from me, and you can also preorder signed copies from my website! So whether you got an ARC or not, that’s always a nice way to support authors. I’ll go ahead and drop another button below. You know, just in case you missed it.
Preorder Not a Strong Enough Word
Looking for something to read while you wait for Not a Strong Enough Word? Check out There Are No Words by Dani Ryan.
I was knocked up.
That was right, I was carrying precious cargo. That was what happened when you gave into temptation and had a one-night stand with a sinfully hot pub owner. The thing was, he was also my roommate. My oh-so-irresistible roommate.
Too bad things got complicated pretty fast when my pregnancy test came back positive.
What we were to one another had always been clear—roommates, friends, two people with a mutual attraction to one another. But never soulmates. I was sure of that.
But through it all—the doctor appointments (he never missed a single one), the late night runs to satisfy my cravings (of which there were plenty), and the way he doted on me hand and foot (he literally rubbed my feet)—I wasn’t so sure anymore.
We’d said that one night was a one time thing. But then we did it again. And not only did I never want Brady to leave my bed, but I didn’t want to let him go, period.
Giving yourself false hope was never a good idea, which was why I never did it. The exception? Brady Moore. I blamed it on the way he looked at me, the way he set my body on fire, and the way he made me feel seen. Like he didn’t want to change me and my universe-loving ways because he liked me just as I was. Which was what led me to hope that maybe Brady and I could have a future. Maybe we weren’t as incompatible as I thought.
I couldn’t believe I was about to say this, but I, Allegra Morelli, was glad I got knocked up.
At a loss for words? If I were you, I’d feel the same way because there are no words for this.
If you’ve read and loved The Write Place, help me celebrate with a little note in the comments. I’d love to hear from you! (It really boosts morale.)
Happy reading!
Allie