Where did this year go? (And a gift guide!)
I know it's a cliche but seriously WHERE DID IT GO
It’s already December!
Dear Readers,
There is so much year until, magically, maddeningly, m-annoyingly?? It’s December and I feel ill-accomplished and fretting about year-end lists and anyway I hope we can all shake off this feeling and have as good of Decembers as we can given the state of WELL EVERYTHING.
For my consumption list this week, I did a gift guide instead. I have no idea if this will be helpful to ANYONE but I do like ideas on what to get people, especially for acquaintances and business contacts and white elephants that aren’t supposed to be funny, etc. So enjoy! I hope! I like knowing what people look for and buy!
Speaking of things to buy…that I recommend…
Remember!! If you’re in the US and buy or preorder a new copy of any of my books (yes, ebooks and audiobooks count) and send proof to me at either a reply to this email or to amyspaldingwrites@gmail.com I will send you a signed bookplate for every book you order (or preorder!) and some stickers. I still have some No Boy Summer and We Used to Be Friends stickers kicking around too. And maybe a select few of you will receive an Out in Hollywood (that’s the series For Her Consideration and At Her Service are part of) sticker sheet early too!
Here’s my little speech again: Even though preordering books is not something a lot of people do, publishers base things off of preorder numbers. I know, this seems odd. It’s why you’ll see authors like me begging you to preorder! So just know that this is because it helps me because the sales and marketing and PR teams are like, oh, people are interested in this book. More internal support, more copies printed, more visibility in stores, etc. Long story short: if you like an author and their work, consider preordering their books!
I accept proof of preorder from anywhere, as long as it’s a new copy, but Skylight Books is the very best place to preorder At Her Service! If you order by release date, I will sign your copy AND send along A PRETTY EXCLUSIVE custom sticker sheet designed by Simini Blocker featuring characters and some important items from At Her Service and For Her Consideration!
You’re going to keep hearing about preorders and stuff as it gets closer to At Her Service’s release date, and I appreciate your support. Really! It feels SO LUCKY to get to put books out into the world; it’s great having people to yell about them at. So thank you, y’all! I MEAN THIS!
Below, I have some great advice from Maurene Goo!
xoxoAmy
Consumption - Gift Guide Edition!
Here are some thoughts for gifts that WHO KNOWS maybe will help you! MAYBE NOT? My body is, as always, a wonderland of disclaimers, as the song goes. (Does the song go that way? No one check.)
Bougie Candles
My favorite candle is probably the Boy Smells/Kacey Musgraves Slow Burn! I genuinely love getting a gift candle; it’s a little pricey for what I’d get myself (I MEAN SOMETIMES) and always feels a little splurgey. This is my favorite kind of way to feel about a gift, you know?
The Best Lotion
In the same category, everyone probably already knows I love Aesop’s Resurrection Aromatique hand lotion. The smaller tube is a great present price point, and, again, maybe a little splurgier than people would normally buy for a lotion to toss into your bag. However, it is life-changing (I mean, for lotion). It smells amazing and it absorbs almost instantly, which is perfect when you’re out and about and do not want to get your greasy hands on stuff. Also I love it at my desk because I don’t have to quit typing while I wait for my dry-ass hands to soak it all in. So fast! I could rave about this stuff forever, sorry. I get no profits from Aesop sales. OR ANY SALES. I JUST LOVE THIS LOTION! [A note that this week’s guest author Maurene Goo is the one who introduced me to this lotion in the first place!]
Just Cute Stuff
I love everything at Wokeface Portland! (Yes of course you can order online!) Also love a giant order of stickers from Pipsticks (or a subscription from there, Wokeface, or Mrs. Grossman). One time at an event, someone said “kids love stickers” and a bunch of people simultaneously corrected “PEOPLE LOVE STICKERS!” It’s true.
Nice Socks
That meme about how everyone’s least favorite childhood gift turns into your most favorite adult one. I think this is pretty true. I love being given nice socks! Bombas is great because they give back to people who need socks. Gumball Poodle has funny ones that are also REALLY GOOD QUALITY!
A Cookbook
During a white elephant once I saw people fight over a cookbook and ever since I know they can be highly sought-after gifts! (This is obviously a real ymmv according to the recipient situation of course.) But cookbooks can be pricey, and often people just grab recipes from the internet, but they are SO NICE TO HAVE and leaf through and think about food and how meals fit together! This Julia Turshen book is a fave of both my mom and myself, lots of healthy stuff that is also cozy and DELICIOUS. Smitten Kitchen is another always-great choice!
A Substack Subscription
Speaking of cooking, it is also no great secret that I’m obsessed with Caroline Chambers’ What to Cook when You Don’t Feel Like Cooking newsletter. I pay for a subscription and it is more than worth it. Her recipes are my favorites because: she lists ingredients and amounts IN the directions so you’re not constantly flipping back and forth, she talks about substitutions and what you can and can’t leave out in a realistic and helpful way, AND she sends something every week so if one thing isn’t your jam ANOTHER IS COMING. Totally worth it to get someone a subscription (or yourself!). Of course you can also pay for THIS newsletter here BUT NO PRESSURE just felt like a self-promo opportunity.
A Great Snack
During lockdown, a couple friends told me to expect a package, but I never could have predicted a giant tub of Utz Cheese Balls. Y’all, this was the most delightful thing that happened to me between March 2020 and getting vaccinated. (It’s also great when you’re allowed out of your house too, I should say.)
Custom Pet Portraits
I absolutely LOVE getting people portraits of their pets! (I also love portraits of my own pets as you probably know.) I always poke around Etsy, but my faves have come from Bunny Dee (pictured above), aliasxahna (the header of this newsletter), and Cats in Crayon.
An Amy Spalding Book
For your friend who likes Hollywood and/or romcoms, your friend who wants to read about the power of friendship and girls making art, your friend who loves friend drama, your friend who’s into fashion and burgers, your friend who doesn’t mind waiting for a preorder. Also did you know you can buy the SUPER SPECIAL FANCY EDITION of For Her Consideration with its subscription box exclusive items? I would probably get on that. (And send me proof of purchase so I can send a signed bookplate for your loved one! OR OF COURSE FOR YOU. BE YOUR OWN LOVED ONE.)
Get Your Ask On
Today we’ve got advice from Maurene Goo, author of Throwback.
I finished my manuscript and it's time to start revising, but I have no idea how to get started.
MG: I would recommend a few things. One big one: Another reader whose opinions you trust. The trust is important. Some people do not know how to offer constructive notes even if they love books. So make sure you have a good reader. Then ask them to read and give you notes. Give them plenty of time and also be clear in what you are looking for: Big picture notes? Details? (I would think at this stage, big picture and reaction-type thoughts). And while this is happening, I would recommend not going near the manuscript. And if you don't have a reader, you should take a long break from the manuscript anyway. And then read it again with fresh eyes. I like to print it out, not only because I'm old, but because it's a literal different way of looking at your words. As you go through, take notes on what you want to fix--ignore the little things like typos. Your first revision is Big Picture things--character, plot, etc. (It's at this stage that you might want to do one of those index card things of tracking character arcs and plot. It seems like busy work but actually is pretty helpful.) And then when it's time to open your document and implement all these notes--organize them in a way that makes sense to you. For me, that's a bullet list per chapter. Basically, anything to break up all the things you need/want to do into smaller chunks so that it's not so overwhelming. Good luck!
If you have any questions about writing, publishing, revising, genres, querying, being on submission, etc., reply to this email and ask! Your question may be featured in an upcoming newsletter!
At Her Service is coming in February!
(And it’s on NetGalley now! If you read it, a review would mean the world to me!)
Preordering from Skylight Books lets you support an amazing indie bookstore AND you will get the cutest preorder stickers SO you might as well, in my opinion!
A sweetly sexy, thoroughly modern new novel about single life, social media, career goals, and making the bold move to grab your own happiness—and write your own love story.
Max Van Doren has a wish list, and a great career and a girlfriend are at the top. But despite being pretty good at her job as an assistant to one of Hollywood’s fastest rising talent agents, she has no idea how to move up the ladder. And when it comes to her love life, she’s stuck in perpetual lust for an adorably perfect bartender named Sadie. Her goals are clear—and Max has everything but the self-confidence to go for them. Even her mother seems to assume she’ll be crawling home to her childhood bedroom at some point . . .
When Max’s roommate, Chelsey—an irritatingly gorgeous and self-assured influencer in plus-size and queer spaces—offers to sponsor her for a new self-actualization app, Max gives in. If she can’t run her own life, maybe an algorithm guiding her choices will help? Suddenly Max is scoring big everywhere, and her dreams are achingly close to coming true. But when one of Chelsey’s posts reveals Sadie’s part in the app’s campaign, Max is poised for heartbreak on all fronts. Tired of the sponcon life with its fake friends and endless selfies, Max realizes that to have true influence, she’ll have to find the courage to make her own, totally authentic way in the world.
“Spalding brings her twentysomething protagonists to life in this romance that delivers on both the heroine’s self-actualization journey and her happily-ever-after. A must buy” —Library Journal
You’re doing great, I promise!!!