We all like to hear about the journey to publication, and hopefully other people's success stories help bolster the confidence of those still slogging through the query trenches. But what happens after that first book deal? When the honeymoon is over, you end up back where you were - sitting in front of a blank Word document with shaky hands. Except this time, there are expectations hanging over you. With this in mind, I’ve created the SNOB (Second Novel Omnipresent Blues) interview.

Today’s guest for the SNOB is Lauren Ho , author of Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic, which released June 21st.

Whether you’re under contract or trying to snag another deal, you’re a professional now, with the pressures of a published novelist compounded with the still-present nagging self-doubt of the noobie. How to deal?

It’s true that most second-time novelists like myself are still new to the publishing industry, especially those of us living outside of the US/UK who’d never gone through the MFA route and lack the built-in support networks that such authors have. Publishing is an opaque industry, and what’s been helpful for me at least is Book Twitter, which demystifies parts of it and tells you what is within your control (write a fine book) and what is without (marketing, publicity) as an author. I just work on bettering my craft and let others handle the other aspects of publishing, and that’s been immensely freeing.

Whenever I feel burnt out, or need support, I turn to my 2020 debut authors peer group. We’ve been through a lot as the worst of the pandemic debuts, and we support each other as much as we can. I’ve also made friends with more experienced authors who’ve passed on some very important tips to me. All this to say that it takes a village to survive being a published author!

Is it hard to leave behind the first novel and focus on the second?

In a sense, yes, because my debut novel, Last Tang Standing (LTS), was published during the bleakest months of early pandemic, and having not had the “classic” trad-pub debut experience (events at bookstores and meeting readers) that most authors dream of, I do sometimes find myself wondering what could have been if I’d debuted in 2019!

For my second novel, Lucie Yi Is Not a Romantic., because I didn’t have a two-book deal and I sold it well into the year after LTS was published, I feel like in terms of the writing I was able to really focus on it without being distracted by promotional stuff for LTS. Also, I’m more of a plotter than a pantser now, and I’ve improved my craft, which makes writing much speedier with less detours.

At what point do you start diverting your energies from promoting your debut and writing / polishing / editing your second? 

I started writing Lucie Yi almost half a year after I debuted, sold it on option with a few chapters, before proceeding to frantically complete it my manuscript in six months including revisions. In that time I had some emotional distance and head space to work on Lucie Yi without being encumbered by promotional work for LTS. That really helped!

Your first book landed an agent and an editor, and hopefully some fans. Who are you writing the second one for? Them, or yourself?

For my second book, I wrote in a different style from my second book, even though it’s still in the general adult/women’s fiction/romcom category crossover genre. You could say stylistically and tonally, Lucie Yi is a more “serious” read because of some of its themes (pregnancy loss, fertility, infidelity). I wanted to tell a story about a South-East Asian woman in her late thirties who wanted a child, and gets pregnant during the course of the novel, which isn’t something you see in a lot of romances.

I did however want to satisfy those readers who fell in love with the voicey, funny writing in LTS (which landed 3 starred reviews and was on several ‘best of’ lists), so Lucie Yi is still very much a voicey, funny book, in spite of its themes. And for those who liked the cultural setting and familial clashes in LTS, Lucie Yi retains both elements.

Is there a new balance of time management to address once you’re a professional author?

Well I now have two kids since LTS published, and a day job again, so I guess I have even less time than I did before to write, but I’m taking it one step at a time. I believe in writing when you can, and not fussing too much with the first draft. Just keep writing until you have a manuscript, then you can start editing/polishing the crap out of your first draft.

What did you do differently the second time around, with the perspective of a published author?

I tried to get my sensitivity readers involved more extensively than I did for LTS, because I think as a South-East Asian writer writing in English, I bear a heavier burden of representation and I do want to live up to it as much as I can without letting it overwhelm the creative process and the story I want to tell.

I have also learned how to create healthier boundaries on how I use social media as an author. I am a private individual by nature and I’ve learned how to negotiate the space better since LTS was published. I have also made peace with the fact that some people are just malicious/negative online personas, and since I can’t change how they act, I need to preserve my sanity and protect my mental health and decide on how I want to engage with personal attacks.

Still, in general I’m really happy with the amount of love that my books have gotten, not just at home (Malaysia and Singapore), but with a global audience, and I continue to be grateful for the opportunity to share my stories with readers from around the world.

Lauren Ho is a reformed legal counsel who now prefers to write for pleasure. Hailing from Malaysia, she is currently based in Singapore, where she’s ostensibly working on her next novel while attempting to parent. She is also the author of the international bestseller, Last Tang Standing. Her mother still wishes Lauren had gone to medical school, though. Find her on Instagram and Twitter at @HelloLaurenHo.