Emery Lord On The Second Book Baby

Welcome to another of my fabulous acronym-based interviews. The second novel is no easy feat, and with that in mind I put together a series of questions for debuts who are tackling the second obstacle in their career path. I call it the SNOB - Second Novel Omnipresent Blues. 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.

Today's guest is Emery Lord, a 20-something Midwestern girl who writes stories about high school and best friends and weird families and the crushes that make you feel combustibly alive and also more awkward than you thought was possible. If you're not sure how to pronounce Emery, try slurring the name "Emily," and that will get you really close. Emery's debut, OPEN ROAD SUMMER, is available now from Bloomsbury. Her next offering, THE START OF ME AND YOU releases March 21, 2015 from Bloomsbury.

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

For me, it wasn't. As daunting as it can be to stare down the blinking cursor of a blank page, I think- I hope- every new project is an opportunity to improve as a writer. I was ready for a fresh start and new voices/themes/settings to play with.

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

You know, I ducked in and out, and I think I'll keep doing that. When drafting was making me crazy, I'd stop and take care of swag, return emails, do guest posts, etc. And when promo felt overwhelming, I'd go back to writing. And, actually, I believe the best promo you can ever do is honing your craft on a second book! So...one in the same sometimes :)

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

Always myself first. Haha- that sounds terrible on its face! But it's because I can't hope anyone else will even *like* my book if I don't love it. Now that I have an agent and an editor/team of awesome people at my publishing house and readers who I really connect with, I feel all the more passionate about making sure I give them something I believe in.

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

Absolutely. The main thing is juggling multiple books. Still work to do for released Book 1, promo for Book 2, edits for Book 3 and drafting Book 4. And there are just...so many emails, haha. I'm still trying to figure out how to balance it all! (If anyone has figured this out, give me advice! And coffee. Give me coffee.)

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

I did two things differently. First, I used my "perspective of a published author" to make a huge rookie mistake. I was editing my second book while being publicly reviewed for the first time. And I kept letting those voices in- which was paralyzing. I could hardly make choices about my writing because I kept subconsciously lingering on what people would ultimately say. But, then, it finally clicked for me- the actual perspective of a published author that I needed: people are going to criticize me no matter what I write. So I might as well write balls-to-the-walls about the things I care about most. That's what I did differently for my third book. *shoots pistols into the air* No regrets.

Of All The Books In All The Stores & Libraries In All The World...

I get dizzy when I go into bookstores and libraries. Physically dizzy.

Granted, I do have vertigo but I don't think that's necessarily what sets me off every time. I think it's the limitless possibilities I see in front of me, the stacks and piles of books that I couldn't plow through in an entire lifetime even if I dedicated every minute that I have to just reading.

And yes, there's an element of bittersweetness to that. I'm highly aware that I won't ever make it through my TBR pile, and that if my tombstone listed all the books I wanted to read but didn't get to it would be bigger than the Washington Monument. That makes me a little bit sad, but it's also a testament to the nearly inexhaustible choices all readers have.

And of all those books, quite a few of you have picked me.

Awwwww....

No, seriously. I'm not lying when I say that I sometimes walk into bookstores with full intent to find my stock and sign it, then I end up browsing, reading, lounging, buying, and walking back out having never even glanced at my own book. And I'm the author.

So HUGE thanks to everyone that went into a bookstore or library with the intention of picking up something with my name on it, and equal thanks to anyone that browsed, spotted my cover, read the flap and thought, "Sure, I'll give this McGinnis girl a try."

You're awesome.

Thursday Thoughts

Thoughts lately...

1) How did people describe the texture of overcooked pasta or vegetables before the invention of rubber?

2) The best way to cut a passive-aggressive person out at the knees is to say, "Are you being passive aggressive?" Usually you'll get the chance to use the follow up question, "Are you being defensive?"

3) My bottle-fed kittens respond to the sound of my voice with panicked glee. My fifth grade classes respond to my voice with abject terror. I wondered what a combination of the two would get me, and then I realized it would be drunk Ewoks.