Their Just Desserts & Publishing

Well, well, well… if it isn’t my old friend, the newsletter. Remember when I said I wouldn’t send them often? I kept my word––maybe not to my own benefit. 😅 

So! Here’s where I’m at. Their Just Desserts, the sequel to The Cookie Crumbles both of which were co-authored with my friendo, Tracy Badua, comes out May 13th. That’s right, in 2 weeks!! Did you preorder? Please do. You’ll want this book because it’s adorable and fun and Tracy and I kept pushing the envelope of how many jokes we could make before our editor was like, ‘nah girls’. Writing these books was a blast, yes, but working in this capacity with Tracy was incredible. We’ve been critique partners since 2016—I’ve read most, if not all, of her stories from the early drafts to the finals, and the ones waiting patiently on the shelf. She’s my favorite writer and her skills have made me a better writer. Also, co-authoring was seamless and it was a joy to see our styles come together in a cohesive, middle grade story. Which leads me to…

A new stage in my publishing journey. Despite The Cookie Crumbles doing beyond expectations (and I’ll be completely honest, we did our best to make sure it did by raising money to hire an outside publicist, fund our own tour, send postcards, make swag, you name it), Their Just Desserts hasn’t built the same momentum. There are a lot of reasons for that. First, there’s a lot going on with the world and publishing. My first three books were with Inkyard Press/HarperCollins and that imprint closed a week after my third came out (and flopped. Although it garnered starred reviews and was awards-nominated, it got left behind), so I’ve been watching how things have shifted over the years. Second, B&N hasn’t been picking up a lot of middle grades, especially by BIPOC, marginalized, “diverse” creators. Yes, that’s dependent on the stores of course, but…I’ll leave that there. Third, (and this is a generalization I make based on my own experience) middle grade is tough to move at the moment because for whatever reason, higher ups have forgotten that it’s important to the reading ecosystem. If you get a kid reading and enjoying it, you’ll have a reader for life. Now I could go on––at length––what we’re doing to children’s literature and literacy, I mean I’m a former children’s librarian after all, but I won’t. All I’ll say is, times are weird and we need help.

Maybe all of that is too honest, I don’t know. I’ve walked a long while with quite a few serious bumps in the road and I’ve learned that if you don’t acknowledge those bumps, no one knows you’re struggling to stay on your feet. I feel, though, that there are unspoken rules you have to follow or you’ll get in trouble. Don’t disclose advance numbers (I will when people need to know for negotiations and that’s a community thing), don’t ever speak negatively about your publishing experiences (I don’t, but I will be honest of the reality of this industry), don’t be too assertive, too direct, too whiny, too blah blah…None of this is new for a Black woman in any workplace, ha! I’m just not feeling it. I don’t think it benefits anyone to fake it till you make it or to smile till you feel it. I find that energy is better used on literally anything else. Baking cookies. Writing. Dancing in your underwear. Also, I’m a crap liar. My face does not play.

Alllllll said, buy books if you can. Sure, buy mine, that would be great, but buy whoever you want. Buy local, scream about them from the rooftops and give them to the readers in your lives. If you can’t buy, ask librarians to order them. And then shout about how public libraries need our support and tell everyone in your friends and family group to get their library card. Hang out there. Give them love. If neither is possible, just shout anyway about what you want to read and authors you love. ESPECIALLY marginalized authors. I don’t need to tell you why, you already know. If we’re loud, someone’s bound to hear and listen to us.

Other quick updates: went to Scotland (I live in Germany, so a 3 hour flight on the cheap is ** chef’s kiss **) and got inspired by all the free art galleries and the quaint shops on the royal mile. *fun fact, the royal mile is actually longer than a mile. The more you know. 🌈 My adult romdramcom is on submission, all fingers crossed. Will be sending in my YA option today, now all my toes are crossed too. If you’re wondering how I’m writing this right now with everything crossed, I am too. And let’s see… OH YEAH. I have a book out in 2 weeks hehe. Lastly, my YA cozy romantasy, Until the Clock Strikes Midnight is available to preorder. I’ve been told many, MANY, times that I need people to preorder this. Please do. Seriously. Ya girl has student loans and adores this book with her entire heart. I also really want this book to succeed so that I can find the audience who will need it and love it most.

Okay!! Alechia OUT!