Ep 74: First comes publisher, then comes agent, with Julie Chavez
In the latest episode of Write the Damn Book Already, I spoke with Julie Chavez, author of the incredibly well-received memoir, Everyone But Myself (January 2024, Zibby Books).
After Julie's life experience turned into a book idea, she wrote 30,000 words and thought that surely it was a complete, publishable book. Newsflash: It wasn’t. But she stuck with it, and within a few weeks of launch, it became a USA Today Bestseller.
INTERVIEW HIGHLIGHTS
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Why being naive is the greatest gift for authors sharing vulnerable stories
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Thoughts on why aspiring authors don’t understand the challenges involved in book writing (it's one of the things this podcast hopes to rectify!)
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Metrics authors use to determine “success” (including Julie's) + an exploration of the “machine” side versus the human side of writing
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How to trust when you've healed "enough” to write about challenges
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The lesser-known benefits of having an agent (beyond getting a book deal)
ABOUT JULIE
Julie Chavez is an elementary school librarian in Northern California. Her writing has been featured in Real Simple, the New York Post, and Zibby Mag, and she is the author of the USA TODAY bestselling memoir, Everyone But Myself. Julie lives with her husband and two tall teenagers in a house where she arranges her books by color.
CONNECT WITH JULIE
Website: juliewriteswords.com
Instagram: @juliewriteswords
Buy Everyone But Myself while supporting indie bookstores!
WHAT JULIE’S READING NOW
The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
Happiness Falls by Angie Kim
Mrs. Quinn’s Rise to Fame by Olivia Ford
Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth
You’d Look Better as a Ghost by Joanna Wallace
RESOURCES MENTIONED
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