Second Book Syndrome … the Book Two Blues …
As 2018 draws to a close, I’m in the mood to talk second books. We hear a lot about the difficulty of putting a second book into the world—and for good reason. There are so many potential hurdles, especially when it comes to second books scheduled for the year following an author’s debut: the experience of writing under contract; the pressure that comes with seeing reviews for the first book; the compressed timeframe to draft; balancing drafting with first book promotion … I could go on.
As such, I have something extra special for the November installment of Debut-to-Debut. In 2017, I had the privilege of interviewing several debut YA authors who now have second books out in fall 2018—and they all agreed to speak with me again about the process of putting their second books into the world. With my own second book coming out next year, and with many of my 2018 debut author friends in various stages of second book drafting and publication, I was eager to re-connect with these 2017 debuts and chat about their experiences.
For this special installment of Debut-to-Debut, I spoke with six sophomore young adult novelists about conquering Second Book Syndrome and celebrating the release of their 2018 books. Ranging in publication from September to November, here are six fall 2018 sophomore novels to add to your TBR:
Akemi Dawn Bowman, author of Starfish and Summer Bird Blue (Simon Pulse, September 11, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Please introduce us to your second book!
Summer Bird Blue takes place in Hawaii, which is where my family is from. I’m super excited about that part, because it’s full of so many things from my childhood, like saimin and helping my grandpa water his orchids and spam musubi. There’s a lot of Hawaiian Pidgin as well, and some of the characters use it more strongly than others. I based them off of people from my own family, which was really nice for me. And I’m very excited for people to meet Rumi, who is questioning where she fits on the asexual and aromantic spectrums, which is something very near and dear to my heart.
What’s one challenge you faced with Summer Bird Blue—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
I actually wrote Summer Bird Blue before Starfish was released, which was advice I’d heard from other debuts, and I’m glad I did it. I think it would’ve been a lot harder to write if I’d started after the noise of book one, which can really make it hard to focus. And I think the biggest challenge for me was just navigating where to set up boundaries. It’s really hard, because social media can feel like such a small community, so any noise feels SO LOUD. But the reality is that social media is such a small portion of the book community, and boundaries really are necessary for your own mental health. I think I’m getting better at it this time around, but it’s something I think about constantly. It’s not natural for me to be guarded—I have to really work on it.
On the flip side, was there anything you found to be easier the second time around?
I think I was a lot more relaxed about promotion. I knew the drill after book one. I knew what to expect, and it made it a lot easier to celebrate the good moments—the starred reviews, or the excited readers, or whatever it might be. The first time I was just so nervous it was hard to take it all in. But with book two, I felt a lot more relaxed—almost like knowing everything besides the writing is completely out of your hands, and to just enjoy the good news you DO get.
Speaking of enjoying the good moments, what are you doing to celebrate Summer Bird Blue’s publication?
I was so ill the week before Summer Bird Blue released, and got sick AGAIN a few days after where I was basically stuck in bed unable to move for a week. I’m trying to pretend it wasn’t a bad omen haha, but I didn’t really do much to celebrate the release. I mostly just hoped I could manage more than a quarter of a slice of toast, because I couldn’t eat a thing. So yes, not the most glamorous of release celebrations. But at least it kept my mind busy so I wasn’t thinking about sales!
Ack! Here’s hoping there’s some real celebrating in your future once you’re back in fighting form.
Summer Bird Blue is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Akemi Dawn Bowman is the author of William C. Morris Award Finalist Starfish, Summer Bird Blue, and Harley in the Sky (out spring 2020). She’s a proud Ravenclaw and Star Wars enthusiast, who served in the US Navy for five years and has a BA in social sciences from UNLV. Originally from Las Vegas, she currently lives in Scotland with her husband, two children, and their Pekingese mix. She is represented by Penny Moore of Aevitas Creative Management.
Website | Twitter | Instagram
Nic Stone, author of Dear Martin and Odd One Out (Crown Books for Young Readers, October 9, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
Odd One Out is really my love letter to my teen self who was dealing with some attractions she knew weren’t *acceptable* on a wide scale, but would’ve likely accepted them had she had a book like this one—with kids who looked like her questioning their attractions and sexuality. I’m glad the book I needed now exists for kids, especially kids of color, who might need it today.
What’s one challenge you faced with Odd One Out—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
I wrote Odd One Out while waiting for notes on Dear Martin, so I didn’t have the pressure/discomfort of one book’s performance on my head while trying to draft a new one, BUT I was so busy with Dear Martin stuff still, I haven’t been able to give Odd One Out the attention it deserves with regard to talking about and promoting it myself. There really is no tip to counter this. I think it just kind of is what it is?
Do, though, work on subsequent books while waiting on notes for previous ones. You’ll thank yourself.
I personally had less … performance anxiety, I guess? Now that I’m writing on deadline and keeping to this book-a-year schedule (I’ll actually have TWO in 2020), I just don’t have time to fret over “how” a book “is doing.”
What are you doing to celebrate Odd One Out’s publication?
I had a launch party that I didn’t advertise well. Lol!
Oh no! Well, we’re thrilled to help you celebrate again a month out the gate here on Debut-to-Debut! 🙂
Odd One Out is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Nic Stone was born and raised in a suburb of Atlanta, GA, and the only thing she loves more than an adventure is a good story about one. After graduating from Spelman College, she worked extensively in teen mentoring and lived in Israel for a few years before returning to the US to write full-time. Growing up with a wide range of cultures, religions, and backgrounds, Stone strives to bring these diverse voices and stories to her work. You can find her goofing off and/or fangirling over her adorable little family on most social media platforms.
Amy Giles, author of Now Is Everything and That Night (HarperTeen, October 23, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
That Night was emotionally difficult to write. I wrote the first draft of it in 2014. So much of that original story changed in revisions. Sadly, though, the circumstances that inspired the story haven’t changed at all. The book focuses on the eponymous night of a mass shooting at a movie theater where eighteen people die. What I didn’t want to do in this story is sensationalize the shooting or the violence in any way. Teens have grown up in a lockdown drill generation; they already live with the very real fear that something like this can happen to them. It’s reported that 60% of teens worry that someone will come to their school or into their community with a gun. So what I hope readers will take from That Night is that it’s a story about recovering from a trauma and loss, and the restorative power of love.
What’s one challenge you faced with That Night—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
One of the hardest things about book two, I think, is learning how to balance your expectations. Only a few books go on to become bestsellers. The best the rest of us can hope for is that we find an audience, readers who look forward to our next book. I’ve always wanted to be a career author, someone who can put out a book every couple of years. I’ll happily put aside any aspirations of being a blockbuster author if I can just keep writing.
My advice for debut authors is one writers hear all the time, but need to really embrace: don’t compare your journey to anyone else’s. When you’re feeling a little down about your book not getting the same buzz or foreign sales as other debuts, take a moment to remember the thrill of getting that call from your agent, when you found out you were going to be published. You are a published author. That is no easy feat.
I’m much more relaxed about the whole process! Which is a weird thing for me to say because I run on anxiety. I think I’ve finally accepted that there’s only so much I can do to move the needle (sales). I stopped thinking, “If I don’t do everything on this ‘how to promote your book’ list, my book will fail and it will be all my fault!” I love doing giveaways, so I do a lot of those on Twitter. For me, that’s fun. If this writing thing doesn’t work out for me, maybe I can be a game show host.
I’ve also learned that I’m okay at public speaking. Last year, I had so many anxiety nightmares about getting up in front of a crowd. And then it turned out I actually enjoyed it. Don’t get me wrong, I still get stage fright beforehand; that’s just too deeply entwined in who I am for that to go away completely. But meeting book lovers and teen readers has been such a wonderful experience. As someone who has trouble peeling myself away from my home, I really appreciate that anyone is willing to come see me speak or read.
What are you doing to celebrate That Night’s publication?
Well, interestingly, my book birthday and actual birthday fall on the same week! That Night comes out on October 23rd. I’m having my launch party at the Book Revue in Huntington (Long Island) on the 25th. And then on the 26th, I’m going to relax on the couch with some birthday cake, some Netflix, and my family—what I call a perfect Friday night!
That Night is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Amy Giles is the author of Now Is Everything and That Night. She lives on an Island that is Long with her family.
Website | Twitter
Amanda Searcy, author of The Truth Beneath the Lies and Watch You Burn (Delacorte Press, October 23, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
I’m excited to send Watch You Burn out into the world because it’s really different. It’s told from the first person POV of Jenny, a teen arsonist. She’s compelled to start fires, but she also goes to school and has friends and “normal” teenage problems. I got to really delve into her psychology, which was fascinating. The setting is also super quirky. Jenny’s forced to move in with her dad, who’s living in the abandoned, dilapidated drive-up motel his company is renovating. Inside, Jenny’s room is like a luxury hotel, but once she opens the door, everything is crumbling around her.
What’s one challenge you faced with Watch You Burn—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
I think what got me the most was writing something that you know people are going to read. When you write what will become your debut novel, it’s still a pie-in-the-sky dream that it will be published. But with the second book, you know it’s going to be published. It is hard (especially in that first initial draft) to not get tripped up on every scene, every paragraph—every word—because you’re thinking someone is going to read this.
What I would like to say to writers working on their second books is you will make it. Every second book out there has an author who at one point (maybe lots of points) thought they weren’t going to make it. You will. I promise.
Yes! The endless waiting. The first time around when it is all new and you don’t know what to expect, you feel every day that passes. You don’t know if work is happening behind the scenes on your book or if you’ve been completely forgotten. After you’ve been through it once, you know the basic timeline and when long has turned into too long. The waiting still isn’t fun, but you know all the things you’re waiting for will come eventually.
What are you doing to celebrate Watch You Burn’s publication?
CAKE!
Watch You Burn is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Amanda Searcy is the author of The Truth Beneath the Lies (Delacorte Press, 2017) and Watch You Burn. She works in collection development for a public library system and loves chocolate, cats, and curling up with a good book.
Rebecca Barrow, author of You Don’t Know Me but I Know You and This Is What It Feels Like (HarperTeen, November 6, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
I’m most excited for readers to see these three girls who push back against expectations and what the world wants them to be, and do what they want because they want it. I love writing characters who push back against rules and stereotypes, mostly because I’m sick of the rules and stereotypes put on women, and especially teenage girls, and especially black teenage girls.
I’m also super excited to share the music—I’ve managed to write in so many of my favourites, and if one reader somewhere discovers a new musical love through this book, I’ll be happy.
What’s one challenge you faced with This Is What It Feels Like—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
Being totally honest: a real challenge for me was having the reality of being published clash with my expectations, and coming to terms with that while working on a second book. I know that sounds really negative, and I don’t mean it to! I think that pre-debut year I had all these ideas and fantasies about how actually being published was going to feel and what was going to happen—awards, recognition, events and so on—and the reality for most authors is that those things don’t happen, or happen very rarely. So understanding that and trying to adjust my (somewhat fantastical) expectations for the second book as I was working on it was a real shift.
I always feel bad giving my second-book advice because it really is to just get it written as soon as possible—before your debut releases, before you get trade reviews, before you have first book ARCs, before EVERYTHING! I know it’s not possible for everyone but I think getting a draft out before outside voices start to fill your head really helps. Even if it’s a truly terrible first draft—mine was, but even rewriting it several times was so much easier than I think having to draft something entirely new during debut year would have been.
This relates to my biggest challenge—letting go of all those big expectations actually has made promoting and preparing for this book’s release so much easier. I know the kind of impact it’s going to make, I know what’s not going to happen, and most importantly, I know that how I feel about the book doesn’t need to be tied to the response to it. I’m proud of the book I’ve written and whether it releases to a quiet sparkle or a full blown fireworks show doesn’t change that.
On that note, what are you doing to celebrate This Is What It Feels Like’s publication?
Probably eating a cheeseburger and watching ER. Low key! With my debut I made a big deal out of both the US and UK release dates, which led to a lot of stress and anxiety and crying after my launch party for god knows what reason. (Can you tell I have an issue with Expectations and managing them?!) So this year I will actually be going to work, celebrating on social media, and giving myself a break.
(I will also probably have a 2am bedroom dance party in honour of the girls of TIWIFL. Playlist TBC!)
Excellent; can’t wait to hear the tunes!
This Is What It Feels Like is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Rebecca Barrow writes stories about girls and all the wonders they can be. A lipstick obsessive with the ability to quote the entirety of Mean Girls, she lives in England, where it rains a considerable amount more than in the fictional worlds of her characters. She collects tattoos, cats, and more books than she could ever possibly read.
Kayla Olson, author of The Sandcastle Empire and This Splintered Silence (HarperTeen, November 13, 2018) Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound
One of the things I’m most excited about with This Splintered Silence is its ensemble cast of friends who’ve known each other their entire lives—whereas The Sandcastle Empire focused on a group of girls who’d only just met and needed to learn to survive together, This Splintered Silence is about the shifting dynamics of a tight-knit group of friends. They’ve just been through an incredibly traumatic experience together, so the idea of exploring how those relationships might change was intriguing to me.
What’s one challenge you faced with This Splintered Silence—and any tips for this year’s debuts, many of whom will soon be sophomore authors?
One of the hardest things about This Splintered Silence being my second official book was that I kept having to stop to work on The Sandcastle Empire edits/promo while I was drafting it! I actually started the first draft of This Splintered Silence back in 2015, before we’d even sold The Sandcastle Empire, but it took me until summer of 2017 to finish that first draft simply because I kept having to start and stop so much! It was also a complicated project because there were so many layers that needed to lock together, and it wasn’t something I could just fast-draft without writing all the layers in at the same time. It was challenging in the best way!
I think it was easier to set aside my perfectionistic tendencies this time around … at the root of perfectionism, I think, is fear. I see perfectionism as a self-defense mechanism, as if you can make every single reader love what you’ve created if only you exert all your energy making it as perfect as possible. Obviously, though, that’s unrealistic—no person loves every book, and even the best books are some people’s least favorites. It was freeing to remember that—to concern myself with making something I loved and was proud of—and now I’m just excited and hopeful that it will fall into the hands of people who will connect with it in a meaningful way!
I love that! What are you doing to celebrate This Splintered Silence’s publication?
Going on book tour! I’m excited to have a week’s worth of events lined up in New York, California, and Texas, and to spend several of those tour stops celebrating with some of my favorite author friends.
This Splintered Silence is out now! Find more information from the publisher, including the book’s summary, here.
Kayla Olson was raised in a small town in Texas where an infinite sea of stars still fills the night sky. Her parents met while working at NASA, so it only makes sense that she would inherit their love of space. Before Kayla was an author, she spent her time making both music and lattes—now, she spends her days with her family surrounded by a thousand ideas waiting to be written, black coffee in beautiful mugs, a friendly pair of cats, and her faithful and forgiving succulents. Her first novel is The Sandcastle Empire, which was optioned for film and has been translated into ten languages, with six more translations currently in the works.
Website | Instagram | Twitter
Kit Frick is the curator of the Debut-to-Debut Interview Series. A novelist, poet, and MacDowell Colony fellow, she studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence College and received her MFA from Syracuse University. When she isn’t putting complicated characters in impossible situations, Kit edits poetry and literary fiction for a small press, edits for private clients, and mentors emerging writers through Pitch Wars. See All the Stars, her debut young adult novel, is out now from Simon & Schuster / Margaret K. McElderry Books and will be followed by her sophomore novel, All Eyes on Us, on June 4, 2019.
You can find all the interviews in the Debut-to-Debut series collected right here. Stop back in December for the final interview of 2018, and then we’ll be diving into 2019 with the next debut class!