Book Shop Chats:
Welcome to Book Shop Chats, your go to podcast for indie authors and learning insight into what it takes to write a book (HINT: You can do it too!!)
Join authors as they share their personal journeys, successes, and challenges, providing you with unique insights into the writing process. The discussions explore into various aspects of storytelling, from character development to plot structuring, ensuring you have a well-rounded understanding of the craft.
Whether you're just starting out or have published multiple works, this podcast is your companion in the pursuit of storytelling excellence. Tune in, gather inspiration, and let your passion for writing flourish alongside a community that celebrates the art of the written word.
Book Shop Chats:
Why It's Never Too Late to Chase Your Creative Calling with Libby Tanner
Debut author Libby Tanner shares her journey from writing fan fiction to landing a three-book deal with City Owl Press and reveals how she transformed her experience as a nanny in Italy into her upcoming novel "Better Than Gelato."
Bio: Libby Tanner grew up in a small town in Northern California that would be charming in a novel, but felt suffocating as a teenager. Yes, she left as fast as she could, and yes, she misses it very much.
In college Libby earned a degree in Communications. She wishes she would have studied creative writing instead of playing it safe, but also remembers she had student loans to pay off.
She is the mother of four sweet hooligans and is married to the world’s sexiest accountant (the world’s only sexy accountant?).
Her dream date would be eating crab legs in a hot air balloon over a vineyard.
Website: https://www.libbytannerauthor.com/
Instagram/Threads: @libbytannerauthor
Facebook: Libby Tanner Author
About Victoria:
Hey there, I’m Victoria! As a writer and developmental editor, I specialize in helping busy writers bring their publishing dreams to life without the overwhelm. Your story deserves to shine, let's make magic together.
Here’s how I can help:
📖 FREE 7 day Writing Reset: Daily support in your inbox for 7 days.
Grab it HERE
📝 Developmental Editing: Get expert feedback that elevates your manuscript, strengthens your story, and polishes your characters.
✍️ 1:1 monthly support: Revitalize your creativity, map out your novel, and unleash your authentic voice.
Your story deserves to shine, and I’m here to make it happen. Let’s turn your writing dreams into a reality!
📱 IG: @editsbyvictoria
🌐 LINKS: Victoria Jane Editorial
Welcome to Bookshop Chats, where we cozy up with books, creativity and embrace the magical, messy process of writing a book. I'm Victoria Jane, a writer, developmental editor and coach for sensitive, busy writers, and I love to support you on your journey of bringing your story to life. So, whether you're here for inspiration, behind the scenes peeks of what it means to actually write a book, or just some bookish conversations, you are definitely in the right place. And if you're looking for more personalized support, I also offer one-to-one writing support sessions to help bring your story to life, because sometimes you need a little bit of support digging through the noise that is your brain, because same. And if you've got a finished draft, I would love to chat to you about developmental editing. It is my favorite thing. I love supporting authors and bringing their story to life.
Speaker 1:You can find all of the details in the show notes. So grab a coffee, grab a tea, plug in your headphones, go on a little walk and let's dive into today's episode. Welcome back to Bookshop Chats. In today's episode, I am chatting with Libby Tanner. Welcome to the podcast.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, Victoria. I appreciate you having me on.
Speaker 1:Yay, I'm so excited. I feel like this is the perfect like pick me up for it, because it's like three o'clock and it's like that downward slump from my day. So I'm like I'm here for some creative energy and I would love for you to kind of just jump right in and introduce yourself and maybe a little bit about your book, if you want to give us a little teaser.
Speaker 2:Okay, absolutely. Well, I am Libby Tanner and my debut book is coming out this summer. It's called Better Than Gelato and I am so excited. And this book has been really fun to work on, because it was. It is the story of a young woman who goes to Italy and works as a nanny for an Italian family in Milan and falls in love for the first time. And it was so fun to work on because it is actually inspired by my experience going to Italy when I was 20, working as a nanny for this wonderful family in Milan and falling in love for the first time.
Speaker 2:So this idea has kind of been simmering in my brain for well about 20 years. It's been really neat to kind of go back and revisit some of those, some of those places and relive some of those memories it felt a little bit self-indulgent some of those places and relive some of those memories. It felt a little bit self-indulgent. In fact, the first version of this was way too long and with some good beta readers and help I was able to trim it down to a nice lean, story-focused length and then we got that out on submission and it got picked up by City Owl Press.
Speaker 1:That is so cool. I love that. Well, I would love to hear a little bit more about that experience, cause I feel like that's often something that I hear so many authors like crying over of like the querying process, finding an agent, the rejection, like there's so much just kind of like fear and overwhelm that can sometimes go into that. So I would love to hear a little bit about like your experience and maybe how you navigated that.
Speaker 2:Okay, I'm so happy to share because it is very overwhelming and discouraging and demoralizing sometimes, and I would not have made it through except that I stumbled on to this program called the Writing Mastery Academy. I am a member of this academy. I'm not affiliated with them, I am not an ambassador for them, they're not paying me money, but I am singing their praises to everybody I can reach because for me, it was an absolute game changer. I went from having this story that I'd worked on and put my whole heart into and not knowing, a how to shape it into the best story it could be and, b what in the world to do next. So the Writing Master Academy it's led by Jessica Brody. She's phenomenal and they've got a bunch of different courses courses to help improve your writing, courses about revision, and one of the courses is how to sell your book to a publisher and I was like perfect.
Speaker 2:So for a lot of creatives. I think it's hard to balance this, yeah, this creative energy and kind of like take things as they come and anything goes with the querying process, which is really done better if you can put these things. I have a color coded spreadsheet with the list of agents names and I have notes about them. So it was a process I think that's for creative people that actually goes a lot smoother if you can really bring some tight, focused organization to it. So that's what was a game changer for me and a lifesaver. I followed Jessica Brody's method, which is very thorough and a little bit intense Um, but I've got to say works. So I wrote two um and I mean stop me if I'm going into too much detail here, but I love this.
Speaker 1:I'll share everything, okay.
Speaker 2:I love it. I wrote two versions of my query letter. I didn't even know what a query letter was, right Like I. Just I wrote this great book about this. You know personal experience I had and turned it fiction. It was great. Didn't know what a query letter was, and so I just had a lot of learning to do, but there were some great instructions on what that should have and what it shouldn't have. So, for example, one thing I remember standing out I was actually remember listening to this in the shower and washing my hair and listening to Jessica Brody talk about what's in a great query letter and she said you've got to think of this agent who's opened up your email and she has seen so many of these letters, so many authors that are looking for representation.
Speaker 2:And she slumped back in her chair and she's thinking about what she's gonna do when she gets off work. And she slumps back in her chair and she's thinking about what she's going to do when she gets off work and she's kind of distracted. But then she reads the first line of your letter and she sits up and her eyes go big and she's thinking, oh, this could really be something. And just having that kind of mental image of who my letter would be going to, who a career letter would be going to, really transformed the way that I wrote it. So I really went all in on some maybe unconventional, but first lines that would grab an agent's attention and make them perk up and make them be like, oh, this isn't boring, this is interesting, I want to see what this person's about. So I did two versions of those letters and then I had a big list of agents that I thought would be a great fit for my project, which is firmly rom-com. So I was looking for somebody you know, funny and fun and romance and things, and I put them all in this spreadsheet here and then I just sent them out. And I think Jessica Brody's method is kind of genius, because after I've written these letters it's like okay, I've got 40 agents on here that I think could be awesome and very exciting and I'm just going to send this out to all of them and what she really says is choose 10 and send five of them version A and five of them version B and then see what you hear back. And you know, I mean they've done A, B testing and advertising and marketing for ages. So I definitely got better responses with version A, so it's like okay.
Speaker 2:So then that I made some tweaks to that and then had a version A and version B, a new version A and version B, and then waited. I think I waited about a month and sent that out to the next group of agents and by going kind of systematically, then when I'm, you know, getting responses from agents that are like, hey, this isn't quite a good fit for me, it's discouraging, but then I just highlight their name on my spreadsheet, move them down below and then move on to my next list of people, and that helped me like just stay, I don't know, really task oriented and not take it so personally, you know, because it's easy to feel like, oh, this isn't, this is never going to work. But I just stuck with the system and I think it took. It took four months from when I started querying to when I landed my agent, the wonderful Katie Monson with SBR Media, and I was so excited. She requested a partial manuscript and then she requested a full manuscript and then we had a Zoom call and I remember meeting her face to face when I was actually visiting my best friend over on the other side of the country in Oregon. I'm in Florida, she's in Oregon. I went over there and the call went so well that we were just dancing around her kitchen, woke up all of her tiny toddlers and was so excited and dancing when Katie said, yes, I would love to represent you, and I was like yes, because I felt like she would be a really good, good fit, and she has been so.
Speaker 2:Just that querying process, I think, staying very organized and disciplined. I'm going to send out 10 and I'm going to wait a month and then, whatever feedback I get, I'm going to use it to tweak my query letter and then send it out again to a new 10 set of agents. It just helped me kind of make it feel more like a business, Like this is part of my job. This is not me putting my heart and soul out there to these strangers and having them crush it in their hands. This is okay. Here's my list. Here's my letter. Send it out. And that helped me tremendously.
Speaker 1:I love that. I think that's such a great reminder of just kind of taking that. I feel like it's almost like I think it can be easy to take it as a personal attack, uh sometimes and and to kind of like create that distance between kind of you and like your value as as a person, as a writer, and like the story. And I was chatting with another author and she was talking about how, like, basically, you have your book, is this puzzle piece and you're looking for the like agent who is missing that puzzle piece. So it's like it's a very kind of like, oh duh, so it's very specific. You have to find that person that believes in your story, that can see the vision and all that kind of stuff. And I mean, at the end of the day, it is a business, right, so they want to make money. So that's the reality.
Speaker 2:They're looking for something they can sell. Yeah, and that's a tricky thing, especially if you're a first time author and you don't know what you're doing. You don't necessarily have an appreciation for that aspect of it. Obviously, you're going to get more offers for representation and for publishing if you've got a really strong manuscript. But, that being said, even if you've got a really strong thriller that you've written and it's fantastic. If you're querying this agent, you think she's such a great fit. Well, maybe she actually already has a lot of thrillers on her list and she's trying to fill out more like the mystery crime procedural on her list. So it is just about the the agent who's a good fit and then also that you are that missing piece for them.
Speaker 1:Totally, I love, I love that. That's such a great way of looking at it and I feel like, too, you also just kind of backtracking, chatting about that, that writing mastery Academy. It is such an amazing resource and it's so affordable.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh yes.
Speaker 1:Right. So, and I think that sometimes myself included I can get kind of like hung up on this oh, I need to have more education. I won't be the best writer, cause I don't have a MFA or a degree and like like all of the stories that we tell ourselves Um, but there are so many amazing resources available that will help you with writing, and I yeah I discovering that um platform was huge. I love this.
Speaker 1:Save the cat like yes, I'm a huge believer in save the cat right, like it's such a great way like, even if you don't 100 follow it, it's still such a great way of like framing things, especially if you're a new writer and you're not like super familiar with like how how many things go into actually writing an engaging story. It's wild, right, like all of these things that you wouldn't have thought right and I mean I was the same writing with really like no experience just like a story needs a beginning middle and end Like that's it right Super simple, yeah, but there's so much more that goes into that, and to have it kind of like explained in a really like simple kind of format to follow is really cool.
Speaker 1:And then you start to notice it in writing as well, which is another like when you're reading and such it's been oh, I've become super obnoxious to my family.
Speaker 2:We're watching movies, it's family movie night and I'm saying this is the dark night of the soul, like my husband's giving me a post, like, oh, this is a great catalyst, wow, what a great catalyst. So my kids now, even though they're pretty little, but they'll still. Now they've started doing it. Mom, is this the dark night of the soul? I was like, well, not yet. Right now I think we're still in, like the bad guys closing. But wait for it, we're going to get to the dark night of the soul.
Speaker 2:And it really is such a great way to take a story that's good and make it great really by understanding some of those, um, just different fundamentals, pillars of good storytelling. You can take a story which mine, mine was before. Mine was a delightful story about a young woman who goes off to Italy and it was great. There was not a lot of character transformation in the first version of the story and then understanding, you know, really immersing myself in those courses I understood. Oh, here are some actually simple ways I could make this so much more engaging and compelling. And it is magical to see a good story turn into a great story. There's something so exciting about that process and I love it. I'm a save the cat for life now.
Speaker 1:Right, I love it. Yeah, it's so cool to see how the like and often it's like really subtle tweaks that just take it to that next level where you're like, oh duh, like, how did I not know this before?
Speaker 1:But then you just have to write that draft, first of all, and get the story out in the world or out of your head, and I feel like oftentimes, like if you're pulled to write a story, there's usually a reason for it, and then it's just that like journey of like crafting it and building it and all that kind of stuff I would love to hear a little bit more about like your, I guess, your writing background or like how you decided that you actually wanted to write a book. You said that it was like kind of 20 years in the making and I love that. I'm like fighters and you're writing my book and it's just one of those things where life happens and you're like it's not the time or you have to write really slow. Yeah, I'd love to hear a little bit more about kind of that journey for you.
Speaker 2:Okay, and you know what, sometimes I feel a little bit embarrassed about, like, what took me so long to get here doing this thing that I love so much, because I've always loved writing stories. From a kid I wrote stories. I wrote stories all through high school and creative writing was my favorite and I absolutely loved it. And then I went to college and I played it safe and I did not get a degree in creative writing because I had student loans to pay off and I'm a little bit maybe too practical of a person. I was like, nope, I need something that I can do that's going to pay the bills. So I got my degree in communications and public relations, which has been wonderful and has helped me tell a lot of other people's stories and fun and creative ways. But I always I feel like I've always been a storyteller. Now than I dipped back into that and it was a revelation to me how much I enjoyed writing. In fact, I remember sitting on the couch once after bedtime for my kids and my husband sitting next to me and he's reading a book and I'm typing on the computer and I'm giggling and making weird faces, because that's what I do when I write. My husband looked over at me and said I have not seen you this happy in a long time. And you know what?
Speaker 2:I think that it's a really common thing, especially for women, that we spend our lives taking care of the people around us, whether those are like aging parents or growing children or even coworkers. You know, we just take people on and we take care of them. And it can be really easy to forget your passion and what you lights you up, and it can also even feel selfish to even pursue those things, especially when it's like I've got four kids running around and my husband we've just bought this accounting practice and he's trying to make this work and it feels kind of self-indulgent and even selfish for me to like be writing, because how is this productive or helpful? It's not serving anybody. And it took me a little while to realize that it is serving somebody. It's serving me and that's enough. And then I am adding that creative storytelling to the world and also just, I'm a better wife and mother and worker and person, because I am fueling my creative drive and unleashing this energy inside of me and it feels really good. And so now it is something that I've kind of become passionate about, especially with women, you know, whether it's writing or any other thing.
Speaker 2:I remember telling my best friend who of course has come with me on this journey, was out to dinner with many of her friends and she was telling them about me who has been waking up early in the mornings to write. She's working on a novel and she's staying up late after bedtimes to write. And the reaction from these other women was one of envy. And this was before I had a literary agent or before I had a publishing deal, so it wasn't for success. It was that I had a publishing deal, so it wasn't for success. It was that I had a passion I was pursuing.
Speaker 2:And there were some of the women that said, wow, I don't even know what I would go after, I don't even know what dream I would chase.
Speaker 2:And when it was like, wow, I wish I had that kind of energy, because I've always wanted to go back to dancing and I just haven't found a place for it.
Speaker 2:And it breaks my heart, because I feel like this is a very common occurrence with women, that we have these things we'd like to pursue or maybe we are too exhausted and haven't even had a chance to figure out what that passion is and taking the time to figure out what dream we want to be chasing, and so they kind of they go unrealized.
Speaker 2:So I am on a mission to help and women especially these people find what thing it is that you're passionate about and go for it. Because, like I said, this was you know, I've been writing a little bit here and there for my whole life, but I'm 41 and my first book will come out and it's taken me this long to get here, which, again, I wish I started would have started earlier, but it's not too late. Find the thing that you love and jump into it. It doesn't matter if you have the education or qualifications, you'll get there, but find your thing and chase it, and it's such a good and satisfying feeling, especially when you see that, oh, it's not as hard as I maybe thought all those years. You know, oh, this is actually more accessible than I realized.
Speaker 1:Yes, oh, my gosh, I still love that. I feel like that is so aligned with, like, my goals too and my mission in this world, like I just wish, like I guess the number of people that have said to me anytime I've said, oh, I write a book, oh, oh, I wish I could do that too, but I'm not creative enough. I, oh, I wish I could do that, but I insert the million reasons why and I was totally the same. I a hundred percent like, feel that. And then I think it was watching my daughter dance and sitting there thinking, man, I wish I could dance, like. And then I found a class and I signed up and I feel like that was such a game changer.
Speaker 1:Even though it's not writing, I still think the creativity, the movement, it's been such such a like huge, it's had such a huge impact on kind of the writing and really like trusting that sort of messy beginner like process that is required of any sort of creative endeavor, of just like yes, you have to embrace the mess I think so many people are afraid about. Like I mean, I get it. Like I wish that you know that first draft could be a magical masterpiece and sometimes not like terrible, but also not terrible. Like I feel so much love for that first draft because it it, it served its purpose, it taught, like it, it teaches you so much, so I think that that's such a such a great reminder and there's no like time limit. I think too of like. I mean, I was saying I wrote so much, like so many fan fictions that I like handwritten, that I found in boxes.
Speaker 2:Oh, spiral notebooks full of it. Yes, so much. Usually in like a colored pen, like I forgot these in turquoise pen.
Speaker 1:I've written a whole story in a spiral notebook, yep, 100% and never, ever thinking that it would either like count as writing, like experience, or that it was good enough to be, uh, actually like take me anywhere other than just like writing for myself or whatever. And I think, I mean I feel like for many of us that grew up in the 90s, 2000s of just like creative arts wasn't really something that people did Like. It was for the special talented people.
Speaker 2:And it wasn't. If you're not brilliant, don't even try it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, there's no point Right. So, and I love now that so many people are, I think, with the accessibility of self-publishing, getting their stories out, and social media, of self-publishing, getting their stories out and social media, and there's so many creative ways that people share their art now, which is I love to see that like happen, because I think it just makes the world a better place, like because that's what we are meant to do.
Speaker 2:Humans is like create storytelling and like that's what brings us together, and I feel like there's something so magical about creating these fictional characters and having like readers like fall in love with them yes, yes, and I mean having, like, as a woman who loves books, and having experienced that heartbreak and elation from getting sucked into these fictional worlds, like I know how powerful it is and to be a tiny part of that magic is amazing like it's I can't even try and play it cool like I am so excited that I am a real live author whose books people will read and that is never not going to be amazing to me oh, I love that.
Speaker 1:I get so jacked seeing all of these like authors and then they get picked up or they publish and I'm just like, yes, this is so cool and their covers and art looks amazing, and I just, yeah, I think it's such a reminder that you can do it too. That's what it comes down to right. Like it's just, it's never, it's, ultimately, it's never too late. Like, just try. Like just, you know, just do it If. If it's calling you, there's a reason for it. And I think, really learning how to listen to that. And, like I said, the closer I get to 40, the more I'm like I just got to do the thing. Like, let's stop thinking about it, just do it. Uh, because it's way more fun that way and if it works, great. If it doesn't, cool. I've learned some stuff. Um, and I think that's something to be like. That's such a great reminder of like it doesn't matter how long it takes to write your book, but it's here, so your journey, like your life experience and everything.
Speaker 1:Maybe it wasn't the time, and that's that's what I'm telling myself, because I'm like I said, I'm done yet Um, because it's just one of those things right Like it is, and then the more pressure that you put on yourself, I think, the the more that your creativity just gets like like shoved down and it's just nothing's flowing when you're like I have to do it, or like how come I'm not further along or whatever, like all of that sort of stuff, and I think every author's journey is so unique to them and it's so it's.
Speaker 1:It's basically like their story, right, Like every story is so unique and your perspective, your characters are there because of your worldview. Your like just experiences and all that kind of stuff.
Speaker 2:And and I know that it can be, um, it can be hard to start and a lot of people don't even know where to start. So I actually I don't know, maybe about six months ago started a newsletter that, like you know, author newsletter, like, sure, that's part of the marketing thing which I struggle with, but, like you know, start a newsletter, struggle with. But like, get you know, start a newsletter. And you know, I was just I felt like I don't know that I can send a monthly update of, like here's where I'm at with my writing or here's some news and things. Um, that did not get me very excited.
Speaker 2:So, um, my newsletter, it's called letters from Libby and it is actually 100% about helping and encouraging people chase their dreams. It is not related to my writing necessarily I mean, I throw a lot of writing things in there but it is 100% about okay, let's start here and and it goes out every week because I have a lot to say and I there's some really great resources that maybe people don't know about. So I have really, um, loved working with us every week. Okay, here's, here's, we're going to look at goals versus systems. That was the last one that just went out and drew a lot from James Clear's Atomic Habits, which I love and find very helpful.
Speaker 2:And let's talk about how to handle disappointment and failure. Let's talk about the really crazy mix of excitement and anxiety once you have made it to the finish line. So this has been a really neat thing that happened, that I didn't really know would be part of my writing journey. But starting this letters from Libby, weekly kind of dream, chasing encouragement, and also hearing the replies from people, hearing what they are working on or struggling with or knocking out of the park it's been so encouraging and wonderful for me and I think everybody, no matter what your creative pursuit or if you're still trying to find that, could use some encouragement and practical tips.
Speaker 1:Yes, I think honestly the hardest part, especially as an adult, is being a beginner and like and recognizing, because I think the downside of social media is we kind of get highlight reels and we don't see the, the like, however many years that it took for somebody to write that book, even with you know your favorite musicians, or like authors and stuff Like. There's, I think, sometimes this sort of disconnection of like yeah, they're blowing up now, but do you know how many other books they had before?
Speaker 2:this one is like super popular.
Speaker 1:So that's something that I'm constantly telling people, because I, I, I feel like there's the space for you, like there's it's, you can do it, and I think, the more like I just that's what I want. I want more people to follow their dreams and passions, because it shows like even again, this isn't exactly writing related, but it shows like cooking. You see, like you know, I'm watching Jamie Oliver and like just seeing that energy kind of come through his like space when he's cooking, like you can see it, and that shows.
Speaker 2:People light up, People get so excited and it's like I don't care if you're talking about gardening or crochet, like I am here for it. I love just hearing about the things that get people so pumped and so excited and brings this light and energy to their life. I love that.
Speaker 1:Yes, yes, I this is like my favorite. I would love to hear a little bit about if you can talk, you know about that of like how the I guess publishing, like once you've been picked up by the agent, like how was that journey for you? Because I know a lot of authors that I speak with who have elected to self-publish is often the reason is cited is because they want full control, creative control, and there's almost this myth that you know you send it to a publisher and they're going to kind of do whatever they want with it and you are kind of hands off. So I'd love to hear a little bit more about kind of that experience for you.
Speaker 2:Sure how that went for you.
Speaker 2:Well, I will say that my my Better Than Gelato novel, while firmly a rom-com, is kind of in a little bit of a mushy niche because it is a closed door rom-com. Okay, I love it. And so we are seeing a lot of love for spice, which I think is great, and I read the full spectrum, right From like spicy like vanilla pudding to spicy like habanero. I'm there for, and I have no judgments for readers and writers along that whole spectrum. Um, I feel most comfortable writing closed door and and I also no judgments for readers and writers along the whole spectrum Um, I feel most comfortable writing closed door and and I also want to provide more options for people. Uh, because it is such a spicy saturated market, I would love to be another option for somebody who feels uncomfortable reading some of those explicit scenes. Um, that's just where I I feel great, I feel my best.
Speaker 2:However, we got from a lot of publishers once I teamed up with the incredible Katie Monson. We've got a lot of publishers who are saying I would like to see more spice. We're really looking for some spice. We'd like some dark spice Okay, not the right fit. And then we also had some that are kind of squeaky clean and Christian presses, and my book doesn't fall in that category either. While I am Christian, those are not beliefs that showed up very strongly in my character and so I was kind of just like in this spot in the middle um, and I was very grateful for city all press to kind of see the potential of this book and not necessarily put it in one box or another box. I think they're just like it's a good story, good writing, let's go with it. And I I appreciate that. I like being judged on on those merits. It can be frustrating when it's like but you didn't say anything about the characters, you didn't say anything about the writing or the voice, you just said not enough spice and that was like okay. So once I once I signed on with with City Owl after a really great meeting with Tina Moss and T-Tate who is my editor T they have taken such good care of me who is my editor T, they have taken such good care of me. They have and I didn't know what to expect because, again, I'm brand new to all of this, so didn't know what to expect got the contract back and ran it by an author friend you know, who's been published for a long time and it's like are there red flags that I'm missing? And she's like no, this looks good, maybe ask about this and talk about that. So they were very willing to answer all of my questions and it wasn't like sign now or we're taking the offer off the table. It was very much whatever questions you have, we want to make sure that this is, you know, a good fit for both of us.
Speaker 2:With the cover design, I they were like okay, what did you have in mind? I had not thought of a cover design. I'd thought of a million other things, but I hadn't thought of a color. So it's like well, maybe like a bowl of gelato, like maybe a camera next to it, because my, my, julia Evans, is a photographer and they're like okay. So they came back with this cover exactly as I described and I was like underwhelmed I'm all okay, maybe, if we do this here and do this here.
Speaker 2:I added a couple of suggestions and they came back to me doing exactly what I suggested and I still was like no, I'm not loving it. And then I got in my head the vision of oh my gosh, this is how I want to be. And I saw it very clearly and I once I had it and it was like I felt a little bit like oh dang, I don't want to ask them to redo all of like, to just scrap all that work they've done, because they're paying these very talented designers to create this for me, and I was like I'm so sorry I should have come up with this before. But now I have it and I know in my bones this is the cover I want and it's this young woman and we see her from the back and she's looking out at Piazza Duomo in Milan and there's just this feeling of about to step into this momentous year and moment in her life and I was like, oh, this is I had it clear in my vision and I shared all these things with them and they just gave it back to me exactly what I wanted. It was like you guys are in my brain and I saw it and I was like, oh, and I was so excited.
Speaker 2:So my experience with my publisher has been so much of them letting me take the lead and, even if I don't get it right the first time, them being willing to okay, let's, yeah, we can take another look at this. Let's make sure that you're happy and excited about it. So maybe I've been a little bit spoiled. This is my only experience with a publisher so far, but they have been really accommodating and interested in how I want things to go. Another reason I was very excited to do traditional publishing as opposed to self-publishing. Another reason I was very excited to do traditional publishing as opposed to self-publishing which I know there are pros and cons to each of them. I was excited.
Speaker 2:I felt like my story was great and I'd worked on it, and then I learned how to write and then worked on it some more and so I had it in a good spot. But I was really excited to see what a professional developer could do, how they could take it to the next level, how they could say you know what, let's shift this a little bit here. What if this arc goes here? What if we see this tie in and and make it even greater? And that's an experience I was really looking forward to and that I've really enjoyed kind of.
Speaker 2:And there weren't a lot of changes. My editor was like wow, this is a very clean manuscript and for a debut author, this is like don't have a lot of changes, which felt good. But also, I liked just being able to bring it up to the next level a little bit with somebody who really had the experience and knew what she was doing and had the vision to be like. This is great. Let's just make a little bit of tweaks here and see how that changes the impact and how it hits a little bit differently this way. That's been such a cool experience for me.
Speaker 1:I love that.
Speaker 1:That is like as a developmental editor, I feel like that's my favorite part of like helping authors like come, like, how do we put this together and how can we make your character like that much more, I guess, emotional? So people, people again, like they fall in love with them and they're the ones that are making the fan art and then they're like so obsessed with your, your characters, and like I get so excited, um, and also like, so, like honored to be able to like read these, like book babies that people are sharing. And I'm like, because it's such an intimate experience too, I think people don't realize how like intimate and vulnerable it is to share your work with others, like first of all, and then knowing that obviously you're going to be sharing it with the world, which is also a whole other thing right next to the weird.
Speaker 2:Thing which.
Speaker 2:I will say also, I should have expected, like I knew, that, like I'm writing this book and I realized very late in the game that somebody else would be reading that book. Yeah, and again, embarrassingly late to put those two things together. But I remember I just got my literary agent and I was sharing my exciting news on social media, which, back before a book, I went on social media like maybe once a month, like I'm not, I didn't have a lot of things to share, but so I was sharing this. And then one of my friends commented congratulations, I'm so excited to read your book.
Speaker 2:And, I kid you not, it was like an icy chill went down my spine. I was like wait, what? Oh, no, no, no, shut it down. This is not Nope, abort mission, this is not a good idea. And I was like what did I think was going to happen?
Speaker 2:Like I've written this book, I'm trying to get it published, and it took me a couple of days to be like, hey, it's all right, it's okay, people are going to read your book. Some may like it, some may not, that is all right, but it is a nerve wracking thing. We got it off to ARC readers and it was like okay, and some of them were people I knew, so they're giving me real time messages as they're reading it and I'm all okay. I actually maybe just want to go hang out in a cave for a little while until you've finished, and then I can like process it afterwards, because it is just like you're, you're bearing your soul to the world and there they are. Every dream you've had about showing up to school without wearing pants, publishing your book, is the realization of that dream. So wear cute underwear. Underwear, I guess, is my advice there. I don't know, that's so funny.
Speaker 1:I love that. It's so true, though, but then if you think about it, like it, it's like the human, like our physio, this, this is logical I don't know if that's the right word but like, basically our like animal brain and is panicking, because, thousands of years ago, rejection, rejection like anytime, like when we were like, it's like that rejection is very real and apparent, and that's a very scary thing for humans to like, sit with, of like, oh my gosh, I'm going to get kicked out of the group and no one's going to like me, right, like that's that sort of like, oh my gosh. I think our nervous system is just having a little bit of a panic attack for that, where you kind of, again, you need to go sit on the floor, lay down in the grass for a little while by the beach, take some deep breaths, have a have a nice coffee, maybe a decaf coffee, if we're feeling a little stressed. You don't need more. We don't need more caffeine. I'll tell you what's really helped.
Speaker 2:Um, I have. I have four kiddos, so this may not work for everybody, yes, but my kids are all readers. They're, let's see, 13, 11, 9, and 6. And all of them love reading and they think authors are like rock stars, like I am Taylor Swift. To my children, they think that I am so cool and it has also made me feel like super cool, like, oh my gosh, I've impressed my 13 year old. How often does that happen? And so that's been really fun to have that fan club of kids who are like mom, like you are almost as good as as, um, the Percy Jackson guy of Rick Riordan and I'm all well. Like you are almost as good as as the Percy Jackson guy of Rick Riordan and I'm all well. Thank you, I'll let him know that you're putting us in the same category, but to them, to be a published author is the coolest thing you could be, and that has made me feel like less anxious about putting this out in the world and just being like well, my kids think I'm really awesome.
Speaker 1:So we're calling it open. I love that. That's so cool and I think, as you're teaching them such a cool like lesson um, as well as like for us to go after our dreams and to show, them.
Speaker 2:I will tell you yes, you can do it since, since I um got this publishing deal, all my three oldest kids have started writing books. Now All three of them are in the middle of stories. My oldest one, I mean, she's started taking the Save the Cat. They have a really great course for young writers so she's been going through that and she's been brainstorming with me. So she's at like 40,000 words on her novel. And then my 11 year old is working on a story. And then my nine year olds as like they're writing stories and they're like Mom, can I get my computer out and work on my story? I'm like, yes, let's have writing time. This is wonderful.
Speaker 1:I love that. That's so cool and I think it's just. I'm really pumped to see kind of this. I guess next generation like fall back in love with like reading and it's been so cool to see that. Cause my old not my oldest, my middle one is 15 and definitely book obsessed, obsessed and like all of their friends like they'll have like book clubs and like all of these little like things where they're texting about their books and they've got their notes and the little like tabby things in there. It's a whole, it's a thing. I'm like this is amazing. I'm so glad that you are in your room reading a book. I will take it.
Speaker 1:Amazing, we're doing it right, yes, I'm so cool and I think I it's yeah, I love, I love getting stories and storytelling. It's just such a a magical thing and I love that so many, yeah, so many kids are just like realizing the power of it, I think, and that it's that's such an amazing thing. Well, it was super lovely chatting with you.
Speaker 2:As we kind of close out.
Speaker 1:I would love for you to share how people can get in touch with you and kind of follow along your your journey and obviously, at the time of recording, your book is not out, but by the time it goes live, it will be. So I would love to hear, yes, how people can get their hands on your book, cause this is like a book I need to read this summer.
Speaker 2:So it's a pretty good summer book. It's a pretty good beach read. So I am on Instagram and Facebook under Libby Tanner author and then you can also go to my website, libbytannerauthorcom, which I filled with a lot of resources for writers, also a lot of information about my personal journey, also a lot of dorky pictures of me in the third grade. So, like my website, libby Tanner Author, it's kind of a grab bag, but it's a good time, and then you can also sign up for my weekly newsletter if you're feeling stuck or need some motivation.
Speaker 2:Letters from Libby comes out every Thursday and it is designed to help specifically all people, but women specifically, who may have a harder time going after their their dreams or pursuing their creative passions. And I will say that I actually gosh. Last week, um just signed a two book deal with my publisher, so we have um. Better than gelato is coming out August 19th and then the sequel, bigger Than Versace, will come out the following year and then the third in the series, the Ciao Bella series. The third book is called Brighter Than Times Square and that's what I'm working on right now.
Speaker 1:Oh my gosh, I'm here for this so so pumped, so excited. I feel like I learned so much from you, which was I always love this. It was so much fun and I yeah, I had such a blast. So excited. I feel like I learned so much from you, which was I always love you. Victoria Like yes it's so much fun and I yeah, I had such a blast, so thank you.
Speaker 2:Of course, thank you. I really appreciate the chance. I mean anytime you tell an author would you like to talk about your book? Yes, yes, or anybody's book really, but this has just been such a treat for me.
Speaker 1:Thanks so much for listening to today's episode.
Speaker 1:This has just been such a treat for me. Thanks so much for listening to today's episode and if you really loved this author, I highly encourage you to go check out their links and comment and share their work, because, let's be real, as an indie author, all that stuff makes such a difference. And if you're feeling a little stuck on your draft and just want some gentle accountability, check out my one-to-one offers that are linked in the show notes as well. I'd love to support you with your writing or editing journey, and if that's not quite where you're at, I've also put together a really amazing free resource to help with taking your writing to the next level, because there are so many amazing resources available without needing to spend a ton of money or get that MFA or all of the things that you may think that you need in order to write a book. Until next time, keep writing your way and trust yourself enough to tell your story, because I promise, if it's coming to you, there's a reason and someone needs to hear it.
