I feel like I’m writing a birth announcement for a baby that took two long years to be born into the world. People often tease that writing a book is a lot like birthing a baby, and since I did both at the same time, I joke that Quinn has a twin named “How Are You, Really?”. It feels surreal to be writing this – post book release, post Today Show, post Times Square billboard! – and now realizing that until the end of my days (and beyond), people can pick up a copy of my book and read every word. How wild!
Celebrate the Journey
I promise you, I’ve LOVED every part of writing a book: from the actual writing to the creative design side to the marketing and promotion — each part of the process has challenged me, excited me, and taught me new things! I will say, though, nothing about this process beats the impact part, that final stage; the part where you get to witness people experience all of the work that happened in private.
Something that is so peculiar about writing a book is that there are so many milestones in the journey. If I have any advice for an author, it’s this: pause and celebrate each milestone along the way. (Also, this.) From opening that initial doc to locking in a book deal, to handing in draft 1, 2, and 3, and designing the cover — there are so many steps on the path to getting a manuscript out into the world and I found myself wondering, “What is going to be the thing that makes this actually feel real?”
I found myself wondering: Will it feel real when I’m on The Today Show? Will it be seeing the book in the wild? Is it when I get to meet people who have read the early pages? For me, I constantly reminded myself that it wasn’t just one event – it was a whole string of them! Because when a goal is so drawn out and there are so many pieces to the process, it’s easy to trick yourself into waiting for a finish line. But I’ve found that, with books, you’re really just inching closer to new starting lines – every new place where your book gets to impact the world and those who read it.
I’m wildly humbled
It would be crazy to not dive in and say THANK YOU! Thank you for your unwavering support, thank you for all of the sharing, thank you for DVRing my TV segments, thank you for sharing the book, thank you for believing in my words, thank you for passing the recommendation along, thank you for cheering every step of the way, thank you for starting the book club. This book was written for you and I have never in my entire life felt more humbled by such hype. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night and just feeling so much gratitude for the outpouring of support! This book felt like such a personal expression, so watching people rally around my words and show up worldwide is something I will never forget.
New York City
To sum up launch week, it was unreal. Truly, it didn’t (and still doesn’t) feel real. From site seeing to standing in Times Square watching a commercial play for my book, from walking onstage of The Today Show to meeting real readers at my book event, it was such a whirlwind that it felt like I lived many lifetimes in a 48-hour period. There was a piece of me that wished I could spread it all out across a series of days because it was just so much to comprehend and experience all at once.
It was Drew’s first time to the city, the first time Coco will remember being there, and the first time I’ve been back since the pandemic. For anyone who has ever traveled with young children, you’ll understand what I mean when I say New York was a trip, not a vacation! Two kids in tow, one amazing nana, and a filled calendar made for a flurry of activity but we were able to sneak in experiences that left us coming home saying, “That was amazing!”
Drew and Coco experienced The Empire State Building, we all rode the merry-go-round in Central Park, Drew and I shared a king crab and an espresso martini at Lure, and we got to see my book at the Barnes and Noble on 5th Avenue among other things! I did live streams from the marble bathroom, we shuffled kids and adults around so I could show up online, and Nana shared a room with a three-year-old who likes to sleep with a light on.
Launch Week Can Be Summed Up By
The trip was smooth and fun, and I felt like I was awake to the craziness as it unfolded. There were so many pinch-me moments and also so much real life (like when my toddler almost missed our billboard in Times Square because she wanted a snack!). I am so grateful I got to celebrate with my family and to have us enjoy the trip not just as a work trip but as a way of making memories that will forever be precious to me.
So much work led up to that week and I found myself grateful for the way that we planned, prepped, and worked as a team to set it up so that I could truly be present to all that was happening. I found myself often wondering what more I could or should be doing, but then reminding myself that all of the work was done and it was time to celebrate, pause, and just trust in how it will all unfold. From spending the weekend with my family celebrating the 4th of July to sneaking in a few naps on a rainy Monday, I relished that all of the work that we did in advance prepared me for a launch that felt enjoyable, energizing, and entirely true-to-me.
If you don’t have your copy of “How Are You, Really?” yet,
