Drum roll, please...

...here's the cover to my new book!

Things are moving along with my new release and the manuscript is now with the formatter. It will soon be a book! Since this thing is really going to happen, I now have the confidence to share the beautiful cover with you. Some of you may have seen this on social media yesterday, but algorithms being what they are, I wanted to make sure that you, one of my most loyal followers, will be able to see it.

Ta da!

My designer at Beaux Arts Design Studio knocked it out of the park with her first round of concepts. It was just that easy, even though I was unable to guide her with a single notion about what should go on the cover—and I certainly wouldn’t have thought of using that dramatic navy blue background! Such is the power of finding the right title—it spoke for me.

At this point I’ve also received blurbs from ten industry professionals I admire, in addition to the highly anticipated foreword from Donald Maass. My social media contacts won’t see these blurbs until I dole them out one week at a time for my “Monday Meme Countdown” that begins later this month. But in thanks for subscribing to my Substack, today I’m going to share with you the one I’m reserving to use on launch day, October 7. It’s from Donald Maass’s foreword:

“You might think, at this point, that there is nothing new to say about the craft of fiction, but there is, and Kathryn is saying it here.”

If you don’t know the name, Donald Maass’s opinion holds great sway in the publishing industry. As president of his own literary agency since 1980, he has made careers. As former president of the Association of Authors’ Representatives, he has enforced ethical business practices in the vast field of traditional publication. But since his first craft book, Writing the Breakout Novel—which was followed by many other valuable guides (I’ve loved Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook, The Fire in Fiction, and Writing 21st Century Fiction the most), he’s also been known by many aspiring writers as a writing guru. He speaks about story craft and leads intensive workshops across the globe. I’ve learned much from him, so as you can imagine, to have his endorsement means so much to me!

If you think that once you’re an industry insider, asking for a blurb or a foreword automatically results in gushing praise, think again. It’s always painful to do so, but I’ve had to turn down the opportunity to blurb writers I like and admire. Sometimes it’s because the book just wasn’t for me—our reading choices are highly subjective, and not every story or genre aligns with my worldview. I don’t see how blurbing a project dissimilar from mine could help them anyway. And of course I’d love to help my developmental editing clients, but long ago I set a boundary not to blurb or review any book I’d had a hand in shaping.

I’ve been turned down from potential blurbers as well. Despite strong mutual connections, Matthew Quick (Silver Linings Playbook) and Lisa See (Snow Flower and the Secret Fan) wouldn’t blurb The Art of Falling because they were knee-deep in their next books and had a (reasonable) rule to only read for others in between projects. Jodi Picoult said no for The Far End of Happy because she read my emailed request on a trans-Atlantic flight while heading out on a world tour. (Some excuse. 😂) You can’t say I haven’t aimed high!

I’ll save more stories for next time. Let me know what you think of the cover!

Thanks for reading and thanks more for staying,

Kathryn