From Rejected to "Best of 2022"
Allie Rowbottom on her journey to lit darling
Hi Bleeders!
I took a little time off the podcast to get my book proposal in order—which I literally started querying this week, more on that soon—but if you missed the Allie Rowbottom episode, you're in for a treat! Allie is the author of the memoir/family history/cultural commentary Jell-O Girls, which I love, and the new novel Aesthetica, which is incredibly zeitgeisty in its subject matter and has been getting rave reviews.
Not only is Allie Rowbottom a super hot lit queen who can string together a hell of a sentence, but she’s also really nice and generous with information in this interview. She was such a fun guest, spilling the tea on her literary come-up, sharing a top-secret tip for writing good fiction, how she handled writing about her family, THE most thoughtful and honest takes on publishing, and more in this episode.
🎧 Allie Rowbottom Deep Dives the Writing & Publishing Processes for “Jello Girls” and “Aesthetica”
Here’s a preview:
“I still remember that meeting. I still remember him being like, ‘Well, I would want to read that book. You think you can make 80 pages by the end of the summer?’ And honestly that assignment changed my life because I was like, Oh my God, 80 pages. I don't think I've ever written 80 pages, but I went off with a goal and just hearing someone be like, ‘I would want to read that book’ made me think, All right, I guess I'll write it.”
Where I write:
I’m asking each guest to give us a peek behind the scenes. I can’t wait to read the wild premise Allie dreams up next at her sparse workspace. That little golden pig lamp is the perfect pop of zhoosh.
Episode links:
🏃♀️ Follow Allie Rowbottom Instagram @allierowbottom and Twitter @allierowbottom.
🛒 Order Allie’s latest book Aesthetica and her debut memoir Jell-O Girls: A Family History.
💻 Check out Allie’s website for more about her writing and books.
🎧 And, of course, pop in those earbuds and listen to Allie Rowbottom Deep Dives the Writing & Publishing Processes for "Jello Girls" and "Aesthetica" on your favorite podcast platform.
Online reading about writing:
How to Write a Query Letter - Nearly 80 percent of the agents that Kat Lewis queried requested her full manuscript! That’s a helluva batting average. In her latest Substack, she breaks down her method for writing successful query letters and shares three drafts of that winning query letter.
Book Proposal Opportunity - The LGBT+ Archives Project of Louisiana and The Historic New Orleans Collection are seeking proposals for a book about the history of queer communities of color in New Orleans. The author of the selected proposal will be offered a book contract and will receive $10,000 in startup funding. The deadline is March 1st.
Perhaps my all-time favorite book promo strategy. Kudos (& double congratulations!!) to Ruth Madievsky. Order All-Night Pharmacy so this baby isn’t born into shame!
Until next time, HAPPY BLEEDING!
So… ROLL CALL! 🗣️
Have you ever queried lit agents before? If so, drop your top tip in the comments below. And wish me luck!
Let’s connect on social media! I’m @courtneykocak on Twitter and Instagram. For more, check out my website courtneykocak.com.
I LOVED this ep with Allie. Listen to it, people!