Joyful Chaos #4: Totally Not Freaking Out

Dear Friends,

My very first book baby is being born TODAY!

I’m scared and excited and proud that something I poured my heart and soul into will be in stores—and that people I know and love (and strangers, hopefully!) will be reading Nothing Bad Happens Here!! Trying to get the word out about a new book is daunting, and below I’ll share a behind-the-scenes peeks at some of my misadventures and bloopers along the way!

But first, because 10,000 to 3 million new books are released in the US each year—depending on who you ask, it’s a weirdly hard number to pin down—two of the kindest things readers can do to support authors they know is to 1) buy their books and 2) leave positive rankings/reviews on sites like Amazon and GoodReads. Even if you don’t typically use those sites, giving something a 5 star rating and writing something short & sweet can make a HUGE difference to an author, and is one of the few ways a book can get a smidgen of visibility in a a noisy world of breaking news, White Lotus, and capybara videos.

Launching a book is lot of work, but it’s also fun, and the images I share on social media don’t show the whole story. So let’s take a peek behind the social media facade, shall we?

I needed to take a summery beach photo for my preorder giveaway prizes, but it was 16 degrees in a Pittsburgh winter with no beach in sight. And I didn’t have any copies of my book yet! So, I rigged up a photo shoot on my snowy and freezing back deck, taping a print-out of my cover onto someone else’s book and spreading store-bought sand over a garbage bag. Here’s the before and after:

Emboldened by the results, I attempted to create an influencer-worthy video of an iced coffee with seashell-shaped ice cubes to mimic my book cover. I froze heavy cream in the shell-shaped molds, but Chaely got involved and started licking the cream while I was filming. And then—when I poured in the iced coffee (Green Mountain Nantucket blend, of course)—the cream/shell/cubes melted in unappetizing flakes, like fish food. I might try to salvage some of that footage one day . . . but it’s back to the drawing board! Maybe I’ll try regular milk or half-and-half next time?

I also recorded my first podcast for Nothing Bad Happens Here—on spotty wi-fi in a historic cottage in Colonial Williamsburg (just like a real-life American Girl doll would have). It’s the Well-Read Podcast, and you can search for the episode with my name if you want to hear about my love for Nantucket, Mitchell’s Book Corner, my inspiration for this book, and a touch about selkie and mermaid mythology!

I also have some IRL book signing events coming up and I’d love to see you there! Thank you for reading these emails, and for being with me on this wild journey.

Your friend who is totally not freaking out,

Rachel

FAQs:

Where can I order Nothing Bad Happens Here? This link has all the bookish retailers, pick your fave! You can always order from your local independent bookshop directly, and many of them are listed on Bookshop.org.

Where can I find you online? I’m on Instagram mostly, TikTok and Threads too.

Will there be an audiobook? Yes! The audiobook turned out amazing and is available starting today! I’ll be writing more about the audio edition in future emails. You can get from Audible, Amazon, Libro.Fm, Apple Books, or you audiobook purveyor of choice.

Can I get in as an e-book? Yes! It’s available as an e-book everywhere ebooks are sold.

What if my local store or library doesn’t have the book? Please order it or request it, which can be done in person, by phone or online. They should be able to get it in quickly and it really helps the author when you make these requests.

Where can I see more of your beautiful dog, Chaely? In case you missed it, she’s the star of the show of my Nothing Bad Happens Here unboxing video!