Pre-order The Part That Burns
“and she noticed who stayed, and it was the same people who had always been there.” ― Adrienne Maree Brown
It's been a long road getting here, but it’s finally happening: my debut memoir, The Part That Burns, is available for pre-order today through January 11. The first 50 pre-orders receive signed copies, too, with a pretty bookplate made from the cover art! After the pre-order period closes, the book will be officially published (!!) on February 1, after which everyone can order it from then on. Amazing.
Many of you know this is a very tender book for me, one I've been sort of wrenching out of myself for my whole life. Some of the experiences this memoir deals with were very hard to write about and harder still to live, but through the writing came some beautiful light, and I think that light is there in these pages as well. As Kirkus said in their starred review (!), "A textured remembrance of a traumatic childhood that also offers affecting moments of beauty." So, thank you for being on this journey with me in any way, shape or form. It means the world.
My book has gotten some really nice pre-publication attention including not only from Kirkus but also from a whole bunch of writers I LOVE and also Story Circle, Midwest Book Review, and a lovely shout out from The Rumpus as a book to read in 2021. More reviews and interviews are coming soon from Hippocampus, Brevity, Heavy Feather, and others. The process leading to those blurbs and reviews was, as you can imagine, nerve-wracking. But the scariest part by FAR starts now, because pre-orders are so very, very important to the future of a book, and so much is riding on what happens in the next week and then again after the official publication date on February 1.
A few super important ways you can help, if you would like to:
1) Preorder the book!! If you are fast, you'll get that signed copy with the pretty bookplate. But it's also just a HUGE help to me. Much of the momentum of a book depends on how it does in the first week, and pre-orders count toward that. It's best for me and for my publisher if you order directly from Split/Lip but the book will also be available on Amazon as well as through BookShop and also you can request it from your own favorite Indie bookstore. If you do choose to pre-order, I just cannot thank you enough.
2) Help raise awareness on Goodreads by marking the book to-read, by rating it, and, once you've read it, by reviewing it--those early reviews help SO SO MUCH. So much, in fact, that if you are interested in and willing to do early reviews, starting as soon as right now, you can just email me your confirmation of order and I can send you the digital ARC immediately so you can start reading. If you have questions about that option, just email me, otherwise, just forward your order confirmation and I'll reply with the digital book.
3) Post reviews on Amazon starting on or near January 11. We know Amazon is Amazon but it's also, for better or worse, crucial for authors, it can make or break a book's future, so racking up reviews there is a really big deal. So, I'll be in touch again once more when the book link goes live there.
4) Request the book from your local library! That's a huge service because it helps librarians and, therefore, readers, become aware of it.
5) Request it from your favorite indie bookstore! Same reason as above.
6) Post about the book on social media, tell your friends about it, suggest it to your book club if you have one (and I'd totally love to join your book group to talk about the book if that sounds fun!).
7) Come to one of my readings or other book events and/or tell your friends about them! Filling those (Zoom) rooms at readings is a HUGE source of stress for all writers--no one wants to throw a party no one comes to. Ugh! so here are my public events so far, and many are in collaboration with some other really amazing writers who are cooler than me, like Maggie Smith (Good Bones), Michele Filgate (What My Mother & I Don't Talk About), Sue William Silverman (How to Survive Death and Other Inconveniences), Gina Frangello (Blow Your House Down), Lilly Dancyger (Burn it Down), Jen Pastiloff (Being Human), and more! This list is just the beginning--you can always find out what is going on and find event links by visiting the events page on this site.
January
1/14 7:30 PM Midstream Reading Series*
February
2/1 6 PM Split/Lip Launch
2/4 4 PM Interview with The Write Review
2/5, 7 PM Launch Party in conversation with Maggie Smith and Michele Filgate and with music by Brianna Lane, hosted by Moon Palace Books
2/11, 6 PM Readings on the Pike
2/18 7 PM 1455 Authors Series
2/24 6 PM Sundress Academy Reading
2/25 5 PM, Writer's Center Virtual Craft Chat
March
3/4 Event with Sue William Silverman, details forthcoming
3/6 2 PM Hidden Timber Reading Series
3/11 6 PM Red Ink Panel at Literary Hub hosted my Michele Filgate
3/18 w/Gina Frangello and Lilly Dancyger, details forthcoming
March event with Sue William Silverman, details forthcoming
March event with Jen Pastiloff, details forthcoming
*All times are Central
That’s all for now, and I know it's already a lot. I appreciate your support so incredibly much, you have no idea. And remember, like I said, you’re not subscribed to a newsletter or anything, so don’t worry. I'll reach out again when the book goes up on Amazon, but other than that, the best way to stay connected through the whole launch is to subscribe to my actual newsletter (super easy, just go here) and watch for updates on social media (Facebook, FB author page, Insta, and Twitter).
Sending you all so much love and light and gratitude as we head into this new year, which, though still hard, will hopefully get so much better.
All love,
Jeannine
