Ep 64: Life After Book Debut? YA Romance Author Chatham Greenfield on Second Books, Author Envy, and Being an Extroverted Writer

Launch Day Special—and we get deep on this one!Celebrating the release of Try Your Worst with fellow Reese's Book Club LitUp Fellow and Stonewall Honor winner Chatham Greenfield.In this follow-up episode to last week, we dive into life one year post-publication, billionaire-on-billionaire romance tropes, and discovering your hero David Levithan knows your book (!!)We also talk about the taboo topic of jealousy and envy in the writing community, feeling like a failure, and what a group of white writers once said to me .Quotes:On writer stereotypes: "I think there is this sort of idea that because we're writers, we're sitting alone every day and we have no social needs."On creative authenticity: "I kind of spread my personal life in my books like confetti—there's little pieces here and there, but there's not enough that you can tangibly pick it all up and hold it."On managing publishing expectations: "It feels like the goalpost is always moving... I'm trying as much as I can to not expect anything and be pleasantly surprised."Try Your Worst Details• Genre: Cozy mystery + lesbian YA romance• Plot: Rivals forced to team up to solve who's framing them for petty crimes (Enemies to lovers, anyone?)Buy the Book on Amazon: https://amzn.to/48gswahAudible: you can use your credit! https://amzn.to/47Hl1JlOr your favorite retailer including B&N, Bookshop, and more: https://chatgreenfield.com/tywWhere to Find Chatham• Website: ChatGreenfield.com• Social Media: @ChatGreenfield (all platforms)Timestamps:00:00 The Extroverted Writer Experience03:02 Women apologizing for existing—let’s stop doing that04:43 Writing opposites attract and introvert characters when you’re an extrovert05:06 Marginalized authors can make things up too10:00 Why we gravitate toward shy kids at the party11:13 What nobody tells you about your debut vs. your second book17:42 How to celebrate the small wins when you have big dreams21:18 Embracing the reality of jealousy in the Writing CommunityFollow this podcast for more great interviews!Subscribe to my Newsletter: Get more publishing real talk and behind-the-scenes content at ⁠https://thesophiachang.substack.com/⁠Like what you saw/heard? Rate 5 stars & Review: Help other book lovers find us!(Amazon affiliate links may provide me 10 much-needed cents.)