Katharine Schellman, author of the Lily Adler Mysteries. live with sjp, episode 1 original air date on Instagram Live: April 22nd, 2020 First of all, big thanks to Katharine for being a champ and putting up with my disorganization & low-tech nonsense. I did not plan ahead because I’m kind of terrible at that kind of thing lately. #CovidLife, amirite? Honestly, this whole IG Live “podcast” stuff is very new to me and I’m making it up as I go along, so I ended up recording just me through Zoom talking to the disembodied voice of Katharine coming through my phone (which was balanced on top o ..read more

Tiffany Black is a coordinator with the Prisoners Literature Project, an all-volunteer grassroots group that sends hundreds of free book packages to incarcerated individuals in the United States every month. I reached out to learn more about her, her work with PLA, and her thoughts on the book industry. “I volunteer at PLP because my father was incarcerated and if it wasn't for second chances I would have never been born. My mother and father met after he was released from prison and here I am. My purpose in life is to help others, if I can't help them, I at least won't harm them. I ..read more

This morning, I read my friend RaeAnna’s lovely blog post called 11 Ways Life Is Being Nice to Me Right Now. It made me want to celebrate the positive too, so I wrote my own list. And yes, 9 is obviously fewer than 11. I downsized because 1.) being positive is hard right now, and 2.) nine has been my lucky number since I was a kiddo and won a tiger poster at the zoo for correctly guessing that they had nine flamingoes in their care. Anyway, here’s a list of random things! I hope it makes your day even a tiny bit happier. 9 Very Small Things That Have Made Me Happy Recently this joyous, brigh ..read more

If you’re not following Cindy on Instagram, you definitely should be. Her page is filled with A+ book recommendations, gorgeous photos from her home in Trinidad and Tobago, and her sunny smile—so what’s not to love?! I reached out to Cindy to learn more about BookOfCinz and her mission: to encourage people to read, read more, read widely, and #ReadCarribean. Read on for our conversation—and be sure to check out Cindy’s website for her lists, reviews, and online book club. SJP: Let's start with an introduction! Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself and your bookstagram, @bookofc ..read more

Woohoo, who’s ready for a free book marketing consultation?! | reserve yours now, cause they’re gettin’ snatched up quickly If you’re a part of my newsletter community (which, hi, you totes should be cause signing up unlocks my highly-rated free book marketing resources and also I barely email—win win!), you may have seen the news… october is for giving At least it is in my mind. Which is why I'm opening up 40 free consultation spots where authors can ask anything and everything about their online book marketing needs. Be sure to reserve your spot ASAP, cause they’re filling up very quic ..read more

Sarah, a.k.a. bookstagrammer @bookedinadvance, showing off her legit delicious baklava on a plate. | see this post on instagram I met Sarah Saba Cetra—also known by her bookstagram handle, @bookedinadvance—through an Instagram private message with a bunch of other Pittsburgh bookish people. It’s been wonderful connecting with folks in my community, and I look forward to the day that Sarah and I and all of the other member of the PGH Book Friends DM can meet safely in person! Anyway: Sarah is an awesome book blogger, she lives very close to me IRL, and recently she had a bake sale to raise mon ..read more

“I feel as if my skin is the only thing keeping me from going everywhere at once.” #reclaimingvulnerabilitysee this post on instagram I was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder in May 2020, as a 31-year-old woman. The whole lockdown/working from home situation definitely helped me recover from severe burnout long enough to finally put two and two together. Who knew that a global pandemic + capitalist hellhole would be one long, never-ending therapy session?  Except instead of, like, talking to a professional in a chic office, I’m mostly wearing a robe and working through past traumas ..read more

Saba Sulaiman is a literary agent at Talcott Notch Literary Services. I reached out to her with an invitation to join me for a Live With SJP episode, but due to some scheduling conflicts we ended up doing a good ol’ fashioned email interview instead. Anyway, she has some great advice for authors who are in the querying stage, plus insight into the not-often-understood work of a literary agent. So read on, my friends! SJP: Let's start with an introduction! Can you tell us a little bit more about yourself, and the professional path that led you to become a literary agent? Saba: Sure! Hi, I'm Sab ..read more

Online book marketing is basically the only way to promote your book now, cause this pandemic ain’t going anywhere. Good thing I have tons of DIY book marketing resources for ya! That doesn’t mean only social media marketing, but it’s definitely a part of it. (Need some extra encouragement? I gotcha covered.) Facebook is over, ya’ll. Twitter is where authors talk to one another. But Instagram? That’s where the readers thrive. There are a ton of new features on the platform—like Reels, which on August 5th!—that make content creation easy peasy. (I haven’t played around with Reels that m ..read more

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