Reality Writes
The Reality Writes Podcast stars bestselling mystery author Ellie Alexander and her Tech Guy husband as they reveal the ins and outs of writing. Ellie, who has written for big names like Macmillan and Simon & Schuster, and indie publishers like Storm, shares her journey from story ideas to publishing. Together, they dive into the highs, lows, and funny moments of creating captivating stories. With a blend of humor and honesty, Reality Writes offers a behind-the-scenes look at the writing world. So grab your coffee (or wine) and join Ellie and the Tech Guy for some story-spinning secrets.
Reality Writes
'Tis the Season (Already?)—Seasonal Book Trends in Reading & Publishing
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
It’s officially peppermint mocha season…for some of us. In this episode, Tech Guy and I dive into the great holiday debate: when is the right time to start reading (or writing) holiday books? We’re talking about cozy autumn reading trends, the publishing realities of holiday releases, how to get in the festive spirit when it’s 75 degrees outside, and why your sales might spike and then nosedive with seasonal titles. We also want your recs! Tech Guy’s still on the hunt for his next favorite holiday book, so we’re counting on you, darlings. 🎄
🎉 Join me on Patreon for bonus content.
Hello, hello, hello, and welcome to another episode of Reality Rights. I am author Ellie Alexander and I'm here with the tech guy.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. It's time for a podcast.
SPEAKER_02It's time for a podcast. How are you today?
SPEAKER_00Uh I'm doing pretty well. Yeah. It's uh yeah. I don't know, though. I mean, you know, these podcasts like they cut into my fortnight time.
SPEAKER_02Oh, that's not what I was gonna say. I thought you were gonna get right into um how excited you were about the particular topic we're gonna take on today.
SPEAKER_00I am I am excited about that. That that is uh has has me less distracted than normal, I would say, uh, because today we're talking all things holiday.
SPEAKER_02This is the great holiday debate bookish edition. We're gonna talk all things holiday, whether or not you should launch into holiday fun, holiday reading now, when we are recording this, which is the earlier part of November, or whether you should wait, especially if you are a US darling, until post-Thanksgiving. I think we all know where I land on this camp. Um and I think we all know where the tech I landed as well.
SPEAKER_00Do we though? So I'd like to for for those darlings out there watching this podcast episode, I'd like you to show them your coffee cup.
SPEAKER_02Oh no. Well, I mean, well, oh, well, oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh-huh. For those not watching and listening to this on your favorite podcast uh channel, uh Ellie's holding a Christmas cup.
SPEAKER_02It is red cup season already. That's true. That is true. I will give you that much.
SPEAKER_00And what kind of coffee is in that red cup?
SPEAKER_02I can't. I've seen the fits on this. I I don't I don't share my uh drink orders in general, I feel like I need some boundaries when it comes to um oversharing, then that's definitely one. Also, because I write a long-running bake shop mystery series, Andy would be furious with me if I, you know, was cheating on him with another.
SPEAKER_00Let's just say it smelled it smelled a little bit pepperminty and a little bit chocolatey.
SPEAKER_02No, these are lies. These are lies, darlings. Do not listen.
SPEAKER_01Oh boy.
SPEAKER_02Okay, well, we're gonna get into um a lot of behind the scenes in terms of what it's like. Uh first we're gonna start obviously with um our bookish tendencies in terms of reading habits and some trends that are happening right now in the market in general. And then we're gonna go into what it's like to be writing a book during the holiday season, publishing a book, what it's like to have a holiday-themed book out in the market, and how that's very different than having something that isn't sort of seasonally attached to um, you know, a few months of the year. So we've got a lot to dive into today. But um, I believe that you wanted to start with talking about reading preferences and oh, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Uh uh like when you should start reading holiday books. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_00Well, I mean, uh I think so. For me, it's immediately after Halloween, but that's because a lot of that has to do with the fact that like it just I I don't I don't rip through books like you do. So um, you know, I might start a book and then uh and then it you know not get to it for a few days and then get back to it. And so it just takes longer. So I have to have the time because there's only so much time between Halloween and Christmas.
SPEAKER_02So there's only so much time. So what I think is fascinating, I like to read on season. Um, and I know there are darlings out there, and I would love to hear uh in the comment section from you in terms of how you enjoy. I know that I hear all the time from readers who are like, hey, it's uh you know April and I'm loving reading um on thin icing or a cup of holiday fear. I personally, as a reader, tend to enjoy reading things that are happening in the same season. So I like to hold my Christmas reads until after Thanksgiving, like I like to do decorations, etc. Um, but what's really interesting from the publishing side of things is that there is a new hot trend in terms of cozy reading. And this isn't just cozy mysteries, this is kind of the global category of cozy. So that could fall into mystery, romance, fantasy, anything that um is sort of seasonal and cozy. Do you have any guesses what it is?
SPEAKER_00Do I have any guesses what it is? No, I don't. What? I'm stumped.
SPEAKER_02The hot thing, and this is coming from um all of the publishing partners who I work with are cozy autumn reads. A lot of people. They're like this brand new fall market, and this is making my fall heart so happy. And in fact, we were just at the bookstore the other day, and suddenly I'm seeing all of these gorgeous colors. It's a lot of romance, but it's happening in mystery too. You're seeing a lot of like golden leaves and pumpkins and apples. Um, and so this is um, I would say a market that we haven't really seen before, and it's fascinating to me. And I will tell you on the publishing side of things, everybody wants something autumnal right now. Everyone.
SPEAKER_00Wow, I you know, this feels like a marketing ploy to me. Um, but I mean, I I go with it, sure. But I I think, you know, I it it part of me is like this is a genius marketing move because if people are excited about it, like that's that's perfect. Um uh, but uh, but you're right. Now come to think of it, we were just at the bookstore yesterday, actually, and there were a lot of books like you just described sitting on the tables and stuff. So that was interesting.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and it's like your food essential, cozy, you know, you take all of the like Hallmark tra Hallmark channel Christmas movie vibes and you pack that into an autumn read. And I have to tell you, I'm here for it, not only as a reader, but um, you know, like I'm kind of excited about maybe dipping a toe into that in terms of my own writing. I have written, I've written other fall books, of course, because with writing long-running series, fall has been predominant in a number of my books. Like I'm thinking Sloan with Oktoberfest, um, Jewel's Cot Bread Handed hat and um what's another one? Bakebar would steal. Like I love a good fall cover. Uh Bake Shop 23 is gonna be all fall vibes. And um I can't give a lot of details away, but I think it's no spoilers. No spoilers, but I think it's gonna have a new fall title. Um I don't know. So I think it's just fascinating uh that those trends kind of mirror probably where our tastes lie and interests, and publishers, yeah, are seeing like, hey, readers are looking for something that kind of hits that sweet spot. Readers like me, and I'd love to hear from you, darlings, but readers like me are looking for that sweet spot in between. Like, I want to curl up with something cozy, but I'm not quite yet ready to go all in on snowy reads.
SPEAKER_00So this is these autumn reads, though, this is about the season, not about Thanksgiving, right?
SPEAKER_02So yeah, that was maybe some of them are Thanksgiving, but I think it's more just like anything from like late August to post-Thanksgiving would fit in that new sort of window of categories, right? Which is fascinating to me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, because I I mean, I think um, like I I'm just thinking about like animated specials uh dealing with the holidays and like Thanksgiving, I I like the thing is I love the I mean you know I love Thanksgiving, and I so like you make me out to be just a Christmas only guy, but I I do love Thanksgiving. I just like the there's there's really not a lot associated with like the two animated uh shows that I can think of that are associated with Thanksgiving are the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, which is the worst Charlie Brown, prove me wrong. Prove me wrong, it's terrible, it's the slowest. I how we watch these as children, I have no idea. Like, yeah, um, and then uh Free Birds, which might be the worst animated movie ever. So um, yeah, I just yeah, so with those two things, I'm like, oh Thanksgiving just it never had a chance. It just never had a chance.
SPEAKER_02It never had a chance. Oh, it's true. I want to hear from Darlings. Um, come at the tech guy in the comments if you are like, you know, free birds is your go-to holiday movie. They're good people, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Please do come totally. Please do come at me because I will enjoy laughing at you uh if that's your favorite movie, uh, because that is it is not good. But um, no, no, everybody can like whatever they want to like. Um, but I will I'll still laugh. Um, yeah. I'm not gonna lie. No, uh, but I from a from a book standpoint, I I can't think of anything off the top of my head that that is, you know, that is like a Thanksgiving classic, you know, like uh like a Christmas carol, for example, you know, just like uh and and maybe there is, maybe maybe that maybe it's out there. I would want to know because I would probably read it. I don't know if I'd like it, I'd read it.
SPEAKER_02I can't I can't think of anything in terms of like publishing trends in the last 15 plus years that I've been in the industry where there's sort of been a season all of a sudden it hits because obviously like holiday season and summer have been the two like key categories all the time, but um, this has really just emerged in the last three or four years that suddenly it's like hey, no, there's this new opportunity in this autumn fall market, which is fascinating to me.
SPEAKER_00That's cool. Um, yeah, can I hijack the the episode for just a minute though? If we're talking about holiday reads, um I don't know or holiday. I know I want I want some help because you know I've been on the hunt for years. So I read skipping Christmas, like I don't know.
SPEAKER_02Also been on the hunt for you, yeah.
SPEAKER_00That album 20 years ago, whenever it came out, when when it very first came out, I read it and it it has it's close second. Christmas Carol is always gonna be number one for me. I just it's just an amazing story. I I really like it. Um, but skipping Christmas, like that is I just loved it. Like John Grisham, like which was surprising, right? I mean, you know, but I mean, I just I thought it was awesome. Christmas with the cranks, the movie. Uh it's it's okay, but it it it is not the book. And so I've been on the hunt forever to find the next skipping Christmas. Like, what is I I just want like, and I just I haven't been able to find it. Um, so I'd love to hear from the darlings out there. Like, if you have a favorite holiday book, holiday-esque book, um, I I want to know. And I and I've read like The Stupidest Angel and Holidays on Ice, and I can't remember the name of Augusta Burroughs' um book, but anyway, you know, um, yeah, I've I've read a bunch of other Christmas or holiday books, and I it just nothing, nothing does it like skipping Christmas.
SPEAKER_02I know, and you also like you do enjoy reading holiday reads during the holiday season. And I have been on a quest for the last few years to find something for you. And last year I enacted a bunch of my book selling friends who like know the book world better than anything, and they hook I hooked you up with quite a few mysteries, like some of which are dark holiday.
SPEAKER_00So there are some mysteries in that space, but yeah, yeah, and um yeah, skipping Christmas, yeah. I don't know. I I um and yes, the I was that that was my second piece is I do have a stack of books that I am I'm in fact I'm gonna start them, but like one of them is a Christmas horror book. I'm like okay, yeah. Um, so I will I'll I'll check it out. But um, but yeah, I just there's gotta be something. I don't know. I was telling you the other day that I maybe I just need to write it.
SPEAKER_02Uh I think you might.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. If it's not in the world, it happened. That goes to you too, darlings. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, totally.
SPEAKER_02I'm sure our darlings are gonna have some wrecks for you. I I I have faith. I do.
SPEAKER_00I hope so.
SPEAKER_02Um well, I think that's a good segue into sort of the book side and the publishing side of holiday reads, marketing, publishing, launching a book into the world, what it means to have a novel that is themed like the holiday, and how that sales cycle changes uh dramatically. But let's get into it first with what it's like to be writing during the holidays. Because uh, this is some cold hard facts for you. If you have a deadline that happens to fall shortly after the holidays, let's say I mean I might be speaking for a friend here, early January, you might not get to take the holidays off. You might have to write through the holidays. Over the years, I've done so much work to try to mastermind my writing schedule so that I can take chunks of time off. Um, but it does not always line up based on delivery dates and the publishing schedule. And so sometimes you have to write through whatever else is happening in your life, which is sometimes kind of a bummer. Like you might have to skip out on a few of those ice skating nights or manage your schedule so you're writing frantically in the during the day and then take the night off to go look at Christmas lights and drink some hot cocoa. Um, and that's just true of the writing life in general. Yes, there's flexibility in that you get to set your own schedule, but if you're hitting publishing deadlines, you're hitting those deadlines.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. And it's hard too because there's so there's so many distractions during that holiday season, right? Just like uh, you know, activities and everything that just life uh gets in the way. So it it has been interesting over the years because you you you've been, I think you've been good about not having a ton of deadlines that interfered with it. But on the years that you have, and there definitely have been those, it's it has uh certainly gotten in the way more than once.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and it's like any other job, right? Like you have X amount of time off, you have X number of days to get a book written, edited, etc. Like it has to get done. On the flip side, I often um encourage new writers who I'm working with that if if they don't have the headspace to write during the holiday season because of what you just said, that there is so much going on and you have all these distractions um and you're maybe like your energy is being drawn multiple places, it might be a good time to just like take a break from your book and come back to it pre-having like hard deadlines that you have to hit, right? If you're early, it was easier for me to do that early on, earlier on in my career. So, you know, if you are somebody who is working on a project and suddenly you find yourself like completely overwhelmed by everything else that's going on with the holiday season, like it's okay to take a break and walk away from it.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah, for sure. But what about um what about writing what what if the book you're writing is holiday themed? Um, and I mean you don't get to write that during the holiday season.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I mean, I same thing. I've written many a holiday uh stories during uh heat waves in July and August, where I remember a couple years ago, what was I working on? It must have been a cup of holiday fear. So this was a few years ago now. I went and raided our Christmas decoration bin and like strung up lights in my office and put up a little Christmas tree on my like a tabletop Christmas tree. You made me a Fraser for a candle because I was like, I gotta like try to tap into the vibes. And I was listening to like Christmas carols in July. It felt very wrong for me. But yeah, you can't always write something. It's awesome if it lines up in season. Um, and if you again, if you're somebody who's new in the process and you know you're gonna be writing a holiday book, like, hey, sketch that out in the next couple months, like go for it. But sometimes the math doesn't math that way.
SPEAKER_00No, no, you're beholden to the uh publishing schedule. So yeah, getting that getting that written well ahead of time. But yeah, that was funny. Um come home from work and a house smelled like Christmas. Um, but you know, it's middle of summer, uh, it was pretty funny.
SPEAKER_02I know. Then you're like, would you like a Christmas cookie?
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_02It's under degrees. Yes, I would.
SPEAKER_00I know, yeah. The recipes for that one were pretty crazy too, because it's like June, you know, late June, like it's hot, and it's like, here try this roast or try this, you know, whatever. And it's just like, oh boy, that's a lot, it's a lot during the summer.
SPEAKER_02Uh, the other thing from the publishing end of things, and um, luckily this year, the way that my pub dates are lining up, I don't have a book that's releasing right after Christmas, but especially for the first like 10 or 15 fake shop books, they would always come out the week after Christmas. And I know we've talked about this in a prior podcast, but again, that means for pretty much the whole lead up through the holiday season and then the week after Christmas, where darlings, you might just be like, I'm in my pajamas all week with my lovely cocoa reading all my new books. I am like, hey, I gotta let people know that I have a book out in the world, or you know, put on a big book launch. Um, so that can be a challenge sometimes too.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, and that that was like the years that that was happening, that was a lot of work uh during a time when you didn't want to be doing a lot of work. Um, we try to make it fun though. I mean, we came up with some, I think, really good ideas, like with the 31 Days of Cookies and 31 Days of Pie and stuff to like really kind of promote, you know, the book, knowing that it was going to come out like two days after Christmas. But it was also like a it was a bad release time. Um, I feel like everybody's just kind of overwhelmed with everything that the lead up to it, right? And then and then yeah, that that was it was a lot of work for that that particular time of year.
SPEAKER_02Right, they're just the idea that like we're tired too, and yeah, but you know, you're like overwhelmed by all of the holiday festivities, and um, it's like, hey, come to a book party. But I mean, right, the beautiful thing is, darlings, you have stood by me since the beginning because when we threw our very first book release party for Mutual Baker, it was the week after Christmas, and um everybody came, which was such a delight. So that's makes book people the best people, I think.
SPEAKER_00No, totally. Um, but yeah, I mean, the other side of that from a marketing standpoint, and for all the uh you know, writers out there and authors, um it's a tough time to be marketing things too. The the the like noise, like level of noise that people are getting, like starting now, right? You know, every commercial is about the holidays and every like and and there are commercials and ads and banners and everything on the internet, emails, text messages, everything for any if you can buy it as a gift, and even if it's something you would never have thought you could buy as a gift, you're gonna get an ad for it. And so trying to get your message out there during that time, it's stressful. It's uh it's a lot of work.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, and it's it's always that balance point. And you know, I think our slant is always trying to show up and like be authentic and whatever space to roll in. Um, and that's why things like 31 days of high, um, 12 days of Christmas, like all of those kinds of things, like trying to give something back, which is always my goal. Um, but yeah, you have to kind of like show up and have energy to be like, all right, now we just got through the holiday season and a week later, woo, we're talking books and we're out traveling. And um, that's always hard too, because then you are at the mercy of weather. Uh, there were so many events over the years that I would have completely planned and the score and everything, and then it's like, oh, okay, we we can't go there because yeah, somebody more.
SPEAKER_00Although we did, we have a couple of times. We've braved the elements rather stupidly, I think, but uh, but we did it. Um, okay, so we talked about reading, seasonal reading, talk about seasonal writing. But the one thing that I think readers always Want to know, um, and and something that we have experienced many times now uh over the your writing career is everybody wants a holiday book. So you write a holiday book, but then what are sales like for that holiday book for most of the year?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's all I think that's um such an interesting point because and this is something we talk about um in publishing all the time, which is that the marketing plan for a holiday book is dramatically different than anything else, even within a series, right? Right. Um, because anything in a series, even if maybe there's, you know, like it's set during the fall or it's set during April, even during winter, like it doesn't really matter because those sales tend to just be this. I'm I'm trying to like speak with my hands. I apologize for things who are listening um and not seeing me, but I'm making a flat line with my fingers. Um, those sales are pretty solid and steady throughout the year, completely different for a seasonal read. So, for example, a holiday homicide, which came out last Christmas. It was the fourth book. Was it the fourth book? Yeah. Yeah. You know, those uh any sort of holiday read tend to come out anytime from like August through early November, right? Because you want them out on shelves early enough like you're talking about, because we're already seeing ads for the holiday season. So those come out and they have this big spike in sales and then they fall off a cliff. Right. Um, and they're not gonna have the same kind of steady sales that some of the other books in the series are gonna have because they're blatantly holiday. So there are a lot of reader starlings like me who might not be as interested in picking up a holiday homicide in June. Interestingly enough, though, every year during the holiday season, then you see those spike again. So, like a holiday homicide, the last week or so has been on a great like deal. So I think it's listed at like 99 cents right now or $1.99. Um, and so it's been number one in all the categories again. It hadn't been since this time last year. So every year, then the publisher can bring it back out. Same thing for the cup of holiday fear. I have two new cozy holiday rom-coms. It'll be the same thing. Um, so that it's just you can't have the same expectations. And if you're somebody who's publishing indie, you might be like, oh my gosh, this is incredible. I'm seeing like all these great sales around November and December. And then come January, if those sales die off, like don't panic. That's that's the seasonal nature of those.
SPEAKER_00Right. Yeah, and the same was true of uh catch me if you candy, too. Right. Or just yeah, because it's Halloween themed. Yeah, and from a marketing perspective, you're not gonna put any, you know, it wouldn't be wise to put a lot of effort into marketing a holiday themed uh mystery, even if it's part of a series, um, January through August. But you know, September through December, go for it. Like, you know, push that messaging out there. But it's um you're gonna just spend a lot of time for not a lot of uh not not picking up a lot of new readers because they just like a lot of people read seasonally and they're just like March is not the time to be pushing your holiday-related book on people.
SPEAKER_02No, although you might do like a fun Christmas in July thing as a little bonus.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah, you I I'm all for it. I mean, uh, we could have Christmas quarterly, you know, quarterly would be great. That'd be awesome. So yeah.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, uh-huh. Um, I believe that you conduct a very formal poll. Do you want to share those results?
SPEAKER_00Oh, yeah. So um, yeah, so we because this was we're this is the great holiday debate, right? So um so for the darlings out there who are patrons over on Ellie's Patreon account, um, if if if you're not, you should head over there and sign up. I mean, Ellie shares stuff every once in a while, but the real magic happens on Tuesdays when I, the tech guy, do Tech Guy Tuesday takeovers. Um and recently uh I wrote a post about this, um, and I conducted a very scientific poll. Um yeah, we had uh we the poll had two options asking whether uh you were team it's never too early for Christmas, or team only after Thanksgiving. Um and uh not surprisingly, um I I know that you know a lot of people might be thinking, well, I mean, I that could go either way, right? Well, let here, drum roll. Yeah, not surprisingly, my team won. Team, it's never too early for Christmas. Um, it was a landslide. Um it actually wasn't a landslide, it was actually a lot closer than I anticipated it being, but I think it was I think it was like 54% to 46%. So still a clear majority. Um clear, clear majority of people thought that it was never too early for Christmas. So um and I know Christmas isn't everybody's thing, like that's like I I and I said this in a post. I want to be clear like this is like this is what we celebrate, and it's not even a religious thing for us, and it's totally cool if it is for you. Like, it just like the holidays in general, it's about the season, it's about joy, it's about giving, it's about kindness for me, and so that's why I'm always very eager for it to start. Um uh, and uh, if anybody out there hasn't heard uh by now, I'm a huge fan of a Christmas Carol. So I've like I can't wait for to see productions of that. We're gonna see an awesome one this year. I can't wait. Uh it we're gonna see a walking production of a Christmas Carol. Um, I'm so excited for this. It's outdoors, it's at this um art garden art center. Um, and you walk through the production while it's happening. Um, I'm so curious to see how this is gonna work. I can't wait.
SPEAKER_02Me too. I mean, I really I'm excited for you. When I found it, I was like, well, we have to go because you've seen every iteration of a Christmas uh uh carol possible, but I also selfishly am like, ooh, maybe this will be fodder for a future bake shop mystery. Like Lance might want to do a moving production of something. And we've been like, it's been like 10 plus books since I've done a holiday book for bake shop, so it might be time to bring another one around soon. I don't know.
SPEAKER_00All right. Well, if you decide that, I mean I'm always happy to make the holiday centered candles for you, special for uh for your writing efforts.
SPEAKER_02So I'm always down with that. Ha ha ha. Um, yeah, so darlings, you should weigh in and uh let us know which camp you fall into because I'm curious if these results will hold with a wider sampling.
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_02I'm suspicious.
SPEAKER_00Right. So for but you're just you're you're asking in like reading specific, right? So you want to know wait to read, wait till after Halloween to read holiday-related books or any time of the year.
SPEAKER_02Any time of the year, and let's dive a little deeper and ask in in the comments, darlings, like, how do you feel about this new autumn uh push for cozy autumn, cozy autumn vibes? I'm loving it. I want to know who else is with me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I want to hear from the writers out there too, uh, the darlings that are that are uh currently writing books and stuff. Like, if you are writing a holiday book, like what do you do to get in the holiday spirit when it's not the holidays and you have to be writing about the holidays? Um, I know what Ellie does, uh, but I want to I want to hear what what uh everyone else's strategies might be because I don't know. I might I might borrow a few myself.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, that's right, because you're gonna write the next version of skipping Christmas.
SPEAKER_00That's right. Totally. Totally okay.
SPEAKER_02Well, to wrap this one up before we go, don't forget if you have any great recs, I will if a darling has a great rec, I might even find their book for you before Christmas. I'm just putting it out there now.
SPEAKER_00Whoa, all right, send those recommendations right now. Okay, hit the comments right now. All right.
SPEAKER_02All right. Well, on that note, till next time.
SPEAKER_00Till next time.
