GrubStreet Instructor, Ben Berman, discusses how we must learn to shift between different mindsets throughout the writing process.

My five-year-old is obsessed with Kung Fu Panda – though the scratches all over my neck are not from her best impersonation of Tigress but because every time we try to watch the movie she gets so scared that she clutches onto me for dear life.

We always knew the GrubStreet community was bursting with talent, but the stars have recently aligned to bring more book publications between 2018 and 2019 than ever before from students, instructors, staff and other members of the community. That’s why they’re keeping a running list and celebrating by curating a series of conversations between Grubbie authors with new books

In the May 2019 edition of "Best of Boston," we bring you our top Boston lit events this month, curated from the Boston Literary District's event calendar, an essential source of literary happenings.

The Cuba Writers Program

What’s launching your book really like? 

Do you take your own advice?

My first novel, The Forgotten Hours, came out almost three months ago. While I’ve published and launched nonfiction books, this was my first experience debuting a novel. Ironically, after developing and teaching the Launch Lab along with Lynne Griffin, I’d become a bit of a book marketing expert, despite being a non-business-focused creative type. Since the Launch Lab is about helping authors promote themselves and their books in an authentic, sustainable, successful, and hopefully even enjoyable way, I was all set, right?

I ...

What's launching your book really like? 

By Katrin Schumann

Your first event is with a panel of authors in front of a crowd of 200 people. You buy new lipstick and pray your voice doesn’t quiver.

The alarm rings at 5am. The Uber doesn’t turn up. On the road late!

Within three days of your book launch, you catch a cold and lose your voice. It's so bad that you have to postpone your big radio interview.