New Cherry Reading Series event to ‘demystify’ process of publishing first book

Flyer for the Rice Department of English’s Cherry Reading Series will present “Breaking Out! The Untold Stories of Writing and Publishing a First Book,” on Feb. 27, 2023.

Have you ever wanted to write a novel, but the idea of doing so seemed too exhausting to even consider?

An upcoming event at Fondren Library will explore the art of writing and publishing a first book for any potential authors out there who need a nudge.

Flyer for the Rice Department of English’s Cherry Reading Series will present “Breaking Out! The Untold Stories of Writing and Publishing a First Book,” on Feb. 27, 2023.

The Rice Department of English’s Cherry Reading Series will present “Breaking Out! The Untold Stories of Writing and Publishing a First Book,” featuring moderator Bryan Washington and panelist authors Allegra Hyde, Christopher Gonzalez and Jean Kyoung Frazier, at 7 p.m. Feb. 27. Each author will read from their work for about five minutes, then Washington will engage them in conversation about the developmental and logistical processes of writing a first book.

“Usually, we have a single-author format where someone comes in and reads from their book for 35 minutes and takes questions,” said Ian Schimmel, associate teaching professor in the Department of English. “This year, we’re trying to appeal to the curiosities of our audience here at Rice. We suspect a lot of undergraduates, graduate students, alumni and faculty members are all curious and interested about how books come to market.

“So we wanted to show the work that goes into that and sort of demystify the process behind what it takes to write a book.”

The panelists will dissect the process that leads to that mass distribution of content from start to finish based on their own experiences.

"I think when you see a stand-alone reading, there's this sort of awe because the final book, the end product, is so clearly excellent," Schimmel said. "In this panel we're looking to have a conversation with these authors to unpack the very human and tangible process of making something like that."

The level of intricacy and research that goes into the bookmaking process may come as a surprise to some, Schimmel said, as there may be a preconceived notion that books originate from a “Jerry Maguire”-esque all-night writing frenzy .

“It’s a chance for the broader Rice community to come out and see the research and process-based work that goes into a literary arts product,” he said. “I think we often associate that kind of research and work with products on the other side of the university — engineering and the sciences, of course. But the same sort of process-based approach occurs in things like writing and art-making as well.”

The in-person event in Room 130 of Kraft Hall will have limited seating capacity. Those interested in attending can register here .

The first 45 guests to arrive will receive a free copy of one of the authors’ books.

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