This month I will be checking in with some very busy authors with books releasing this spring/summer to see how they are doing during this Covid-19 health crisis. Today the spotlight is on Emily Liebert.
Emily Liebert
USA Today bestselling author Emily Liebert was born and raised in New York City. She attended Horace Mann School and Smith College, where she graduated with a B.A. in English Language & Literature.
After college, Emily landed her first job as an Executive Assistant at ABC News, where she helped produce television specials for Peter Jennings Reporting.
Emily thrived during her time at ABC, though—in her heart—she knew that writing was her true calling. In 2000, she was appointed Editor-in-Chief of The WAG magazine—a luxury lifestyle publication covering Westchester and Fairfield Counties. During Emily’s five-year tenure, she wrote hundreds of articles, including celebrity profiles, travel, fashion, and beauty.
Ready to freelance full-time, Emily left The WAG and began composing lifestyle and travel pieces for The Huffington Post, Oprah.com, Elite Traveler, Robb Report, Gotham, and Cottages & Gardens.
In 2009, Emily edited Kerry Kennedy’s New York Times bestseller Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning.
The following year, Emily published her first book, Facebook Fairytales, which was a media sensation that sparked intense conversation about the positive power of Facebook. Shortly thereafter, Emily was hired by Microsoft as the spokesperson for Bing’s partnership with Facebook and appeared in 30+ television and radio spots for the brand, which garnered exceptional ratings.
Emily is the author of five novels: YOU KNEW ME WHEN (2013), WHEN WE FALL (2014), THOSE SECRETS WE KEEP (2015), and SOME WOMEN (2016), all with Penguin Random House, and PRETTY REVENGE (2019) with Simon & Schuster. Her forthcoming novel PERFECTLY FAMOUS releases on June 2, 2020.
She’s been featured often in the press, by outlets such as: Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Anderson Cooper, FOX News, Good Day New York, Oprah Radio, Martha Stewart Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, InStyle, People StyleWatch, Good Housekeeping, OK!, Nylon, Woman’s World, WWD, Woman’s Day, The New York Post, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, People.com, and The Huffington Post.
In addition to writing novels, Emily pens a travel and books column in each issue of Westport Magazine, for which she’s the Books Correspondent. She also teaches Pure Barre classes and enjoys traveling and cooking. Emily lives with her husband, Lewis, and their two sons, Jax and Hugo, in Westport, CT. You can find her at www.emilyliebert.com.
Q & A With Emily Liebert
Q: Who are you quarantined with and how is it going?
A: My husband & my sons, Jax (10) & Hugo (9). All things considered, it’s going really well. Strangely, the boys are getting along better than they ever have.
Q: Have you learned a new skill, accomplished something unexpected, tried a new recipe, cleaned your closets?
A: I learned how to ride a bike!!! I’m not kidding. I grew up in NYC and never really knew how to ride. I taught myself on Hugo’s bike. It was a very proud moment. As far as recipes, I’ve tried many new ones, but my favorite is The New York Times’ bok choy with ginger, garlic, and soy sauce.
Q: How has this social distancing impacted your world when it comes to book marketing, writing?
A: My new novel, PERFECTLY FAMOUS, comes out on June 2nd, so my book tour will be entirely virtual, which is a big change. As far as writing, I already had a fleshed out idea for my next novel before the pandemic hit, so I’m not incorporating Covid-19 into the book. That said, it’s much harder to concentrate on writing when my kids are at home 24-7.
Q: Do you think this odd time will show up in book settings moving forward?
A: I expect it will to a certain degree, although I’m sure we’d all prefer to forget about this once it’s over.
Q: What is the silver lining for all of us and specifically for authors when it comes to the Covid-19 shut down?
A: The tremendous support we’ve all shown for each other.
Q: What do you have going on right now?
A: I’ll be on virtual book tour for PERFECTLY FAMOUS from now throughout the summer. My schedule is posted on IG and FB. My last novel PRETTY REVENGE was optioned for a TV show, so I’ll also be consulting with the writers, as they hammer out the pilot. And I’ll be writing my 8th book! To order PERFECTLY FAMOUS: https://tinyurl.com/ybh5mklx
Interesting how many authors are not anticipating Covid-related novels going forward. I imagine the subject will only be included when it forms part of a historical novel – rather like the Influenza epidemic of 1918-19
Yes. Maybe it will be written about in the future where the author will have to do research rather than written by someone alive today and living it!