Tag: writing

HOT WAX Pre-orders and UK Tour Dates

Featured ~ M. L. Rio

It’s been too quiet here for a little too long. But the good news is we’ve got good news worth sharing, so I’ll get right to the point. Hot Wax launch is just about three months away. It’s wild how fast this time has flown, but now that we’re really in the home stretch we can finally share some things with you.

The first is NetGalley requests and pre-order links. If you’re a NetGalley member, you can request the US edition of the book here and the UK edition here. Our galleys–both print and digital–are pretty limited, so if you don’t get lucky this time, don’t fret! We still have some giveaways coming up, and you can always pre-order the book: you can find the US edition here and the UK edition here (or anywhere you buy books. Foreign editions will be coming in 2026; translators need time to translate).

If you’re not sure what all the fuss is about pre-orders and why authors always seem to be crowing about them, here are the basics: healthy pre-orders really help a book succeed, for two reasons. The first is enthusiasm, which should never be underestimated. A good volume of pre-orders lets booksellers/bookstores know that people are excited about the title, which makes them more likely to read it, stock it, and promote it to their local audience. That kind of word of mouth can do wonders for the life of a book in an era where nobody knows what else can actually move the needle. The second thing that pre-orders do is streamline production. An author’s worst nightmare–and their publisher’s, too–is having huge demand for a book and not enough copies in the first print run to meet it. This is trickier guesswork than ever with the tariff-induced destabilization of global trade (most of our paper and printing materials come from Canada and China, for instance). Pre-orders also go a long way towards making sure that there are simply enough copies of a book to go around. And, finally, pre-orders count toward first week sales, which can be a huge help in bumping a book onto the bestseller list. If you’re looking to support your favorite authors fighting to make art as the market is glutted with AI slop, consider pre-ordering titles you’re really excited about. It matters more than you know!

Because we appreciate it so much, we’ve arranged two options to pre-order signed copies of Hot Wax. You can snag a signed copy from Head House Books here in the States and from Waterstones in the UK. And if you pre-order a signed copy, you can still get it personalized if you come see me on tour! Which brings me to our next little announcement: UK tour dates are live and you can book your tickets now. We’re really excited about this route. Because the turnout for Graveyard Shift was so spectacular and we had such a fantastic time, we’ve got even more events this year and we’re hoping nobody’s too far away to make it. But because most of these events did sell out in 2024, if you’re pretty sure you want to come, don’t sleep on grabbing tickets. (If you’re curious what these events are like, you can find some recordings of the Graveyard tour on the Links page.) With any other questions, please contact bookstores directly! You can find all those hyperlinks in this post here.

US tour dates are still in the works, but should be announced very soon! We’re just waiting to nail down a couple of holdouts and plot a good route because yep, you guessed it–I’ll be driving myself again this year. With a road trip book like this, it just wouldn’t be right to do it any other way.

Hope to see you out there!

HOT WAX cover art

~ M. L. Rio

I won’t waste your time. It’s here. It’s hot. It’s big. It’s loud. I’m in love with it.

There are so many things I could say about this cover. A lot of care went into the design, and it looks absolutely delicious.

My editor, T., wanted this to feel like “ a big book.” We needed something high-contrast and eye-catching that would demand a reader’s attention as soon as they walked into the bookstore. Because the title is still one of everybody’s favorite things about this book, and because the words are so short and so perfectly matched in size, I suggested we go big with the title itself.

If you want to hear more about this process and what went into the design, I go in depth over on Substack, which is still the best place to keep up with all the goings-on going on behind the scenes. If you’re rather just pre-order the book, you can do that here (and I might just add that all pre-orders are 25% of at Barnes & Noble with the code PREORDER25). It’s hitting shelves on September 9. Hope you love it as much as we do.

GRAVEYARD SHIFT cover reveal

~ M. L. Rio

Short post today as I’m on All the Deadlines, but we’re excited to finally show you the cover art for Graveyard Shift, along with an official release date. Mark your calendars for September 24, 2024.

Don’t forget you can already pre-order the book if you’re in the U.S., and pre-orders are a huge help to bookstores, publishers, and authors because they take some of the guesswork out of the printing process. If you’re outside the United States, don’t worry–we’re working on getting foreign rights all lined up, and I’ll share more information on that front as soon as I have it. If you want to stay abreast of what’s going on behind the scenes with Graveyard Shift and Hot Wax, the best place to do that is over on Substack. Our first “Road to Publication” post will be live on Tuesday.

Hope you love this as much as we do.

M

New Work: HOT WAX

~ M. L. Rio

It’s been a busy few months for Team Rio. As is always the case with publishing, there’s a strange lag between when big things happen and when they can actually be big news. I’m thrilled to finally share this with you.

I wrote the first version of this book seven years ago. It’s been on a long, strange journey since then, and I’m so glad it’s found such a good home with Tim at Simon & Schuster. The next few years promise to be very busy, in a very good way. Without a great agent this never would have happened–I’m grateful for mine every day. But it also wouldn’t have happened without my readers, who have loved my first book so fiercely and made it possible for me to write more.

I can’t wait to bring you along on this fresh adventure. Because most of my online writing has migrated to my Substack newsletter, this is a great time to subscribe. You’ll still see all the big news here, but if you’re interested in the publishing process and want a peek behind the scenes as Hot Wax and Graveyard Shift go to press, Substack is the place to be. I hope you’ll join me. You can subscribe right here.

Thank you, as always, for reading.

M

New Work Coming Soon

~ M. L. Rio

Yesterday we got to share some great news on Publisher’s Marketplace. Now that the ink is dry, I’m excited to say that we have another book coming. In fall 2024, my first novella, Graveyard Shift, will hit the shelves.

We’ve been working on this for about six months, and I turned the first draft in to my editor last week. It’s been a delightful adventure in a new form, but I think–I hope–it will feel pleasantly familiar and refreshingly different from Villains. I’ll be sure to share cover and pre-order links as soon as we have them, and if you want to keep up with where we are in the publication process or you’re just curious what goes on behind the scenes in the book business, now’s a great time to subscribe to my newsletter on Substack. That’s where all the gory details will be.

Stay tuned. More news in the new year.

M

End-of-year updates

~ M. L. Rio

Hard to believe 2023 is almost over, but here we are. Before we go gentle into that silent night of the holiday break, a few updates from Team Rio to close out the year:

  • Events: I’ll be in conversation with Olivie Blake to discuss The Atlas Complex, hosted by A Novel Idea here in Philadelphia on January 11. It’s a ticketed event (we’ll both be signing books), so if you want to be sure to get a seat, snag one soon. Details here and on the Events page.
  • Interviews: I had a long, in-depth conversation with the On the Write Track podcast a few months back, and it’s one of the most thorough “behind-the-scenes of publishing” interviews I’ve done recently. If you’re an aspiring author, just curious about how the business works, or interested in IWWV’s long, strange journey, it’s worth an hour of your time. Listen here or find it on the Links page.
  • Newsletter: If you’ve been seeing fewer posts here, it’s because I’m migrating most of my longer-form writing to Substack. That’s where you’ll find my thoughts on craft and the industry, plus travel updates, content recs and roundups, and opportunities to post comments and ask questions. I recently started a series on one of my favorite (and every other writer’s least favorite) subjects: revision. If you’re curious, you can read the first post here. Subscription is free, for now, and it’s the best way to stay up-to-date. Now’s a good time to subscribe, because we have some big things coming in 2024. I can’t talk about it yet, but I’m really excited to do that when the time comes.

Finally, don’t forget that supply chain issues are still a thing. If you want to gift books to friends and family this year, here’s your nudge to order them now, and your reminder to be patient with booksellers. They’re under a lot of pressure. Give them the benefit of the doubt. And support small businesses and indie bookstores whenever you can.

More soon.

M

Sundry Updates

~ M. L. Rio

A few quick updates from the Rioverse:

  • B&N Exclusive: This baby is almost sold out. You can’t order them online, but check your local store if you want to snag one for your shelves.
  • In These Hallowed Halls: This anthology hits shelves next month. My contribution is called “Weekend at Bertie’s” and it’s probably ever weirder than you’re thinking. I hope you enjoy it. You can pre-order the book here.
  • Shepherdstown Book Festival: I’m a featured author at the inaugural Shepherdstown Book Festival in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, from 15-17 September. Hope to see you there for some talk and probably some signing. More info here.
  • Turning Points Writing Retreat: Very excited to be returning to New Mexico this fall to talk about the professionalization part of writing. Stay tuned for more about that.
  • Substack: This has taken a turn because–as you may already know if you follow me on socials–last week I broke my ankle and shattered my heel and I won’t be able to walk for another 6-8 weeks. Because that obviously puts a damper on my travel plans, I’m pivoting to more craft posts with the newsletter, so if you’re interested in my thoughts about the nuts and bolts of writing, make sure you subscribe (it’s free). Next post on Sunday, probably.

That’s all for now. More soon, hopefully.

M

Introducing Discursions

~ M. L. Rio

Hello, lovely readers. This is a short post to introduce you to a new writing venture of mine. If you’re at all “online” you’ve probably heard other writers talk about Substack, and I am officially jumping on the bandwagon. You can read a little more about why in my first post, and I hope you’ll consider subscribing.

What’s the difference between Discursions and this old-fashioned website? Basically, it’s two different kinds of content. If you’re already on the mailing list here, you’ll get updates and announcements about events, interviews, new writing, etc. Substack is a little more casual; it’s where you’ll see longer posts on craft and industry, and more regular on-the-ground updates about where I am in the world and what I’m up to. It won’t be too overwhelming, probably a post a week, maybe two. I hope you’ll consider joining me on this little adventure.

Thanks, as always, for reading.

M

Reddit AMA

~ M. L. Rio

Missed my last AMA? Never fear, because we’ve got a new one on the books for Friday, May 5 at 12 pm ET on the r/books thread. (You can find me under the username M-L-Rio.) Mark your calendars and bring your questions!

M

Fresh Ink

~ M. L. Rio

You might have seen it on socials yesterday, but in case you missed it: new writing from me for the first time in a long time coming 2023.

In These Hallowed Halls: A Dark Academia Anthology

I don’t normally do short stories, but I thought I’d make an exception as a thank you for all your support over the last few years. You can pre-order the anthology from any of the retailers listed here, or here if you’re in the UK.

More to come.

M