A Flawless Debut, Thanks To You [#16]
Lively — and classy — events on both coasts, filled with engaged, attuned audiences and surprise faces in the crowds. The whirlwind week, in photos...
Annyeong,
I’m back in LA for the weekend after a whirlwind week launching FLAWLESS into the world. What a journey. You preordered, you regular ordered, you library-requested, you packed rooms, showing up for me in three (technically four) cities, you left reviews, you talked the book up on social media and in your group texts. You were the ones who gave #FlawlessTheBook such a loving liftoff. I will never forget this week.
Some Press Clips
The NPR It’s Been A Minute episode on the book
An interview with Anne Helen Petersen for Culture Study
WIRED Magazine’s excerpt, on the technological gaze
Slate’s adapted essay, on state-funded beauty culture
Jezebel’s excerpt, featuring Isa’s birth story
Launch Week Roundup
When I got to New York on Sunday, I realized my hotel was fittingly in the heart of K-town. So I went to BCD Tofu for a giant bowl of sundubu and followed it up with a trip to Paris Baguette for one of their signature Korean croissant-wrapped hot dogs with ketchup and corn on it. Looking back, I think that particular combo was auspicious, helping the week go off without a hitch.
I wrote about most of pub day eve, and pub day — in my last dispatch. On Tuesday night, the Korea Society hosted the big public launch event and every seat was filled with members of the public, as well as the Hu Hive! New York based buddies of decades, my editor, the publicists on this book, the fact checker, colleagues from TED, colleagues from my production company, and even a few diplomats from US Embassy Seoul who are now based who are now based in other far flung places but happened to be available that night in New York. A night I won’t forget. Thank you for showing up.
Washington, DC
There will be a public event in June, but before I left the east coast, fifty of my closest DC friends came to my pal Kristen’s Dupont Circle home for Korean catering from nearby Anju and no formal book talk, just hanging out, drinking, and signing books. DC was home for about four years in my late twenties and Eva was born there, so it still feels like a bit of a homecoming when the train pulls into Union Station.
By the time we were leaving Washington, DC at the ass crack of dawn the next day, Rob goes, “I feel like we are fugitives on the run.” (Well, that is, if the fugitives were running from one safe house full of food and friends to the next.)
Los Angeles
LAist (formerly KPCC) put on a giant public launch at their theater/event space called The Crawford. The lighting! The audio production quality! The effortless moderating by the vivacious and hilarious Ailsa Chang! The boisterous crowd! Outside, the hosts had a full bar set up and North Figueroa Books selling books. Signed so many books, met so many people, my old therapist Bobbie even drove out from Westwood, which was impressive considering I stopped paying her many years ago.
Then, yesterday in Culver City, my business partner and twice-published author Rachel Swaby led a conversation at Village Well Books, which is OUR local indie bookshop. It’s a warm and inviting space for the community, and in addition to members of the public who heard about the event, our mom friends and running buddies and my partner Rob’s family and my tax accountant(!) who I’d never met before, turned out. The accountant drove up from Irvine! Wild. What a special treat to end this overwhelming week at home. My heart is so full.
Don’t Stop Believing/Reviewing
As I’ve mentioned, reviews make the book more easily discoverable. They serve up Flawless to more potential readers to join in the larger campaign to show up as our full selves, with less bodily shame.
Here's the Amazon page. So long as you're logged in, you can pop in a review today. If you purchased on Amazon it will be displayed more prominently, but anyone should be able to review. I just went in and we’ve already been a #1 Bestseller in “Asian and Asian Descent Studies” but today we’re a #1 Bestseller in “Beauty and Grooming”. I think Amazon has so many subcategories so everyone can feel like a winner, and I ain’t mad about it.
Additionally, if you're a member of Goodreads, pop that review in Goodreads, as well! This will be really helpful for the bibliophile community and book discovery in general.
Now I’m going to squeeze the girls, who are downstairs cleaning their toy kitchen. Well, the younger ones are, anyway. I’m overflowing with joy, gratitude and love for all of you.
Crazily, there are three more weeks of touring to come! More from the road next time.
Thank you for following along,
Elise
It was fun to read about all the great interviews and meet-ups so far! So happy the book launch is going gang-busters. My copy of Flawless arrived in the mail a few days ago - now to actually sit down and start reading, which for me is a challenge anymore - nap time tends to sneak in pretty quickly when I sit down and stop moving, regardless of how engaging the reading material I have in my hands. 😄
Enjoy the rest of your weekend with your family, and safe travels during the upcoming weeks. It sounds like Rob had a fun time at your side during the whirlwind schedule you were following - what a blessing to do the first part of your tour together. ❤ Take care!