Shannon Sanders
@shanders.bsky.social
2.9K followers 1.7K following 2.6K posts
THE GREAT WHEREVER (forthcoming from Holt, summer ‘26); COMPANY, 2024 winner of the L.A.Times Book Prizes Award for First Fiction: https://www.graywolfpress.org/books/company. Mom, twin mom, lawyer, Silver Springer. She/her
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
shanders.bsky.social
At least you had your MIL there!! I find that having at least one trusted ally in the group goes a really long way for protecting your experience
shanders.bsky.social
No spoilers!! I’ll let you know!! I should be done tomorrow
shanders.bsky.social
Source: I visited a bunch of book clubs for my first book and had only one notably bad experience! Also please invite me to your book club for my next book (summer 2026)!
shanders.bsky.social
3. Do not be weird or act like this visit is a chore (and if it is, don’t go). Feel free to eat and drink whatever they offer you, get comfortable, enjoy discovering your own book all over. Being a fly on the wall as readers discuss is easily the second best part (after the writing itself).
shanders.bsky.social
2. Make clear in advance that you’ll come for the first hour or the last hour, NOT THE WHOLE TIME, so that they will have plenty of time to discuss as a club without you. They need space to air grievances, and their grievances will come out one way or the other. You need not be there.
shanders.bsky.social
1. It’s ideal if you know some of the people there pretty well and trust they’ll be kind with you. But that mostly won’t happen. If not, you should ONLY go if you are sure the person who invited you actually likes your book!! This is important!!!!
shanders.bsky.social
I have 3 pieces of unsolicited advice for authors considering whether to visit book clubs. Personally I am very pro! With these guidelines (take or leave them):
shanders.bsky.social
Today is class picture day, not to be confused with individual picture day, when you dress your child cutely (that’s next week), but rather where you have to thread the needle so your kid looks neither too fussy nor like you forgot it was class picture day
shanders.bsky.social
It half counts! Apparently it is on everyone’s TBR list. I finally had to motivate myself by borrowing it from the section of the library that’s like “so hot you can only have it for three weeks”
shanders.bsky.social
I’ll check in when I’m done!!
shanders.bsky.social
No spoilers I’m not quite there!!!!!!!!
shanders.bsky.social
I need someone to talk to me about Liz Moore’s THE GOD OF THE WOODS but unfortunately because it isn’t faerie smut there is no one who will
shanders.bsky.social
It’s too beautiful to imagine
shanders.bsky.social
Now THAT is how you coordinate outfits 👌🏾
shanders.bsky.social
Oh and follow @debutiful.bsky.social to get the scoop on anticipated work by debut authors!
shanders.bsky.social
By fiction do you mean popular books or like authors who self-promo here and who are publishing short fiction and stuff too?
shanders.bsky.social
Second this! There are also a bunch of good literary fiction starter packs
shanders.bsky.social
Every single day I am up against friends of my kids who insist they do not need to wear a helmet and that therefore my kids don’t either, and then my kids parroting same. On literally every playground trip
shanders.bsky.social
Is there any suburban tension greater than that between the parents who insist on helmets and the kids whose parents don’t
shanders.bsky.social
I love that!! Tell them to get ready for my novel next summer!
shanders.bsky.social
I was so thrilled with it!! It was designed by @kglyder.bsky.social. The book came out in 2023 (to be clear)!
shanders.bsky.social
I posted about this on Instagram but almost forgot to do so here. Today is my first book’s birthday!! (As Wes calls it, my first daughter. 🥰) There was so much joy and fun in writing this book, and even more in sending it out into the world. I hear from lots of readers and I’m so grateful!!
Cover of Company, a collection of short stories by Shannon Sanders
shanders.bsky.social
Like I would not be surprised to learn that 90% of all the boo baskets that exist in the world are directly tied to monetized Instagram accounts