Simon Says... I'm Writing A Book! For Real! Ahh!!!
(I promise this newsletter is about more than me just freaking out.)
Welcome to Simon Says, a weekly newsletter from Rachel Simon all about freelance life—from the inside scoop on just-published stories to advice on how to pitch to what it’s *really* like to leave a cozy full-time gig for the chaotic, unpredictable world of invoicing (jk, freelancing, but IYKYK).
You guys. YOU GUYS. What a week it’s been!! If you follow me on social media (or my parents, for that matter), you probably saw that the Very Big News I’ve been teasing here for the past many weeks was finally announced, but ICYMI, I am… *drumroll please*…. writing a book! Officially! For real! And you can read and buy it this August!!
It’s called Pickleball for All: Everything but the “Kitchen” Sink, and, as the name implies, it’s all about pickleball. If you’re not familiar with the sport, it’s kind of a combo of tennis, racquetball, badminton, and ping-pong, and although it’s been around since the ‘60s, it’s gotten HUGE in the last few years—like, fastest-growing-sport-in-America huge.
My book will be a full guide to the game, covering everything from the (really cool) story of how it was created to the strategies pro players use to win tournaments to the pickleball-themed resorts and restaurants popping up all over the world these days. Even if you’ve never played it before, you’ll find the book really interesting and fun to read, I pinky promise.
I’ll have a lot more detail to share as it gets closer to the book’s pub date, including where/how to buy it and the places I’ll be going on my book tour (!) and all that. But for now: Yay! And thank you so, so much to everyone who’s reached out with congratulations. It means the world, truly!
Now, for some less exciting but still important updates:
Some Stories I Wrote Last Week
Got a few to share this time, and they all happen to be extremely different from each other:
First up, for Brides, I rounded up the prettiest floral wedding invites out there and spoke to experts on other cool ways to incorporate flowers into your big day.
Over on Travel & Leisure, I reviewed a backseat car cover that prevents your dog from shedding all over the seat during drives. It’s a lifesaver, honestly.
And then, in my first story for Town & Country, I wrote a feature on the new Brat Pack, aka a group of multi-talented, annoyingly attractive Gen Zers taking over Hollywood.
The Inside Scoop
Each week, I’ll pick one story I’ve written (new or old, if needed) and explain how it got from pitch/assignment to publication. This week, it’s the Town & Country story on those ultra-cool Gen Zers.
As said, this was my first story written for Town & Country, and I really enjoyed working with my editor there. When we initially connected, he set up a phone call so we could get to know each other and talk potential stories, and during it, I mentioned that I was fascinated by a specific Gen Z celebrity friend group who all were multi-hyphenates and, often, had famous last names (Apatow, Gerber, Abrams, etc). We fleshed out the idea more via email later on, and then I got to work deciding which celebs I wanted to mention and sleuthing on their social medias for fun facts to include. After a round of edits, the story turned into what you see now!
Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note
Somehow, the two classes I’ve been teaching are nearly over, with just one week left of each. I won’t be teaching anything new for the next few months due to wedding and book craziness, but I’m always available for 1:1 consultations and workshops!
Coming Up…
A story I wrote like, two months ago should finally be going live tomorrow, and I’ll be writing up a really fun celeb interview I did a few weeks ago later this week. Otherwise, I’m just truckin’ along with this book, getting it finished and ready for the world to see in just six months’ time. Can’t wait to share more soon with you all!
-Rachel