Simon Says... My Book Has A Cover *And* A Publication Date!

Pre-order a copy and get a free personalized crossword by yours truly.

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).

Big news on the book front this week, folks! Not only did I finish the copy edits for Pickleball For All, meaning my work is 99.9% done, but the cover was officially released! Behold…

It’s a gorgeous cover, not that I’m biased or anything. And now that it’s here, it makes everything feel so real! I wrote a freakin’ book, it’s coming out in five months (August 30, to be exact), and strangers around the world are going to read it. It’s scary and intimidating and, above all, awesome.

As anyone who knows me knows, becoming a published author has been my goal since I was a kid, and so the fact that it’s actually happening is hard for me to wrap my head around. But it is! It’s real! And you can pre-order your copy right now! (Unless you’re my parents, who have already pre-ordered 10 copies for themselves, which is adorable but unnecessary since, you know, I would’ve given them a few for free.)

Speaking of pre-ordering — if you snag a copy of Pickleball For All and send me a screenshot for proof, I will make you a *free* mini personalized crossword puzzle! It can be themed around you, a friend/family member, or a piece of pop culture of your choice. Do it! Do it! And tell your crossword- and/or pickleball-loving friends about it, too.

Some Stories I Wrote Last Week

I had two stories published this past week (the rest that I submitted are scheduled for later on), and they are:

A piece for Daily Paws spotlighting a popular Instagram account starring two adorable pit bulls (and their owner, an actress who advocates for the breed).

And, in my Entertainment Weekly debut, a write-up of a bestselling soundbar from Amazon that’s on sale for 35% off and has thousands of great reviews.

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 Daily Paws story on pit bulls.

I’ve written for Daily Paws for several months now (and, fun fact, helped launch the site BTS while I was an editor at Meredith), and recently I started working on a series for them called Better Together. Each week, I write up a video about the bond between a person and their pet, whether it’s a woman creating froyo sundaes for her pup or, in this past week’s case, pit bulls who helped their owner get over her own stigma. It’s a really sweet, heartwarming series, and I love getting to share these stories with readers each week!

Other Work/Life Stuff Of Note

Mother’s Day is around the corner, y’all. Get your personalized crossword puzzle orders in now!

Also, uh, I’m getting married in 10 days. That means I’ll only be checking the weather app approximately 45450343 more times!! Let’s think clear skies, people.

Coming Up…

I have a few good stories in the queue that should be out within the next few days (although I know I say that every week…), including a fun celebrity story for Vulture and a couple wedding roundups for Brides.

Also, on Wednesday, April 13, I’ll be hosting an AMA with the media publication Study Hall, all about freelancing, pitching, and promoting your work. Subscribe to Study Hall in order to attend!

That’s all for now, folks. Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great week!

-Rachel