Now good?
She replies immediately.
Yes. Check email for Zoom link.
“That’s my cue,” I say to Ben, before hopping off the barstool and heading for the living room. “Wish me luck!” I call over my shoulder.
“Nah, you don’t need luck. You’ve got this. Remember, you’re the artist. You get to control the narrative. Don’t forget that.”
I give him a last grateful smile before stepping out of the kitchen and entering the living room. Once I’m settled onto the couch with my laptop, I open my email and click the Zoom link Alyssa has sent me. I take one last deep breath, run through the tips Ben gave me again in my head, and then join the call. Right away, Alyssa’s face pops up on the screen, followed by that of Trevor, the publishing house’s head of marketing.
“Lacy! How are you?” Alyssa greets me.
“We are SO excited about your new poem,” Trevor adds, jumping right into things before I can even reply to Alyssa’s question. “Although a heads-up would have been nice,” he adds, twitching an eyebrow at me.
“I’m so sorry, that really wasn’t some staged plan,” I say hurriedly. The last thing I want is to piss off these people. “It really was an accident.”
“Well, whatever it was, it definitely got a lot of eyes on you!” Alyssa says cheerily. “So now we want to make the most of it.”
“Yes, we’ve got somebigplans for you!” Trevor adds eagerly.
I gulp, wondering what they have in store for me. Remembering Ben’s words about letting them talk while I listen, I stay silent. Sure enough, they launch right into their agenda.
“So, first of all, we’re thinking this is a great opportunity to push up your book’s release date,” Alyssa says eagerly.
My stomach drops. I’ve made progress with my poems over the last few weeks but pushing up the book’s release date? I’m not sure I’m ready.
“I know you’re not 100% finished,” Alyssa continues, “but we still have some time. And we think that harnessing the sudden interest in you now could reap big rewards later.”
“Big rewards meaning big profits!” Trevor adds with a broad smile. I can practically see the dollar signs in his eyes.
“Okay, let me think about it,” I say slowly, again remembering one of Ben’s tips—don’t commit to anything on this call. “When do you need an answer by?”
“By Friday,” Alyssa says with a confident nod. “I know you’re stressed about putting your work out there, but this is really a unique opportunity.”
“Okay, I’ll let you know by Friday,” I say firmly, feeling surprisingly confident. It feels good to be able to draw these boundaries as I navigate this unexpected development in my career.
“Friday morning,” Trevor adds with an eyebrow raise. “We’d need to alert the printers by close of business if we’re going to push this up.”
“Got it.” I suppress an eyeroll. I’ve always liked Alyssa, but Trevor isn’t my favorite. Still, I feel more empowered on a call than I have in months. I remind myself of Ben’s words,You’re the artist. You get to control the narrative. Don’t forget that.
“You know, I just want to make sure that my voice is being heard in the way that I want it to be heard,” I say. “I recognize that yesterday was a great opportunity to gain some publicity. But I didn’t love the way people interpreted the verses,” I say honestly. I’ve got be truthful with my team, like Ben said.
“You mean the stalker stuff?” Trevor asks with a smirk.
“Yes,” I say, straightforward. “I understand that I can’t control how people interpret my art. But I’m wondering how we can help shape the narrative going forward.”
“We totally get what you mean, Lacy. In fact, we’ve already thought of something that might help,” Alyssa says.
“Somethingbig,” Trevor adds, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement. “Reallybig,” he adds.
Ugh, why does he have to be so dramatic. My stomach is quickly turning into a knot of nerves. What do they have planned?Just remember, don’t commit to anything on this call, I remind myself, as I take a deep breath to try and calm down.
“Well, have you heard of the media platform Mayhem With Maisie?”
I pause, staring at the two faces on the screen.Of course, I’ve heard of Mayhem With Maisie, I think to myself. Maisie isthepop culture reporter of the moment. She started off critiquing things on TikTok, addressing everything from books to albums. And now she’s grown into a full-fledged media empire.
“Um, yeah, I’ve heard of Maisie,” I finally find my voice and stumble out the words. The confidence I had just been feeling is quickly plummeting.