Emily Liebert

How did you become a writer?

I've always been a storyteller, ever since I was a child. Throughout high school and college, I knew I wanted to build a career in the field of journalism in some capacity. After graduating with a B.A. in English Language & Literature, I worked in television, at ABC  News, for two years, but ultimately decided that wasn't my passion. I wanted to write. So I applied for editor jobs at magazines and was fortunate to become the Editor-in-Chief of The WAG magazine for five years. I loved my time there, but wanted to sink my  teeth into bigger projects. I had the opportunity to edit Kerry Kennedy's NYT bestseller Being Catholic Now and I parlayed that experience into writing my own books. My seventh comes out June 2nd!

Name your writing influences (writers, books, teachers, etc.).

The authors who influenced my writing when I first began were Judy Blume, Helen Fielding, Jennifer Weiner, Emily Giffin, and Jane Green.

When and where do you write?

I write in my home office (while my kids are at school or camp) between the hours of 8am-3pm, Monday through Friday.

What are you working on now?

I'm writing my eighth book! And my most recent novel, PRETTY REVENGE, was recently optioned for TV.

Have you ever suffered from writer’s block?

No. There are days that it's harder than others to put solid words on the page, but I can always push myself to do a little.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received?

Every chapter has to move the plot forward, otherwise it's just filler.

What’s your advice to new writers?

Write what you're passionate about, don't follow trends. And grow a thick skin; there will be rejection and there will be bad reviews.

Emily Liebert is the USA Today bestselling author of six books: FACEBOOK FAIRYTALES (2010), YOU KNEW ME WHEN (2013), WHEN WE FALL (2014), THOSE SECRETS WE KEEP (2015), SOME WOMEN (2016), and PRETTY REVENGE (2019). Her seventh book PERFECTLY FAMOUS releases on June 2, 2020. Emily has been featured often in the press, by outlets such as: Today Show, The Rachael Ray Show, Anderson Cooper, FOX News, Good Day New York, Oprah Radio, Martha Stewart Radio, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, InStyle, People StyleWatch, Good Housekeeping, OK!, Nylon, Woman’s World, WWD, Woman’s Day, The New York Post, The Washington Post, The New York Daily News, The Chicago Tribune, Boston Herald, and People.com. In addition to her novels, Emily writes a travel and books column in each issue of Westport Magazine, for which she’s the Books Correspondent. She lives with her husband, Lewis, and their two sons, Jax and Hugo, in Westport, CT. You can find her at www.emilyliebert.com.