We chat with author Annabelle Slator about her witty and fun rom-com debut The Launch Date, which follows rival coworkers who become reluctant daters after they’re forced to work together on a brand-new dating app in hopes of winning a promotion—perfect for fans of Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game.
Hi, Annabelle! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello! My name is Annabelle Slator and my debut novel is out so soon ahhh! I spent over a decade working in marketing and growth for tech brands and exciting start-ups. A lot of my experiences during this time inspire my writing. When I’m not hunched over a laptop in my author cave I’m usually found at vintage fairs with my husband and two mini dachshunds Gruffalo and Gryffin, or obsessing over some niche internet drama. I hope you enjoy reading The Launch Date, the story has been in my head for years and I’m thrilled to be releasing Grace and Eric out onto the world!
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I think it’s always been in me; as soon as I learned to read I wanted to write my own stories. I wrote my first manuscript when I was 8 years old, it was 20 pages and I’m still chasing the high of handing it over to my unsuspecting English teacher. I also wrote Friends fanfiction for my schoolmates when I was meant to be doing homework – so writing a full manuscript felt inevitable, whether it was published or not!
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Hungry Caterpillar was a childhood banger and frankly, still hits.
- The one that made you want to become an author: I always loved writing stories but the books that really cemented the idea for me were The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black and Tony DiTerlizzi and A Series of Unfortunate Events by Lemony Snicket – still read anything Holly Black and Lemony Snicket (AKA Daniel Handler) put out. When I was old enough I moved onto romance and ‘chicklit’; reading Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding and Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella. These books solidified my love for romantic comedies and I still reference them to this day!
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Book Lovers by Emily Henry has a forever home in my heart. It’s the book I would aspire to be as high quality as in every aspect.
Your debut novel, The Launch Date, is out February 11th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Keeps you up all night
What can readers expect?
An unputdownable exploration of love, dating and self worth.
Where did the inspiration for The Launch Date come from?
The inspiration came from my own experiences working in London for brands and starts up. I unfortunately never had a will they wont they relationship with a rival colleague however there are so many crazy scenarios and wild stories I have still to tell!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed writing the big spicy scene haha! It was first scene I wrote for The Launch Date. Not necessarily because sex scenes are fun to write, but because it’s an emotional crux in the book. The moment the swords are dropped, even if just for the night.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
One aspect of The Launch Date that I was debating throughout the entire writing and editing process was the flashbacks. In The Launch Date, the reader experiences moments of Grace and Eric’s former friendship before things fell apart. Ultimately, I chose not to have one continues linear timeline because I felt it was important for the reader to understand how deep the hurt went.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
I was incredibly lucky in my journey. I gave myself a year to query agents with The Launch Date, and found my dream agent in 6 months. We worked on refining the story for publishing houses and offers from the Penguin UK and HarperCollins US within a couple of months! The road to becoming a published author is not for the faint of heart, and I still had to maintain some seriously thick skin despite it being a relatively smooth journey.
What’s next for you?
My second book! I’m so excited to be able to announce it very soon. I’m in the editing process now with my fantastic teams at Bantam and Avon, and looking forward to putting book no 2 out into the world next year.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
There are so many amazing debuts in 2025! I’m particularly looking forward to Georgia Stone’s Friendship Fling, Crash Landing by Annie McQuaid, Work Trip by Chloe Ford and Passion Project by London Sperry.
