We chat with Rachael Lippincott, the New York Times bestselling coauthor of Five Feet Apart and She Gets the Girl, about her latest release Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, which is a fresh and inventive sapphic romantic comedy that’s What If It’s Us meets Bridgerton.
Hi, Rachael! Welcome back! How has the past two years been since we last spoke?
Hey! They’ve been really great. I’m a mom now to the sweetest, goofiest baby girl, and that has been the absolute best. Just a total perspective change instantaneously.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
You know, I don’t think I can even pinpoint a time. My mom would read to me even before I was born, and then would read to me every night before bed as I was growing up. I think my love of stories was just always there, nurtured by, and because of, her.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
I remember the exact moment I learned how to read, when the letters became words and it all clicked for me. It was this red book in my pre-k Montessori class called Mac and Tab.
The book that made me want to become an author was honestly probably the Magic Tree House books. I think my first attempts at writing was in second grade, and it was essentially self-insert Magic Tree House fanfiction.
A book I can’t stop thinking about is Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas. It’s been a few years since I first read it, but I was CRYING on a plane over it. Just a great story and concept, and some really excellent writing.
Your latest novel, Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh, is out August 29th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Sapphic, yearning, time travel, rom-com! (Hyphen for the win…)
What can readers expect?
Just a super fun, entertaining, and heartwarming sapphic love story about a girl getting blasted 200 years into the past to find love, and herself, and the girl she meets there, ensnared by her circumstances but longing for more.
Where did the inspiration for Pride and Prejudice and Pittsburgh come from?
My wife’s comfort movie is the 2005 Pride and Prejudice with Kiera Knightley. I was a BBC truther for a while, but through the years she’s slowly converted me! I think just watching it with her, especially while she was pregnant, I really fell in love with the story again. I re-read the book, and started writing sapphic Mary Bennet fanfic, and this idea finally fell perfectly into place.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I think I really enjoyed writing the character of Lucy. Her voice is definitely different than what I’m used to, but to be able to bring to life her change and growth throughout the book, and the final scene in 1812 in particular, felt really special. That chapter is my favorite in the book!
This is your fifth published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
The biggest is figuring out how to get the work done efficiently, while not sacrificing quality. Deadlines and needing to continue to produce content is a lot! If you have a general formula that works for you when it comes to finishing and editing a book, that you can plug into and reformat based on where you’re at, it’s the best thing you can do. I feel this even more now that I have a baby and my time needs to be used wisely and effectively!
Most importantly, WRITE WHAT EXCITES YOU! From the first spark of an idea to it actually being on shelves is a LONG time. If you’re already checked out before edits even begin, the work feels a lot more heavy than if you’re eager to dive into the draft.
And, lastly, marketing and promo can be a lot! You signed up to be a writer, clacking away at a coffee shop, escaping into your worlds, and having to run a preorder campaign and figure out how the TikTok algorithm works and make graphics on Canva takes a lot of time and energy and work. Only do what you feel comfortable with, and figure out what works best for you within these spaces.
What’s next for you?
Currently working on my sixth book now! I can’t say too much about it, but this one has been really fun to write. I can say: It’s sapphic! And it’s a rom-com!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
So many! Obviously, Forget Me Not by my wife, Alyson Derrick. We Are Okay by Nina LaCour. Friday I’m in Love by Camryn Garrett. And If I Promise You Wings by A.K. Small.
Would this count under #ReadWithPride? I picked it up yesterday as I do enjoy Pride and Prejudice retellings and time travel stories. Hoping this works as I am aiming to fill my challenges with what I own/can find/get for review.