Beginning with Experience with Georgina Moore
In this episode of Good Enough for Now, Georgina Moore discusses her transition from successful book publicist to fiction author and how she found inspiration for her first novel within her own life and her own reading passions.
Georgina shares the vulnerability needed in becoming an author and having her friends and colleagues read and review her book. She also shares her own version of time and where she found space in her life as a mother, partner, and professional to write her book. Our conversation touches on themes of transition, curiosity, creating space for oneself, and the joys and challenges of pursuing a new career path mid-life.
Listen in to hear more, as well as a little bit of dish on the publishing industry.
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what we cover in this episode:
Georgina’s background in publishing as a book publicist and working with celebrities such as Hillary Clinton and Lauren Bacall.
The challenges of transitioning from a corporate career to writing and the importance of having a plan B in mid-life.
The process of writing and publishing her debut novel, set on the Isle of Wight, and the vulnerability she experienced receiving (and anticipating) critiques from editors and authors.
Creating strong, relatable characters in her family saga novel and the importance of depicting women in their 30s and beyond.
Balancing writing and promotion of her book, and the concept of "good enough" in striving for success as an author and a mother.
The advantages of being older and established in her career, and the opportunities for women to share their stories and experiences in the publishing industry.
What Good Enough For Now Means To Georgina Moore
I don't know whether it's come across, but I'm always pushing myself. And quite hard on myself quite always want to do things to be the best I can. And so I think probably good enough would be good enough for me.
Does that make sense? But even though I know it, there's a brilliant phrase that I heard a lot from my psychotherapist, which is being the good enough mother. This is a really important concept in psychotherapy. Because so many issues for people lie in their parenting.
The good enough mother actually really appealed to me as an idea, the fact that, you know, you are probably imperfect, but you are good enough, and I knew I’ve given them enough. But I think sometimes for me, I just got to learn, actually, that I have done enough, and I am good enough and not keep pushing, because I do keep pushing. I think you get to this stage in life when you realize that time isn't just going to go on and on and on in that way that you felt it was in your 20s and 30s. People you know start dying, or people get ill and it's quite a hard time and you suddenly realize how fragile life is. So I think I'm very much up for trying to cram everything in now. I'm kind of like, you know what, what took me so long doing that? What took me so long. So, but yes, so I think for me, I think I know what that means. And I probably should be more happy with it. But I'm always pushing myself to go beyond good enough.
ABOUT Georgina Moore
Georgina Moore grew up in London and lives on a houseboat on the River Thames with her partner, two children, and Bomber, the Border Terrier. The Garnett Girls is her first novel and is set on the Isle of Wight, where Georgina and her family have a holiday houseboat called Sturdy.
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Stephanie Kruse 0:05
Welcome to Good Enough For Now, a podcast aimed at dismantling perfectionism one conversation at a time. I'm Stephanie Kruse. And along with my guests on the show, we share stories of false starts unexpected you turns in moments of reinvention that happen as we move through life. Thanks for joining me. My hope is that our conversations will help you stay grounded, feel a little less alone, and a little bit more together.
Stephanie Kruse 0:36
Hi, everyone, welcome to May, I cannot believe this year is going by as quickly as it is. I'm sure you're thinking the same thing. I personally have no plans for the summer yet. My kids are both working and going to camp. And I have a blank slate as to what relaxation and summer experiences I'm going to have. But I will tell you one thing. I have been reading more books recently, mostly because I'm putting my phone away at night. And I cannot wait to read this book coming out by Georgina Moore called Garnet girls. I just interviewed her a few weeks ago, before this episode is coming out. She and I had such a lovely conversation about how she went from being in publicity for books and publishing and authors to being an author herself, kind of client side, the agency side and back again. And what I loved about it was how she framed not only where she is in her life at the age that she is, but also how she framed and developed the characters in the book, which is based on a mother and three daughters on the Isle of Wight, which is sort of Ben compared to The Hamptons, I would say it's Nantucket. We'll see what you think when you read the book. But Georgina was lovely. And let me tell you a little bit about her. Georgina Moore grew up in London and lives on a houseboat on the River Thames with her partner, two children and bomber the Border Terrier. The Garnet girls is her first novel and is set on the Isle of Wight where Georgina and her family have a holiday houseboat called sturdy. Georgina Moore, thank you so much for joining me today on good enough for now.
Georgina Moore 2:19
Oh, thank you so much Stephanie for having me.
Stephanie Kruse 2:22
I am so excited to talk to you. Because I have been somebody who has dipped my toe in writing been part of the writing world on a very, very small scale, certainly not to the extent to which you have. And what I love is talking to authors, not only about their book, which I cannot wait to get into Garnet girls, your book that's coming out on May 16. Listen up everyone you'll want a copy. But to talk to you also about your journey into writing and your journey into writing in particular as a female author, which I don't know if enough people understand how difficult that that really is in the industry. And so first off, I want to have people introduce themselves to your story. So tell me where you are in your life. Where am I talking to you and what's going on?
Georgina Moore 3:13
So, yes, where I am in my life. So I spent a long time in publishing that's been you know, the main part of my career over 20 years. We don't need to say any more than that. So people don't need to know how old I am. So, yes, as a book publicist, really in a big publisher Hachette headline running their communications department, so big job board level job running a big team, and very much made a name for myself looking after big nonfiction, big celebrities. I did I looked after Hillary Clinton, when she came to the country of her living history. campaign and I did the tour with her and I won an award for that, but also Lauren Bacall when Lauren recorded her memoir. I've got a whole book in me, Stephanie of stories about Laura. Yes, you do. Wow. I do. But and then I and then I think like a lot of published book publishers say, you know, nonfiction and celebrity is one challenge, because you are sort of managing a whole team of people, but you get flooded with requests. Whereas fiction publicity for novels is a very different type of challenge. Because sometimes you're creating something out of nothing. And you're really convincing people and especially debuts that's my absolute favorite to work on your convincing people that they must move a book to the top of their TV read pile. And I love the persuasion and tenacity that's involved in really getting people talking about but so become a big fiction public and I'm still a big fiction publicist. I look after the amazing Maggie O'Farrell who I know stateside now is has become quite rightly huge, like she should be with Hamner. I know that you've all woken up to Maggie O'Farrell there. But yes, so that's I was in publishing And then I think I did a transition, which I think a lot of women do do at my age. So I was sort of late for second half of my 40s. And I think you need to make a plan B. In court, many corporate jobs, but also, you know, in in many areas, even in the arts industry before someone else makes a plan for you. When you get to a certain age as a woman, and so I did make that plan for myself. And what I don't think I've been thinking about it, I don't know whether I had a plan about the writing what I didn't know. And this was pre COVID was that it was just pre COVID, actually. So I've been now at Midas PR, which is a small agency for just about four years, I think I didn't even know that I what I wanted that extra flexibility for I don't know whether I had a plan, but I definitely knew I was ready for a different types of job. And so I made luckily, Jason who runs Midas, which is an arts PR agency really wanted me to go there. And so I sort of made the leap to a smaller company, but probably with more responsibility actually, ultimately,
Stephanie Kruse 6:12
in the way that that happens.
Georgina Moore 6:14
Yeah.
Stephanie Kruse 6:14
Smaller Company less people.
Georgina Moore 6:16
a smaller company, exactly. But also widening my, I'm very upbeat. Because I've been in the publishing industry in the UK a long time, I'm quite well known. So it was a really good point for me to expand my experience across the trades, and not just work with books and authors, but on prizes and literary festivals and other areas of the arts, which I've really, really enjoyed at writers. So I sort of that's where I was career wise. And then what happened was, I guess I was always that kind of nerdy, book reading child who was always scribbling things, and a lot of people have come out of the woodwork and said that, do you remember that character you created when you were eight, 910, whatever. But I think working in publishing was such a big job. And it's not a job where you have a lot of spare time. I didn't really put me off. It's definitely I think it writing and also seeing the competition firsthand. Seeing how little space there is for review coverage. And in space there is in the media for authors. I think I just thought God, no, this is you know, less. I've got something really original to say I don't think this is right is too competitive, and also didn't have the time. But then with the happiest church answer me having moved to a more flexible position, different roles and COVID. I kind of when COVID hit I think this happened to a lot of people. Oh, yeah, I had a lot of spare time, not spare spare. I think a lot of people will say they would say I made time, but I wasn't traveling, I wasn't going to taking Maggie to Cheltenham literary festival or going, you know, going in and out of the BBC record, you know, and I wasn't accompanying authors, everything moved online. And I sort of felt this was now it was now or never. And that I should use that time. Because time is something I think about a lot in my life. I've also gotten to two kids who are 11 and 12. So time is my probably the thing that takes up most space of my thinking time, how can I get more time. So I took advantage of it. And I started just getting up for the first time ever in my life getting up early, like five. And it was really nice, because it was almost like a time to myself before the day. And I began writing the garnet girls, and also like a lot of mums and dads and everyone will recognize I was looking after online schooling, which was basically hell. And well, this was really just a chance it was really became my time for me. And I was suddenly just doing very different from the rest of my career where I was doing stuff that other people for authors, you know, we're doing something just for me. Just as I, you know, the book has come out in the UK has been a Sunday Times bestseller. And it all just happened just as I turned 50. So that has been people have been interested in that I think. And people have been interested in the idea that I did do something in COVID Because I think a lot of people wanted to do something in COVID and didn't, but they Yes, that's where I am now. So now I'm combining Midas, and writing.
Stephanie Kruse 9:33
And you mentioned time I think I want to go back to that because one of the things that I hear often from guests when when we talk about transitions in life is this idea that maybe a change in time use right from from what you had been doing, you know, you didn't have to physically be traveling you didn't have to physically be present with your authors. You could show up almost more effectively probably, you know to dip in to the was tasks online, but that there's an idea of space, that creating space for yourself. And tell me about how when you were in that space, whether it was your early morning 5am Good on you for doing that. Or, you know, not traveling, having a moment. How did you ideate this story? Or what came to you to say, put your pen to paper or your keyboards on whichever way you wrote? How did that come to you?
Georgina Moore 10:32
So I'll tell you exactly we have this seems really greedy to say this, but we live on a houseboat on the River Thames. But we also have a house bid which we use as a holiday rental and a place called I don't think many Americans know it, but it's called the Isle of Wight. And someone said that I've made the Isle of Wight into the Hamptons, girls. So anyone listening should maybe think Hampton vibes. So basically, it's a lovely island, and quite easy for me to get to literally sort of three hours door to door with a little brief brief stint on a ferry which the kids love because they run around me I love because I get coffee and and it's got beautiful beaches. And it's got quite a quaint community where everyone knows each other. And it's a little bit posh as well sailing and you know crabbing, and all that kind of, so it's got all that going on. And I absolutely absolutely went there a lot with the kids when they were little and i we i It's my happy place. Without a doubt. So when we were there, I had seen one and they literally have those old style Edwardian houses on the stand. We're chasing, you know, lots of people's dream, let's be you know, and I, we were there and I saw on the outcoming house, one of these old houses this whole family, big family or going sailing, they were all off saying shattering. And I kind of something dropped in my head because I just sort of thought what would it be like to grow up in this community where people were even asked, we haven't been there that long. And we're there as the dreaded weekenders man even asked, you know, even I will walk down Bembridge beach, and sometimes by the end of it been walking with five people with their dogs and odd you know, because Oh, Joe, oh, hi, oh, it's that kind of place. Whereas I grew up in London. So you don't really know your neighbors in London. Not not in the places I grew up. And then when I was sort of a single girl about town and having too many parties, the only time I ever heard from my neighbors was when I was making too much noise. Exactly. So they so I didn't say that community is quite, I find it very interesting because I didn't grow up that way. I grew up at you know, in Kensington, and it is really, really different. So the penny sort of dropped. And I think when lockdown came we weren't able to go anywhere, as you know. And I'm sure a lot of people felt this if they had a if they were lucky enough to have some of their go for holidays or you know, they use as a rental where they use it, you know, I was really missing it. And so I thought oh, I could set it there. And a lot of people have said that in the garnet goes you can feel the longing for the island. They've also said that the Isle of Wight tourists board, should you use the garnet girls, absolutely. But I still I think that longing for the island and the beaches is in that but is in the book. And I feel going forward in my writing actually, lots of people have been nice enough to say the setting is very important. So I think that for going forward when I writing I think I'm always gonna have to have a place that means something to me or to the my family or the history of my life or in the way the island because that's obviously that obviously, we dislike that.
Stephanie Kruse 13:50
Well, yeah, and I think your tale of a family and the three daughters and the family secrets, you know, the island is a character in and of itself in some ways, right? And the fact as you described about community, these places that families go over time through generations, perhaps if you're lucky enough, do create those relationships themselves. Right. So I think that it's so relatable, whether it's the Isle of Wight or you know, as you were talking I was thinking of Nantucket yeah, there's something a place like that it's an island it's small although now you can't find a rental because everyone's discovered it. But that that is very you know Elan Hildebrand writes stories that target and so maybe this is your you know, what Elan is to Nantucket you are to the right here we go. We set it. You heard it here.
Georgina Moore 14:49
The islands been amazingly supportive, actually. And that yeah, I went and did some events there and they've really got behind it. I think because we get millions of books in the US A set in Cornwall, but no one's really used the Isle of Wight. So in a way that's sort of paving the way. So they're very happy on the Isle of Wight with that.
Stephanie Kruse 15:08
Well, and I love that you mentioned the fact that as you've published your novel, people have come out of the woodwork saying to you, oh, I remember when you wrote this tender, I remember what you did in school. And I had read a book years ago about finding your career. And one of the lines that stuck with me was that think back to what you enjoyed when you were a child. When you were 1213, what were you spending all your time doing? And often that is the passion in your life. So perhaps this is a full circle story, in some ways, and yeah, yet a new chapter for you. How did you think about, you know, going from someone who obviously knows the machinations of the publishing industry quite well, how to support authors, and thinking about oh, now I'm going to put myself in that bucket. What were your worries? What were your? What were you optimistic about? And how did it how did it play out for you?
Georgina Moore 16:13
So far, I think first off, the most important part of it was actually having the nerve to send the manuscript out, because I knew I wasn't going to, I wasn't going to waste my opportunities. Because one thing about getting to middle aged as a woman, you get very sensible about things like that. And you know that you don't waste your opportunities. You don't go all shy suddenly and say, I'm not going to use my name. But I did want to make sure that the manuscript I sent out was as good as it could be. So when I was lucky enough to get my amazing agent calf that Curtis Brown, and I had a few agents who wanted to look after me, but she was like, give it to me give it to me, she, I said, let's not rush this out, let's really work it because you know, you sometimes get that agents want to get things out quickly to get a deal. And I knew, obviously, that my name in the UK would help get me a deal. But it was really important to me that the book was written. So when it did go out, I'd done a couple of edits with a brilliant in house editor at Curtis Brown. And so I was sure it was as good as I could get it at that point. So that was reassuring. But what was quite scary, as you can imagine was when it went, it went out and it went a little bit crazy. And of course, what it does is it goes went to something like 13 editors across the UK publishing. And then what happens is, if they're interested, they then take it to the acquisition process and the acquisition, I'm sure this is the same, and there's and then the acquisition processes, marketing and publicity. But of course, I know a lot of those publicists and marketers as I was getting all these messages going, just had the garnet girls come to Oh my god. So that was absolutely terrifying. But everyone seemed to like it at that stage in publishing. So that was great. So that was really good. And then I think the next terrifying stage was giving it to authors who I love and respect for quotes, early quotes. And one of them is who I absolutely love is an author called Patrick Gale, who's written about 18 novels. He's a brilliant writer, and he's, you know, what the costs are awards and all kinds of things. And he and I are really good friends. And I looked after his publicity, and I was waiting and waiting. And I knew he was reading it. And then one morning, I just got I got this text and really just said, clever girl. And I was saying, Oh, thank goodness, thank goodness, he likes it. Because he knew and I knew he wouldn't be able to hide it. I'm you know, I will be able to read his face. Right. And and it's that as well. It's sad. Because if you do work as long as I have with authors and in media, you learn to read reactions. And you know, when someone's pretending to like a book and you know, when they're not. And so I think everyone was also a while I was terrified. Also people are really scared they that it wasn't going to be any good. I seriously thought my launch party was really funny was still going on. Lots of conversations were going on around the room like and thank God is actually good. I mean, can you imagine? And I was just like, I thought that was the funniest thing and also in a way great, because people were just relieved that they could genuinely tell me it was you know, not all hyped up.
Stephanie Kruse 19:37
So does that so so I guess are you uncovering a secret? Maybe we all know is not always great books get published. We don't always read things we think are fabulous, right?
Georgina Moore 19:50
Yeah. But then I think a lot of the processes really taught me to be I hope I was always a sympathetic book publicist to My author's but it has taught me to be more sympathetic. And I think I didn't really understand. Like, I always had authors going on about Goodreads and how mean it is. And I'm not, I'm not sure I ever really understood until your that side. And you have to come to terms with the fact that you get this huge wave. Well, you know, I was lucky enough to get this huge wave of positivity at the, at the beginning. And as it sells, fingers crossed it, you know, the net widens, and you have much less control over the people you're reading. Yes. And what people are thinking and saying, and you have this is a sort of a letting go process, actually, it's been really interesting. And my partner, James, who is a psychotherapist just said to me that you just need to not not look all the time, just let let that you know, let that go. And understand that the kind of book you've written, which does how they're very flawed, the garment girls, and not everybody loves flawed characters. They just, you know, it's not everyone's cup of tea. And so sorry, that's such an English expression. A couple of you were just on a podcast and you said cup of tea. That's ridiculous. But yeah, so I have that I've learned a lot. I've learned a lot about how authors have to deal with that. And I think I'm glad I'm older, actually. Because I think I've got a much thicker skin than I would have had in my 20s or 30s. Had I done it then.
Stephanie Kruse 21:27
Yeah, that was when you were talking about that experience. That's what I was sort of wondering. Yeah, definitely. You know, had you done this at 28? You know, that would have felt perhaps, you know, I don't know you, I'm sure you're an amazing, amazingly strong and capable woman. But competence, wise experience, brings that competence. And doing it now. And I think what's so interesting about your story as well, is that, even with the inside knowledge, those moments of oh, wait, how is everyone going to receive this? You know, there's universal, it doesn't matter if you had all the king, you know, the keys to the castle from day one, you're putting a piece of work out there that was that subjectively, people are going to evaluate you on right. Yeah, that's a very brave thing. And and and I think that, you know, you're right, in terms of when you were talking about figuring out your next chapter, you wanted to make that decision rather than have that decision made for you, for me. And that is a wisdom of age, for sure. Oh,
Georgina Moore 22:39
yeah, I think that's right. And I think as well, the excitement and buzz, and all the people want it, you know, I had to preempts and lots of publishers wanted, I think a lot of that would have gone to my head, actually, if I'd been younger, whereas not set, you know, I loved it all I've loved ever I've really made sure to enjoy every minute, but I'm not expecting it to happen again. I, you know, I've worked with enough enough debuts. And that was absolutely brilliant. I have an author who I think has published in the states that she could Harriet Tyce, she wrote, wrote a novel called Blood Orange, which was a huge bestseller here. And when she was a debut, I told her, you know, don't forget, just enjoy it. Because this doesn't happen the next on the next book, you know, and she reminded me of it, she said, reminded me of my own words of wisdom, when I was saying something about debut, because it's a debut that goes well is a very unique, it's very exciting. And, but I think I kind of am able to understand and enjoy it for now. And know that everything from now on is going to be very difficult and hard. You know, it's hard work to become a to become a brand author and author with a loyal following. And to do what is hard, hard work, you have to get out and work hard. And you really have to speak to your readers and be available to your readers. So I kind of know all that. And I'm prepared to do the work. But I don't know whether when I was younger, they would have had my head turned a bit.
Stephanie Kruse 24:06
Right. Right. That makes sense. And when you think about the readers for the book, who did you have in mind?
Georgina Moore 24:15
But you know what, someone else asked me this once. And they said, Did you have a plan? Because you know, the industry? Did you know what jewelry you were gonna write? And I think what was so great is that I didn't, and I and I think that was the great thing about COVID. And I think that was the great thing about being removed, feeling removed, I think we all felt removed. And that enabled me to just go and write the kind of book that I love to read, which is a family saga. And people have said to me Oh, are you snobby about the term saga? Absolutely not. And in fact, I think if the garnet girls, not to be people have been talking about family, so I'll go around it. And it's something that the US authors who I love do so so so well. But in the UK We've had this idea that family saga is somehow not a subject of meat, you know, not so meaty or not so many issues in it. So really, it's really important to me we bring, you know, we have this sense that family solid can be a really, it may be escapist. But it's also going to cover, you know, thorny, hard hitting contemporary issues as well, which the garlic girls does. So I think in my mind, I just wanted to write the kind of book I love to read with strong characters. I really wanted to write a female, who is an older female protagonist. So Margo, who's the matriarch who you either love or you don't get it at all, it seems so she dumped device people. Luckily, most people seem to love it, she's quite a piece of work. She's the mate as my children was, say she the main cause she's the main character. And she, she's about to turn 60 She's having a lot of sex, she's having a lot of parties, she's still very much cares about her work. She's trying to control all her daughters and what they're doing. She's very much doesn't feel like a grown up in herself. And so she's, she's a complex, a complex woman who's very alive. And I deliberately wanted to do that. Because, you know, the main book buying audience is, you know, 40 to 70, something women. I mean, for God's sake, we're not and you know, everyone talks down to us and says, you know, the newspapers won't review romance and all that, you know, all the shenanigans that you know about, and everyone knows about, and yet we are the book buying force that keeps the publishing industry, you know, propped up. And yet, if you want to find an older female protagonist that's sitting in a corner, knitting, I mean, what's that? What's that all about? I was just, I had a very, I don't think about my age very much. I'm not one of I got young, I had the children quite late at 3839. So I think probably that's quite good in that. They keep me, you know, they're very, very young in spirit
Stephanie Kruse 27:09
35 forever. That's my mantra.
Georgina Moore 27:13
So when I was writing the girls, the sisters, in the book, Margot's daughters, I was writing them as if I'm still 30. So they're all 30 something. But then I had this revelation. As I was writing this, I was actually nearer in age to Margo, than I was the girls. And I hadn't really hadn't really even struck me that. But I think it did make a difference to Margo, because it made me realize this in 10 years, I'm not I won't be any different, I'll probably be worse, I'll probably be more to go out. more interested in spending more money on jewelry and clothes and wanting to go to parties. And so and everyone who said that said yes, you will be worse. So I think it made me It helped me to understand Margo. I can't remember why we got onto there. Sorry. I went off on.
Stephanie Kruse 28:08
I was about to ask you about how you develop the characters went there already? So
Georgina Moore 28:13
sorry.
Stephanie Kruse 28:13
No, I think that it's so important to show I asked you about who the readers were going to be. And so just like a company developing a product, you know, that is solving a problem the leader had, right, it's the same idea is you know, I saw I thought of a book I wanted to read. And I think that is so true. And as a reader myself, I think it's gotten better. But for years, I thought, can I Why is it always like a 20 something that can't wait to get married? Or, you know, really older women that I can't relate to? You know, that are, you know, it's an Angela's Ashes family saga, right, you know, just something completely off the range. And so I love that you have brought these character or it's a male, right? Or or it's father, right? It's not a woman, for sure. And I was just having this conversation with a friend. We were laughing because she was mentioning how the Golden Girls, I don't know if you remember this show. He's right. They were supposed to be in their 50s Did you realize that? I had not known that they were supposed to be in their 50s. And we were totally laughing on the floor about it. Because you know, we're like, so what happened to their husbands? Did they have any choice? I was like, How are we supposed to believe? You know, to me, they seem like they were portrayed as 70 plus year old women. But when the show came out, they were supposed to be in their 50s. So I love how you have created a lens through which age, you know is relevant only in the sense that the woman that you're portraying feels it to be.
Georgina Moore 29:55
Believe that about that. Someone else was showing you an advert on Twitter of It was one of those fasting, you know how fasting affects you at different ages. And the fifth chakra that they depicted looks like she was at I kid you not, I think there's a real issue around it, because they're just not depicting, no one depicts me and my friends as we are. I mean, you know, we're really not that different than we were in our 30s, we still drink the same cocktails. And I, you know, yes, we've aged a bit, but we're wearing the same clothes pretty much. So it's just, it just, it just really gets my goat. But the thing about the 30 Something girls is I do quite a lot of time. And I say this in events, 30 Something women start to get a little bit uncomfortable. They but they say I find 30 Somethings so much more interesting than the whole coming of age. And because I find that 30 Something is such a crunch time for women. You know, you have all that pressure on you from society and your family and sometimes about whether you're going to have a baby. And sometimes you might not want a baby or you might not be ready. And then you often sometimes have I had a lot of friends who'd been with someone a long time in their 30s. And it's crunch time, are you going to stay? Are you going to go? Is it the right relationship, and then all the career because, I mean, I was really lucky because I I had the babies at 3839, I was already very established in my career. So they definitely wanted me back there was no but if you're younger, and you're on the ladder, still, you know, there's all that where you come back the same. And as we know, very often you're not treated the same when you come back from maternity leave. So I think 30 Something really is interesting. And you see that image and Rachel and Sasha and the garnet girls, they're all at different stages of their 30s with different issues, but it is very much a 30 something, you know, that point.
Stephanie Kruse 31:50
I love that. And I do think that, you know, from a demographic generational perspective, women in their 30s have been raised in a different way in terms of what success looks like what family means what you know, is possible versus those of us that are in our 50s I'm the same age as you are. And you know what we thought we could have it all we've all figured out that's not true, or we can't have it all at the same time. They're going through it now in a very different world as well. And so I love that you put that into those characters, because you're right there, there is a you know, back to kind of experience, there has to be enough in the game to understand what you're worth and what matters to you. When you get to those inflection points in life. Yeah. And you're not there yet. Most people are not there yet in their 20s. You know, they're still figuring it all out and having a good time.
Georgina Moore 32:47
Yeah, I mean, I to be honest, I was still doing that in my 30s. So
Stephanie Kruse 32:51
oh, that's That's true, too. For many of us that yes.
Georgina Moore 32:57
It was really important to me. So yes, just to answer that question. To round it off. I just, I didn't have my reader so much in mind as what I love. And obviously I do read a huge amount. And I always have and I get sent a lot of bits and pieces because I have quite a big social media following as as a reader as much as as an industry person. So I think that did help. Obviously with the writing people always say authors always say Read, read, read, read, read, read. And if you want that one tip, if you ask Maggie Farrell, that would be her one tip. But I think yeah, I think that stopped me from worrying about having to do something cutting edge or new or follow a trend or, and I hope that what people have responded to in the garlic girls is it feels so someone said to me that it's sent it's escapist, but not sentimental. And when you're a debut and you don't know what kind of writer you are, I really clung on to that. And in fact, I've written it on a post it note and stuck it out because for me that is exactly what I'm trying to achieve. You know, they don't all get neat little happy endings all wrapped up. You know, they're still out there actually, it's a slice of their life living their lives out on the on the island. They don't it does not also not neatly and there's some hard stuff. But it is a little bit glamorous and beautiful as well. And I don't see why you can't have both.
Stephanie Kruse 34:21
Yeah, I mean, I think some of Taylor Jenkins read some books do that really well. And I'm a huge fan. Oh, yeah, me too. I love her books. And you know, whether we think that Daisy Jones in the six portrayed on television was appropriate or not. That's a whole different thing. But um, I know everyone always feels strongly about, you know, what they imagined in their mind when they were reading and what's brought to the screen. But the point of it, I think is the same is you know, it is escapism, but it's not sentimental. It deals with really difficult topics and subjects and yeah, you know, and I think that that makes it grounded and so So that's
Georgina Moore 35:00
I think that's what a lot of readers one, you know, they want that they want to feel that they're reading something that's true to life. But you also want a little bit of, you know, that escapism. I mean, I, you know, one of my favorite I love I mean, I struggled to find a favorite, but that Malibu rising because it's so brilliant on siblings. And I've been lucky enough for people to love the sibling aspects of a lot of people have talked to me about that in my own book about us events and stuff about how you get set in a role as a sibling in a family. And even you can't grab a break out of it. And I have a story which everyone finds quite funny, which is I have my 50th birthday party. And I did a very Garnett girls style, big pink house on an Isle of Wight Beach, lots of dogs, lots of kids, lots of kayaks, and then a huge champagne party with lots of friends. And it was really, really fun. And my mother was coming and was my mother and my sister that you said to me, so we were not going to bring your presents. And I was like, Oh, I was quite excited to open it in front of everyone. And they were like, well, you know, it's a big party. And you know, what you'd like to party. And as I write as your that you'll probably you know, you might lose the presser is because in my 20s You know, I got a gorgeous bag, and I left it in some nightclub, right? You know, there's a couple of stories, but literally, I am now 50 and I am still the party, you know, I'm this wild one. I'm the one that the one that went off and did everything differently independent one, the one that loses things, it doesn't matter that this probably doesn't actually fit. It is just who I am in my family.
Stephanie Kruse 36:53
Yeah, you know, our families don't let us evolve from which is okay, I guess that's why we love, we love each other. And that's good. We know what to rely upon. Right? But but that's true. And, and that dynamic is something that that needs to be talked about. Very much, though. And I love that that's the interplay, right, the siblings, and especially since you think about your readers, you know, siblings at the ages of their 30s, you know, are dealing with their parents getting older, and what their roles are in life. And there's so many themes there. So I know that this isn't the only book you're going to write so so you've created this new chapter you've you've got now you're an author, you've added that to your wheelhouse. How do you go forward? How do you go forward? And how do you continue to make time
Georgina Moore 37:51
it's been on my mind a lot, actually. Because one of the things I'm sure lots of mums feel like this as well, post COVID is, you know, I actually have become a more hands on mother as well. Because mine are just at that tipping age 1112 where they are. So I had a nanny, because to get back from center of town to where we live is a big old track, it's an hour and a half. So I had a nanny and kind of when COVID came, I sort of said goodbye to the nanny. And now I've just got a bit of piecemeal, but you know, childcare, I tried to go into town twice a week, and I have a bit to cover my back. But it's very different. And now I do a lot more. I just got into the habit, I think like a lot of people encode during COVID times. So in a way I have three jobs. So yes, I'm thinking about it, I think I need to go back to the early mornings, actually. I was I've been away on holiday. And I've been thinking a lot about it. And I think that's when I do my best work. carving out time. And I think that I mean, look, I'm really lucky Stephanie in that I really love it. So if time goes past and I haven't had a chance to write, I start to not feel so happy. So I can make it make that make it work from that point of view. What I hadn't factored in, of course, is that I've got it. So I've got a draft a bit too. And I need to work on it. I've had some great notes from my editor. But what I hadn't factored in is is all the admin around or already having a book out. Whether it is yeah, I'd actually hadn't. And so I asked my just for a day. So I do four days so that I could have a day to carve out which just made a huge difference actually. But a lot of that time has been taken up with the admin around, you know, marketing or, you know, I'm doing a lot of festivals this year and through the year, which I really want to do and I feel so honored to have been asked and I you know, and I know how important I know that as soon as you talk about your book and you know, you engage readers so I want to do all that but it His time away from the home. And so I think that's the balance I've got to find between wanting. And you can imagine me as the publicist, I want any opportunity I have to promote I will take, because I know how important everything is because you know that sometimes people only focus on some authors mistakingly, in my opinion, only focus on the big stuff. And the big stuff, as you know, is hard to come by. But you know, the smaller things or the things that talk to a more niche audience can be the things that engage more and actually lead to people actually go following through buying your book, because they're actually an interested reader. So I, it's very hard for me to turn stuff down. So I don't know whether that will change as I get more interest or whatever. So at the moment, it's just going to be a balancing act, really, but I can't, you know, someone said, I think it was Maggie O'Farrell, which was brilliant, she said, it's not exactly going down a coal mine is it. So, which I loved. And every time I'm feeling a little bit of stress, I remind myself of the unbelievable privilege of being able to work both with authors that I love and respect and, and do that and tell the world about books, which I also love more than anything, but also to have my own book in the world, and for it to be selling well. And so I would never met, I could never moan because I think that would be very, very ill advised of me, because I feel really very lucky.
Stephanie Kruse 41:40
Yeah, I think at the same time giving yourself some grace to say, it's still really hard to do everything. And yes, I guess that's because you're an author. It is you, you know, you are the product. Yes, there's a physical book that you're, you know, hoping people will buy, but you talking about it, it came out of your brain, it's not as if you can put it on a manufacturing mill and either copy yourself over. That that's not realistic. And I would imagine to coming out of this, you'll have different ways of thinking about how to help your clients. Yeah, right. Innovating there. So yeah, there's gotta be, there's got to be easier ways to do it. Or maybe there's some administrivia that you can, you know, pawn off on someone as you get going on this, too. To help you.
Georgina Moore 42:30
and that is, you know, also one of the, you know, I do know, as well that I've been able to, there are advantages, as we talked about being older and also being established in my career, you know, there are parts of the job, I don't have to do any more. And there are advantages from that work is a very different stage in my career than, say, early doors, when when, when this would have been really hard to balance everything, I think. But yeah, I think, I think the thing is, it just makes me feel the whole of the publishing process, everything, I've just loved every moment of it. So I think that that really helps me get through just my love of that. And I'm so excited to be published in the States, I just, I'm over the moon. And I've got various people interested in film and TV, which is really exciting.
Stephanie Kruse 43:20
I was gonna say you need to, you know, get yourself into Hello, sunshine, whoever the right places, but, but this sounds like a story that that is ripe for, for the visual medium as well. So
Georgina Moore 43:33
I think I think it could work really, really nicely. Lots of people seem to think it would. And in fact, someone interestingly said that for them it had the Summer I Turned Pretty vibes, which is as you know, set with the house that because you could transpose the garnets to a lovely clapperboard house in the Hamptons, or Nantucket or wherever, with a jetty and with the blue lifestyle because that lifestyle is very similar. Lots of boats and picnics. And you know, so yeah, to be honest with you, I'd be so flexible on any of that. Because I think you know, for me, it's interesting what you said about Davy Jones and I even though the book Oh, I love the books. I absolutely adore the TV, too. I'm very, I'm quite open about different interpretations. Yeah. And I think that, you know, as long as you you know, don't try to put one against the other then. Yeah, so I'd be quite, I'd be really open to whatever anyone had a good idea.
Stephanie Kruse 44:34
That would be so exciting. That was so fun to see that come and you know, just more women doing their net, you know, creating their next chapter and sharing it with the world. And you know, the bigger the bigger we can share the better. So, your book comes to United States. I want to have one more question for you. Yeah. And then we'll, we'll wrap up so, so and I want I want you to tell everyone, obviously Leave about when the book is coming and how they can find it find you. But first, I want to end with this one, which is, you know, we've talked a lot about change and transition, and the title of the show, the show is good enough for now. When you hear that phrase, as you apply it to your own life, or the framework for how you move through the world, what does that mean to you?
Georgina Moore 45:27
I don't know whether it's come across, but I, for me, I, I'm always pushing myself. And quite hard on myself quite always want to do things to to be the, you know, to the best I can. And so I think probably good enough would be good enough for me. Yeah. Does that make sense? But even though I know it, even though I there's a brilliant phrase that I heard a lot from my psychotherapist partner J's, which is the good enough mother. Yes. Which is really important, a really important concept in psychotherapy. Because so many issues for people lie in their parenting. And I'm particularly sadly at the mother's door typical. But the good enough mother actually really appealed to me as an idea, this the fact that, you know, yes, you probably imperfect, but you are good enough, and I knew you've given them enough. So I do get I do get what it means. But I think sometimes for me, I just got to learn, actually, that I have done enough, and I am good enough and not keep pushing, because I do keep pushing. I think you get to this stage in life as well, when you realize that time isn't just going to go on and on and on in that way that you felt it was in your 20s and 30s. You start to people, you know, start dying, or people getting ill or, you know, it's quite a hard time and that in that respect in terms of you suddenly realize how fragile life is. So I think I'm very much up for trying to cram everything in now. I'm kind of like, you know what, what took me so long doing that? What took me so long. So, but yes, so I think for me, I think I think I know what what it means. And I probably should be more happy with it. But I'm always pushing myself to go beyond good enough.
Stephanie Kruse 47:33
I love that. There's there's more to come. That's what that's what that's what that's telling me and I cannot wait to watch your journey unfold. So tell us, yeah, you're welcome. And I'm so glad that you got to join me today. I've really, really enjoyed our conversation, tell people where they can find the book, when it's coming, how they can learn more about you. All of the things.
Georgina Moore 47:56
So Avon books are publishing me in the states on the 16th of may. I don't have all the details yet of all the different retail outlets, but I hope quite widely. And if they want to find me, I am on all the social medias. I'm on Twitter, and my name is at publicity books, and I'm on Instagram as actual gene and author. And I also have a website Georgina author website as well.
Stephanie Kruse 48:27
And we will put in a preorder link when that becomes available so that people can go ahead and get it ordered before summer, when they might have more time to read. Thank you, Georgina. It's been so generous of you to join me.
Georgina Moore 48:43
I've really loved our chat. Thank you, Stephanie.
Stephanie Kruse 48:45
Thank you best of luck to you. Thank you. Thank you so much for joining me. Please share the show with your friends by word of mouth, send them a text and maybe leave a rating and review. It really helps people find good enough for now. Don't forget to also follow us on your favorite podcast player like Apple or Spotify. So you can get new shows automatically each time they're released. You'll find show notes are goodenoughfornowpod.com And you could connect on Instagram at goodenoughfornowpod. See you next time.
