Liana Cincotti lives in New England and works in marketing. She strives to bring back the magic found in iconic early 2000s romantic comedies. When she’s not writing, you can find her curled up in her reading chair watching the newest sitcom, devouring a cookies and cream milkshake.

Tell us about A Summer of Stars. What inspired this particular story?

A Summer of Stars is an early-2000s inspired story about a pro tennis player and a Hollywood actor who fake date for a PR stunt in order to salvage their reputations, despite hating each other! The first seed of inspiration for the story came from an Italian advertisement I saw online of a woman in a dress standing in a fountain, while a man dressed in a suit had his leg up on the edge watching her. I instantly had an idea for a scene and jotted the dialogue down before I could forget it. Two years later, I revisited that dialogue to write chapter 33 of this book!  As I drafted the novel, Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) album very much inspired the sparkle in this story.

You’ve referred to being an author as something “other people did”. How did you break free of that mindset and dive in?

Oh gosh, what a hard question! That mentality very much came from comparing myself to others early in my career, and thinking what I was doing as a writer didn’t qualify me as a “real author.” I looked at what other indie and trad authors were achieving and felt that my successes were still so far behind.

I think that mindset started to fade when my hobby of writing began overlapping, and then surpassing, my career as a marketer. I was so busy with publishing emails and editing deadlines and preparing for book-related travel that it was impossible to deny that I was an author. (If I could talk to 21-year-old me, I’d tell her she was an author the moment she finished that first book.)

You’ve engaged in many career paths before writing full-time, what has your many different roles taught you that still applies to being an author?

Working in a corporate setting, I was often networking and leading presentations before this career. Now, I try to carry that professionalism into publishing with me! It sounds silly, but when I have a book event or a publishing meeting, I try to look presentable and research anything relevant beforehand because it’s how I operated while working a 9-5 job.

My marketing job has given me some good insight into promoting my own book as well, of course! It definitely prepared me for the promotional and advertising side of things, allowing me to continue to pursue my interest in branding, and knowledge of SEO as we prepare for release day.

What made you opt for self-publishing first?

Honestly, it was the quickest way for me to get a printed copy of my book! When I was writing my first book, I was reading The Spanish Love Deception by Elena De Armas at the time, and learned that she had self-published that book. I quickly went down a rabbit hole on something I knew nothing about!

What did you learn in the self-publishing journey that prepared you for your whole career?

I learned how important it was to me to be part of every step and element of my book. Not just the final draft, but the physical, final copy—the illustrations that go on the chapter openers, and the font for certain dialogue, and the design of the spine, along with the synopsis on the back. I didn’t realize that until a blank cover was staring at me! The options seemed endless, and I loved it. Self-publishing taught me to be incredibly self-sufficient and timely, but also how to be my biggest cheerleader, marketer, editor, and assistant because I was a team of one! (Doing something entirely on your own is a surprising confidence booster.)

Talk us through the transition from being self-pubbed to traditional?

The transition was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. My entire life, from grade school to university and work, I always felt like a team of one, relying on myself. So having a team of passionate people put their time and knowledge into my books was unimaginable. (I was also constantly waiting at my inbox for an order, as if I was at my 9-5! Give me a task! I thought.) My biggest challenge was growing comfortable with voicing my opinion in a room of such educated people.

Was there a moment when you realized your writing career had fundamentally changed?

Probably when a reader from Germany reached out to me after reading Picking Daisies on Sundays. I was floored knowing that someone from across the world had heard of my book, let alone read it. Soon after that, Penguin Random House Spain reached out about translating that same book into Spanish. Suddenly, my book felt a lot larger than me.

What surprised you most about the transition from indie to traditional?

I was extremely surprised at how much would be done behind the scenes! One day, I’d be working on edits for a draft, the next, there was an entire synopsis for that same draft sitting in my inbox, ready for approval. I couldn’t believe they didn’t need me to write it! As someone who did everything herself for years, it was jarring, and freed up so much of my time.

Many aspiring authors dream of following a path similar to yours. What’s one piece of advice you would give to someone before hitting “publish” on the first book?

Don’t rush it. Take your time and give the story space. My best edits come after the manuscript has breathed. Edits can change the tone of your entire story, so don’t leave them out! I’d also try not to think about the reader as you write. There will always be someone who dislikes your story, so the best opinion to focus on is yours. (You’ll have to read your book a million times anyway while editing, so it’s easier if you like the story!)

You have a strong following on Instagram and TikTok. What advice would you give authors for reaching readers? What did the process of growing this audience look like for you?

If your goal is to reach as many readers as possible online, then you have to treat the marketing like a part-time job. In the beginning, I always had content scheduled at the same time and day, twice a week for two years. I don’t think I ever missed a week. Is that healthy? Definitely not! But that’s how I treated marketing. Even if I spent weeks deep in drafting, I’d spend twenty minutes at night in bed scheduling posts so I wouldn’t miss a day. It sounds overwhelming, but it’s all about consistency! Pick a day and time once a week to get a post up, and then work up from there. (Pinterest, in my opinion, is a hidden gem for posting.) I started to see my consistency pay off after two years. Suddenly, I went from a few thousand copies of my book sold to twenty-thousand copies sold in my second year of indie publishing.

Whether you’re publishing a book yourself or working with a big publisher, is there something you always do when writing a new novel?

I always have a playlist and Pinterest mood board in the background while writing! It’s the one thing that hasn’t changed in my process. Every novel, I have a slightly different drafting experience and process, but the playlist and mood board always stick around!

What are you working on next?

My first self-published novel, Don’t Be In Love, has been picked up by my publisher (woo!) and will rerelease in paperback (and audiobook for the first time!) on February 2nd, 2027! (Consider pre-ordering, if you’d like!)

I’m working on those edits as I wait on my edit letter for my (brand new!) 2027 novel, most likely to release closer to the summer. It reminds me of Picking Daisies with its soft heart and friends-to-lovers storyline, but the main character also has so much Fran Fine and Charlotte York energy. I cannot wait to tell readers more about it!

Summer of Stars by Liana Cincotti

Luna Aldridge feels like the entire world hates her now after a messy breakup. Her reputation and career as a tennis superstar are on the line if something doesn’t change. The only possible solution is fake dating Hollywood’s beloved Kieran Alexander for good PR. The problem is Luna hates him and he hates her back. Kieran needs the good press just as much as Luna does as he’s about to be a leading man in an upcoming rom-com. They have to convince the world they are in love while secretly hating each other. After posing on red carpets, traveling around the world to tennis tournaments, and being caught by the paparazzi, the more their facade threatens to slip. Can they hold it together with their lives and careers in jeopardy?

Buy the book now: Bookshop.org | Amazon