Authors Answer: Nicole Carlotti
Interview #538 in the Authors Answer series
Author interviews almost always focus on questions regarding an author’s latest publication (and that’s great because it’s how readers discover new books!) but sometimes it’s fun to ask authors to talk about their lives beyond the book they’ve just written. Authors Answer (started as a blog in 2020, moved onto Substack in 2025), is an attempt to give authors space to wax eloquent about the other influences on their writing. The questions posed here move beyond the formulaic classics like, “What books are on your nightstand?” or “What book inspired you to be a writer?” and even “You’re having a dinner party….which three authors (dead or alive) do you invite?” There are 20 standing questions. Authors pick FIVE that they want to answer.
Are you an author? Visit the Questions page to learn more about participating.
Today’s post features Nicole Carlotti.
Nicole has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. Like the Cancer she is, her goal is to make her readers feel something. When she’s not reading or writing, Nicole enjoys dancing, philanthropic work, as well as tarot and other spiritual practices. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with her wife, daughter, and cat.
What’s the difference (at least for you!) between being a writer and an author? How do you shift gears between the two?
To me, being a writer is centered around creating. When I'm in writer mode, I am crafting my story and methodically threading it all together. As an author, I am marketing my product. It is the second piece of the puzzle and is key for ensuring the book you wrote actually gets read - ideally by your target audience. Shifting gears is tricky because different skills are required for each, but by the time my debut novel was complete, I was more than ready to turn author mode on!
Have you ever experienced Imposter Syndrome?
Absolutely, especially as a self-published author. I have to remind myself that I wrote a whole entire novel that people can now buy, and that it holds its own against other successful queer young adult books (as an avid reader of young adult, I feel like I can say this). For anyone else experiencing Imposter Syndrome, remember that everyone has to start somewhere, and that all of our favorite authors were once in the same position. Keep going!
Is there a genre of music that influences your writing/thinking? Do you listen to music while you write?
I don't listen to music while I write, but I think about it a lot! Since I write young adult, pop music from the early 2000s resonates most since that's when I was in high school (think: Britney Spears). I always have to go back and change the names of the artists I reference to reflect what teens are listening to today.
What brings you great joy?
Knowing that one day, the teen who needs my book most is going to read it, and it's going to help them on their own self-discovery journey.
Favorite non-reading activity?
Dancing! I grew up dancing through college and continue to take classes as an adult.
Endnotes!
This newsletter is a passion project started by me, Elizabeth Rynecki, to try to help shine a light on new-to-me authors. I am also an author (and a documentary filmmaker and podcaster) and if you want to learn more about me, you can visit my website or read my personal newsletter, Ink Trails: A Chronicle in Creativity.
I’ve never made Authors Answer specific social media accounts, but you can find me on Instagram, Threads, and BlueSky.