Amerie provided some insight into the storyline for curious readers.

“My novel is about a ghost—a Black man who is the first person to come back from the Other Side—but it isn’t really a ghost story,” Amerie wrote in social media post. “It’s an exploration of identity, race, celebrity culture, how we see the world and the people around us, and, perhaps most importantly, how we see ourselves.”

She added, “I also wanted to explore what we desire and how that desire is so intrinsically tied to our self-identity and self-worth. A few topics even snuck up on me during the writing process, like the concept of found families and how we might find the people we need most (I went from skeptic to believer!). THIS IS NOT A GHOST STORY is a novel of reckonings and homecomings, of love and self-acceptance.”

As Blavity reported, Amerie released her debut picture book, You Will Do Great Things, in 2023. She’s also penned short stories and runs a successful book club as she continues to forge her own lane in the publishing industry. Fans can now pre-order This Is Not a Ghost Story via William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Amerie is also gearing up for a new album. The forthcoming LP will mark her first since 2009’s Love & War and is set to drop later this year, according to Vibe. She’s been working with producer Troy Taylor, who described Amerie’s voice as “mint condition classic.”