AHHH... I can't believe after all these years, from the germ of an idea in the Fall of 2017 to today, the middle grade sci-fi book of my heart is out in the world! 
Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation is my love letter to all the sci-fi stories I've loved, from classics like A Wrinkle in Time and Andre Norton books to cyberpunk stories like Blade Runner and Altered Carbon to every other book that has sparked my imagination. (I urge you to buy or borrow a copy of the book to see the lengthy acknowledgements section; this book was truly the product of a village!).

I have so many people to thank for today, but I'll just do a quick shout out to my family (David, Sammi, and Sarah), my agent Jennifer March Soloway at Andrea Brown Literary Agency, my editors Julie Rosenberg and Gretchen Durning at Razorbill/Penguin Random House, and artist Fiona Hsieh and designer Jessica Jenkins for the amazing cover. 


Join Me in Tonight's Virtual Launch at 7 p.m. ET Tonight I'll be launching the book online, with the DC-based bookstore, Politics and Prose, from 7-8 p.m. ET (June 21). I'll be in conversation with Newbery Award winner Donna Barba Higuera (THE LAST CUENTISTA, LUPE WONG WON'T DANCE). Sign up for the virtual launch event here.

If you're interested in getting a signed copy with fun swag (postcard, bookmark, stickers), you can order the book from my local indie Prince Books.
If you've bought the book elsewhere, or requested a library to buy it, you can fill out this pre-order form and I'll send you the goodies along with a signed bookplate. 

I'm curious: what are your best de-stressors? what are some good shows you've watched lately? Recently, I've enjoyed Bridgerton season 2, Abbott Elementary, Mr. Robot, and now I'm watching The Silent Sea (a Korean sci-fi). ​

​

​3. Pre-Order Swag
My pre-order campaign will include a signed book (if ordered from Prince Books, a signed bookplate if bought elsewhere), a bookmark, and some other flat goodies. I'll announce the campaign formally in early May, but if you want to get a jump-start on pre-ordering, here's the link to the book through my indie bookstore, Prince Books. Keep a copy of your receipt to send in when the official campaign starts.  Here's a sneak peak at the bookmark:

I start most of my novels as a pantser, but at some point, I pull out all my organizational tools and start plotting and planning. As a visual person, I like exploring plot and scenes in visual ways.

Old School Tools

In early November, I spoke with Emma Kress on Instagram Live about some of my favorite low key tools, like highlighter pens, Post-it notes, index cards, and poster boards. Check out our 15-minute talk, and while you're at it, bookmark Emma's page for other excellent craft chats she hosted during NaNoWriMo.

These are the tools I talked about: (1) a plot arc chart, where I draw an arc and place external plot points on the outside and internal ones on the inside; (2) Lisa Cron's scene cards from her book Story Genius (see this blog post explaining them); (3) Kate Messner's Big Revision Chart; and (4) a poster board with different colored Post-Its for different POVs. 
​

(my board with POVs of my current WIP, 2 POVs in blue and yellow, special scenes in pink)
 Trello Boards
What I really want to talk about is Trello Boards. It's an online project management website where you can organize your tasks and To Dos and collaborate with work colleagues on joint projects.

The Usual Use: Project Management

​Here's a screenshot of my To Do board. Each of the columns can be moved, and there are more columns to the right as you scroll. Each card can be opened to include more details, like lists or links. I have a mix of subject columns and day-by-day columns. When you're done with a task, you can archive the card, or move it to a "Done" column.
​

Writing dialogue is hard, and it's an area I still work on. Here are some tips I've found helpful to make dialogue feel engaging and believable.

1. Eavesdrop

Sit in a cafe or drive a carload of kids and listen to how they speak. You won't want to include the latest slang (because it will become outdated), but you'll get a sense of the different ways people talk (their cadence, voice, how they don't talk in complete sentences, are casual, etc).  

2. Less is more: verisimilitude not exactitude

Even if one of your characters like to talk a lot, writing dialogue isn't the same as transcribing words. Remove excess words and sounds such as "um" and "ah." This results in more crisp and concise dialogue, which will convey the essence of the conversation. 

3. Give your characters distinctive voices

Pay attention to the word choices and sentence structures of each character, to give them distinctive voices. For example, you can have one character never speak with contractions, which would give them a more formal voice. Or you might give a specific phrase to only one character.

4. Be sparing with dialect, stuttering, or other unusual speech patterns

If your character has an accent, stutters, lisps, or otherwise speaks in a unique manner, don't overdo it when writing their dialogue, because it can be distracting or a stumbling block for the reader. You can add a slight touch of the unusual speech to give the reader an idea that this is how the character speaks, or describe it in the narrative, if it is something the POV character would notice. 

5. Beware of floating dialogue

A common issue I see in students in writing workshops is what I call floating dialogue: a big chunk of back and forth dialogue, without grounding action or description. Here is an excerpt of my recent book, Manatee's Best Friend. Start reading at the second paragraph that begins, "Mom puts down the brush."

I'm excited to announce I'm a middle grade mentor for Pitch Wars again this year!

Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each to spend three months revising their manuscript. It ends in February with an Agent Showcase, where agents can read a pitch/first page and can request to read more. Writers can apply to four mentors with a query, synopsis, and first chapter. 

I had a great time mentoring the talented Isi Hendrix last year, for her Afro-fantasy MG. She had a tremendous showcase experience, resulting in signing with two agents, one in the U.S. and one in the U.K.! Mentors will post our wishlists on or around September 12, so watch my Twitter feed for the announcement, if you're interested. I'll be posting my wishlist on my blog. ​

This was a reprint of my email newsletters. To subscribe to them, hit this button:

On August 3, my middle grade novel, Manatee's Best Friend, was published by Scholastic! I had a wonderful week of celebration on social media and at home. 

I'm really grateful to be able to share this story of 12-year-old Becca Wong Walker, who must overcome her shyness to fight for her manatee friends, while also dealing with complications of a viral video and new friendships. If you have a child in your life (8-12 years old), please consider sharing the book with them. ​

To celebrate the release, I chatted with MG author Kate Albus (A Place to Hang the Moon) on IG Live, In our conversation, I described an encounter my friends and I had with dolphins who visited our boat. Here's the video of those amazing moments:

It's a surreal experience to have a book come out to the world. It lived for so long as a series of 1s and 0s in my computer, and now it's a book with an adorable cover (thanks to artist Scott Dorman and designer Stephanie Yang). The moment I held the actual book was truly special (check out my unboxing video).

But even more awesome is the community of writers, friends, and family who have supported me throughout the process. Instead of recapping all the names, I'll post my acknowledgements from the book. (Ever since I became an author, I've loved reading these. Don't you?).  ​

After I wrote this, I continued to make great writing friends, especially other debut authors in 2021, mentors and mentees in Pitch Wars, and more.

Here are some pictures of this memorable week.

I got lovely gifts from friends and family:

I took my book for a walk on the beach to get a photo for the release announcement:
​

The evening before the release, my IRL CP group (insanely talented MG, YA, and adult authors) met and we had cake and champagne. ​

And photos at the bookstore (signing pre-orders, visiting the store on release day, and book signing a few days later)! (Prince Books in Norfolk, Virginia)

All in all, it was a wonderful experience. I received such an outpouring of love on social media, and I thank each and everyone who helped cheer on this book. ?

​if you want to read more content like this, please sign up for my newsletter:

In revising my middle grade science fiction novel, Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation (Razorbill June 2022), someone on Clubhouse gave me the best revision tip:

Have your computer read back your words to you. 

I've found this really helpful because it lets you: (1) identify typos that are easy to hear and hard to see, (2) hear the flow and cadence of sentences, and (3) experience the book in a different sensory format. It's almost like hearing an audiobook. 
How do you do this?
I have a Mac laptop, but I assume this also works in Windows.

1. In Word, insert your cursor where you'd like it to start reading, go to "Review," then click "Read Aloud."

3. On your phone, I've used the app Natural Reader to have my phone read a file, but it doesn't let me immediately revise or correct the manuscript.

Have you ever done this? What other good revision tips do you have? 
 ​

In one month, on August 3, my middle grade novel, Manatee's Best Friend, will come out from Scholastic! I'm excited to share my story of a shy girl who finds her voice to save manatees.

If you pre-order the book from my local indie bookstore, Prince Books, you'll get an autographed copy plus an adorable bookmark.

Hi all. This is a combined April/May newsletter because the past two months have been very heavy, news-wise, and I've had a lot going on (good stuff). I've also realized I bit off more than I could chew by promising a monthly newsletter, so I will send these out every other month from now on.

I usually write about books, but today I'll share my favorite shows and movies from the last year of pandemic watching. Be sure to enter my giveaway below of a bunch of books. 
TV Shows

3. The Boys  - A wildly entertaining story of corrupt superheroes who cash in on their fame and the rag-tag vigilante team of "The Boys" (and girls) who try to take them down. My college roommate Sarah Boyd directed one of the episodes (with an unforgettable scene in a lunatic asylum) and is slated to direct the two-part finale of Season 3. The show can be shocking in its violence, but is thought-provoking and so much fun. (Amazon Prime)  ​

Movies
I watched a number of thoughtful and powerful movies last year, like Parasite, Judas and the Black Messiah, BlackkKlansman, and Jojo Rabbit, and solid movies I'd missed like The King's Speech and The Imitation Game, but here are a couple that were plain escapist fun (and a bonus documentary):

A Multi-Book Giveaway
I'm giving away the above-batch of fun picture books and middle grade books to one lucky winner: BULLY by Jennifer Sattler; JULES VS. THE OCEAN by Jessie Sima; SAUCY by Cynthia Kadohata, illustrated by Marianna Raskin; A PROBLEMATIC PARADOX by Elliot Sappingfield; and THE WUNDERLING, by Mira Bartók.

To enter to win:

1. You must be a subscriber of my newsletter (use the button above or below to subscribe), and

2. Reply to this email with a favorite TV show or movie you watched this past year.

If you arrived at this post from an exterior link, reply to the welcome email after you subscribe.

I'll pick a winner (U.S. addresses only) after May 15, 2021. ​

Writing novels involves juggling so many things. One small task is to give your secondary (and walk-on) characters a memorable entrance. Here are some tips on how to do this.

1. Introduce them one at a time
If your main character has a lot of friends, or is in a group situation, nothing is more confusing than throwing out a lot of names without context. For best effect, introduce characters one at a time, with specific descriptions or actions to make each character stand out. 

Maggie Stiefvater does this really well in The Raven Boys, a YA fantasy with an ensemble cast: a psychic town girl named Blue, and four private school best friends, Gansey (a Golden boy), Ronan (tortured soul), Adam (loyal friend, scholarship student), and Noah (quiet watchful one). When Gansey's car breaks down at the beginning of his first chapter, two of his friends come to rescue him:

​Stiefvater paints vivid and distinct personalities, through both description (type of car Ronan drives, quality of Adam's tie) and action (Ronan slamming the door, Adam and Gansey having an unspoken rapport). She also introduces Ronan with enough description so the reader forms a mental picture of him before Adam appears a few sentences later.


2. Describe your characters with interesting and memorable details.

In Renegade Flight, a futuristic story about a girl who ekes into a prestigious pilot-training academy (to pilot fighting mechas), Andrea Tang does a great job introducing the MC's rival:

In a few phrases, we meet this remarkable girl with attitude and style, as well as a sense of the MC's feelings about the girl, a mixture of admiration and maybe intimidation.

3.  Describe characters from the perspective of the POV character and show their relationship.

Instead of a neutral description, show us how the narrator feels about a character, or the nature of their relationship. A great example is The Verdigris Pawn, when Alysa Wishingrad introduces Himself, the ruler of the kingdom and father of Beau, one of the main characters:

In this short paragraph, we see how cold and judgmental Himself is, and how Beau suffers under his father's scrutiny. In one paragraph, we already get a sense of the start of Beau's character arc, including his wound.

Another example is discussed in the article, "The Raven Boys - Third Person Voice" which compares how Gansey is described by Blue:
​

and by Adam:

The reader forms a picture of Gansey, but filtered through the eyes of the other characters.

4. Even minor walk-on characters can shine.
​
While you don't have to create three-dimensional personalities for minor characters, it's still worth bringing them to life. Here's an example from Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.

Giveaway Time! A Query Critique 

I'm bringing back the popular query critique as this month's giveaway. To enter,

1. You must subscribe to my email newsletter 
2. Reply to this email (or if you're a new subscriber, to one of the welcome emails) with a current favorite TV show or movie. (Can you tell I'm crowdsourcing my entertainment recs?)

I'll pick a winner after Friday, March 19, 2021.

One of the best ways to improve your writing is to read widely. People say you should read at least 100 books in your genre and age category, and it's great advice. I love reading as a reader, but here are some ways to read as a writer, to actively analyze and learn from the books you love.

 1. Copy the Great Ones
​
In traditional painting, students learn by copying the masters. By replicating the colors, compositions, and brushwork, artists learn what works. The same thing holds true for authors. Whether you write picture books or novels, a great exercise is to open a blank document and re-type a picture book, or in the case of a novel, the first chapter (or at least 500-1000 words). 

When I was learning children's illustration, I thumbnailed existing books. Here's my thumbnail of a super cute 2008 picture book, Jumpy Jack and Googily, by Meg Rosoff, illustrated by Sophie Blackall:​

By engaging with books as a writer instead of a reader, you can figure out more easily how a story works.
 ​

• Inked Voices – small workshops with 8 other writers led by an agent or editor (PB to adult), also a forum to connect with others  
• Reneé LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – for PB writers, learn poetic techniques from one of the best children's poets. Check out her YouTube channel for free lessons.
• Storyteller Academy (with Arree Chung) – classes for PB writers & illustrators  
• Society of Visual Storytelling – for artists & illustrators
• Susanna Hill’s Making Picture Book Magic – for PB writers
• Other classes can be found at Kidlit411’s Writing Courses page

CONFERENCES

Pre-pandemic, I loved connecting with writers through conferences. Most have moved online. A few favorites:

• Big Sur Children's Writers Workshops. Andrea Brown Literary Agency, one of the premier agencies repping kid lit, holds conferences where agents and editors lead small critique workshops with aspiring authors. I met my wonderful agent, Jennifer March Soloway, in a Big Sur workshop.
• Better Books Marin  - an excellent craft-based workshop for MG & YA novelists
• SCBWI regional conferences (Mid-Atlantic, NESCBWI are great)
• For more, check out Kidlit411's Conferences, Workshops & Retreats

CRITIQUE GROUPS/PARTNERS

The best way to improve your craft is to get honest feedback. Some places to find CPs:

• Kidlit411 Manuscript Swap – a Facebook group where kid lit writers find people to read their works, from PB to YA
• Kidlit411 Illustrators Critique Swap – a FB group for illustrators to connect
• Sub It Club Critique Partner matchup – a FB group for writers (all age categories)
• SCBWI Blue Boards - discussion & critique forum

CONTESTS & MENTORSHIPS

A great way to connect with others is by entering contests or applying for mentorships and supporting fellow applicants. For example:

• Pitch Wars – this past Fall, a group of middle grade applicants to Pitch Wars found each other & became friends (Malia Maunakea wrote about it at #mgwaves -Building Community). They meet online and share resources, critiques, and support. In the short time they’ve been together, they’ve celebrated 2 people getting into Pitch Wars, 1 getting another mentor, and 2 signing with agents). 
• Author Mentor Match – AMM applicants can connect in the FB group, AMM Hopefuls to share tips, query critiques & more. AMM also hosts Twitter gatherings like #AskAMM or #AMMparty. (A new round application period opens Jan. 11-14)
• Nevada SCBWI Mentorship - for PB, MG, YA authors (applications open until Jan 31)
• We Need Diverse Books - mentorships for authors from traditionally unrepresented groups (applications open in Oct)
• Twitter pitch parties – #Pitmad, #PBpitch, #DVpit, #SFFpit, #KidLitGN are just a few pitch pitches where people can make friends while pitching their work  
• For more, check out the Kidlit411's Contests & Awards  or Mentor Programs

COMMUNITIES
Here are some of my favorite creative communities: 

• Kidlit411 – my friend Elaine Kiely Kearns had an idea 7 years ago to gather articles and resources for children’s writers and illustrators. I joined her and together we made a website (now with 1000s of links and 100s of interviews), a Facebook group of over 11,500 members, and more.  
• 12x12 – a paid community of picture book writers with monthly webinars and a private forum to exchange critiques and information. 
• Debut author groups – when authors and illustrators sign contracts for traditional publication, debut year groups form, typically divided between PB and MG/YA creators. These groups have public sites as well as private groups, and are a repository of shared information and support. Some 2021 debut groups include: The 21ders (MG/YA); 21 for the Books(PB), Forever 21 (PB), and new ones are being formed. If you're a MG/YA/adult debut in 2022, ask me about the #22Debuts Slack group. 
• Others: Storystorm (30 PB ideas in January), #ColourCollective (weekly illustration prompt); Sub It Club (FB group for writers on sub to agents); On Submission (FB group for agented authors on sub to publishers)  
• My college roommate, who writes in the adult space, recently discussed a community, Creative Caffeine, that sounds intriguing

 Final Thoughts
Finding community doesn't require a huge group. Having just a couple good writing friends and CPs can be enough. So much of building connections is informal. I've made friends on Twitter (one of my new author friends and I bonded over our love of Battleship Galactica), giving feedback to applicants to AMM or PW, doing writing sprints in Slack groups, and more.  

Also, don't get hung up with connecting with people who may be "important" or who could help you in your journey. The people who will grow with you are truly the best networks. In August I wrote about my PB critique group & how we all started out unpublished and un-agented and now most of us are both. (I connected with them 8 years ago after seeing the FB posts of a writer who seemed to be my twin in outlook on life - Teresa R! - I asked her if she was in a writing group, and the rest was history).
​

To read more from my January newsletter​, including a roundup of my favorite 2020 reads, go to The Secret to Networking: The Four C's. To receive notice of new content, subscribe to my newsletter:

For some time, I've wanted to share tips for researching and querying agents based on my experience and what I've gleaned from friends, authors, mentors, and years of compiling articles for Kidlit411. For the basics, check out YA author Angie Thomas's recent Twitter thread and Kidlit411's Submissions: Agents & Editors and Query Letters.

Today I'll give some advanced tips for finding good agents, a smart query strategy, and due diligence once you get an offer. Three resources are especially helpful: Query Tracker (QT), Publishers Marketplace (PM), and Twitter. QT has a free version, but the paid subscription ($25/yr) gives you more powerful tools. PM is pricey, but it's worth paying the monthly fee ($25) once during the month you're researching agents. 


Be sure to enter my query + 10-page (or full PB ms under 1000 words) critique giveaway below! 


How to Find Agents to Query
1. Make an Initial List: Your first step is to identify agents who represent the types of stories you write. Some sources: Query Tracker (search by genre, category & who's open to subs); Manuscript Wish List (website that compiles agent wishlists); Literary Rambles (interviews with kid lit agents); my Twitter list of kid lit agents; Heather Ayris Burnell's Monster List of Picture Book Agents; market survey books (like Writer's Market 2020 or SCBWI's The Book); and more listed in Kidlit411's Submissions page.

 

• HOT TIP: to find out your favorite author's agent, check their website, Twitter profile, acknowledgements in their books, or PM or Publishers Weekly sale announcements

2. Narrow down the list: To find agents who might be a good fit, read interviews, search #MSWL on Twitter (agents post wishlists using this hashtag), follow agents on Twitter, attend conferences or workshops (if possible), and ask fellow authors. 

 

• HOT TIP: Narrow your #MSWL Twitter search with additional terms. For example, search #MSWL #MG to find agents looking for MG, or #MSWL #OWN to find agents looking for own voices work. Other hashtags: #A #YA #PB #BVM (Black voices matter),#SF #SFF #F #H #LGBT #DIS #ND #MH etc. 

 

• HOT TIP: In PM, look at an agent's sales to make sure they represent your genre and age category, and the types of books you admire.  

 

• HOT TIP: Attending workshops with agents is a great way to get professional feedback and make a personal connection. In addition to paid critiques at conferences, excellent venues include: Inked Voices (small classes where you receive feedback from classmates & agent/editor faculty); Andrea Brown Literary Agency's Big Sur Children's Writers Workshops (how I met my agent); Better Books Marin (MG & YA)

 

• SUPER COOL HOT TIP: if you didn't get many #Pitmad likes, or if you didn't even participate, Author Isabel L. recommends looking at successful tweets with similar themes or stories and using the likes to identify agents who might be interested in your story.

3. Weed out schmagents: Sometimes you'll run across an agent who is predatory (e.g.charges fees); does not adhere to acceptable practices (e.g. pitches clients in a mass email); or is simply not that good (e.g. at an agency that has a reputation for training agents poorly or worked many years with few sales). To find out whether an agent is legit: 

 

• HOT TIP: Check Writer's Beware (SFWA site warning of specific agents & agencies as well as general articles); Absolute Write Water Cooler; agent reviews on Query Tracker (the reviews also give a sense of how quickly agents respond and their form rejection language; available in the free version of QT).

 

• HOT TIP: On PM, look at how long an agent has been in business and how many sales they report (this is not a perfect metric because many agents don't report all sales; it's ok if an agent has few sales in the first couple years as it takes time to build up a list). Look at the publishers they sell to: if they are mostly smaller or digital publishers that accept un-agented submissions, that may be a sign the agent doesn't have the connections or ability to sell to larger publishers. (See Alexa Dunne's video: 7 Signs of a Bad Literary Agent)

 

• If the agent is newer, are they with an established and legitimate agency? If yes, they are likely getting good mentorship. Does the agent have prior industry (publishing, editing, agenting) experience? (See agent Jennifer Laughran's Q&A on identifying a schmagent)

 

• HOT TIP:   Check the whisper network: writers share intel. This is trickier if you aren't plugged in, but reach out to author networks to ask about specific agents/agencies to avoid. Many writer cohorts (like mentor programs or Sub It Club on FB) will share this kind of info. In the past few years, there have been a few high profile instances of bad actors.

A Smart Query Strategy Many have given this advice, and it works: query in small batches (7-10) agents at a time. Wait to hear (or not) from them and revise your query package accordingly. Radio silence means your query or first pages need work and champagne rejections can help you revise. Once you get requests for partials and fulls, be patient and wait for feedback to see if you need to revise your manuscript before the next round. The idea is to improve your query and manuscript until you land an agent. 

Specifically:

• HOT TIP: Send to a mix of your top and medium choices in each round. You don't want to blow your shot with all your favorite agents with an early, ineffective query.

 

• HOT TIP: Send your first round to a small group of quick responders to gauge the effectiveness of your query package (thanks Alexa Donne for this tip: The Best Way to Query Your Book).This is where a paid QT subscription comes in handy. For each agent, queriers track when they query & when they receive a reply. Logging your own query lets you know where it is in the queue and how soon the agent might get to it. For example, here's a timeline of a fast-responding agent (green=request):​

(Note: QT only tracks queries self-reported by other QT users; as a result, it's a partial window into an agent's in box).

The point of this strategy is to not blow your chances by sending your first, possibly ineffective query to all of the agents on your list. If they all result in rejections or radio-silence, that manuscript is rendered effectively un-queryable and you won't know what needed work, your query or your manuscript. Bottom line:

If at first you don't succeed, at least fail smarter.

The key to this strategy is PATIENCE. I know how tempting it is to send a query out sooner than a manuscript is ready (I've done this!). By using this strategy and revising based on feedback, you will get to a point where your query package is strong enough to consistently get requests. At that point, you can query more widely (or at least make sure your top choices have your query, because it's bad form to send new queries once you receive an offer). While you're waiting to hear back, work on your next project.
 Due Diligence
When you get an offer, it's time to dig even deeper and do your due diligence.The first step is to have a call with the agent to get to know them better and find out if you might be compatible (e.g. Beyond the Basics for the Agent Call, 10 Questions to Ask When Offered Representation by a Literary Agent). As part of that call, ask for client references and contact them.  

• HOT TIP: It's worth reaching out to clients not specifically recommended by the agent. Since this is your long-term career, it's important to talk with a representative sample of clients. Most authors are amenable to answering questions when approached politely and if you're respectful of their time. 

 

• HOT TIP: You can find clients an agent represents through PM, and also through a Twitter search. Search the agent's handle, then click "People." This will list all the people whose Twitter bios include the agent's handle. You might even discover you're already mutuals with some of those authors.

 
FINAL NOTE: All of this takes time and patience and assumes your manuscript is ready to query (get critiques & revise!). The more carefully you research an agent at all stages, the more likely you'll get a positive outcome. 
 

My two big takeaways from reading these applications are (1) it's all so subjective and (2) beginnings are important: 

1. It's all so subjective. 

Authors have heard this over and over, but now I know how true it is. Aside from a small handful of manuscripts where the writing just wasn't ready (like 1%), the vast majority of pages I read had the basic writing craft down. So what made some stories stand out (to me) more than others? The top reasons I was drawn to a story:

• The Premise was Compelling. I was drawn to the story idea. It was hooky, unique, twisty, or reminded me of my favorite middle grade stories. I read so many beautifully-written beginnings, but I didn't request more pages when the story premise or plot didn't grab me at the moment.  

• The voice stood out. Voice is a nebulous "I know it when I see it" concept. For me, it was when the personality of the narrator and the character popped off the page, whether due to a turn of phrase, humor, word choices, or a unique world view.

 

• The main character was engaging. Similar to voice, when a character felt real and well rounded and popped off the page, I wanted to read more.

 

• I kept thinking about the story. Something ineffable about a story spoke to me more deeply than another and I thought about the character or the story long after reading it.

Another way to think about this is an analogy I made on Twitter to picking a favorite food:

To read more from my November 2020 newsletter, check out out the full post: What I've Learned as a Pitch Wars Mentor  and or sign up to receive email updates of future newletters.

Hello writers! 
​
I'm so excited to be a Pitch Wars middle grade mentor for 2020. I'm open to middle grade sci-fi, contemporary, and fantasy, as well as graphic novels and illustrated novels. I have a particular interest in #ownvoices from marginalized identities. 

Wait... What is Pitch Wars?

Pitch Wars is a mentoring program where published/agented authors, editors, or industry interns choose one writer each to spend three months revising their manuscript. It ends in February with an Agent Showcase, where agents can read a pitch/first page and can request to read more. Writers can apply to four mentors with a query, synopsis, and first chapter.


What I'm Looking For

I want to be entertained, moved, and shown a world I haven't before. Your manuscript doesn't have to be perfect, but it will show significant promise in premise, voice, and craft and leave me with all the feels. I lean towards commercial and high concept (with an emotional core) rather than literary and quiet.

Give me quirky kids, coming of age, and friendship and family stories. Social justice and environmental themes are great, as long as they are not preachy. Make me laugh, make me cry, or better yet, make me do both. Some favorites:

• immigration stories like Front Desk by Kelly Yang
• Stand Up Yumi Chung by Jessica Kim
• graphic novel memoirs like New Kid by Jerry Craft, Real Friends by Shannon Hale, Be Prepared by Vera Brosgol 
• entertaining environmental stories like Hoot by Carl Hiassan 
• STEM-themed stories like The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

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I'm a former environmental attorney turned middle grade and picture book author (with a detour as a children's illustrator). I was born in Chicago to Chinese immigrant parents and grew up in Caracas, Venezuela (my languages in descending order of proficiency are English, Spanish, and Mandarin). I came back to the U.S. for college and law school, and my ten-year legal career (appellate, legislative, and policy work) focused on marine conservation, environmental justice, and Native American rights and tribal sovereignty. I quit the law to become a children's illustrator, which led to writing picture books and middle grade. 

My books include:

• Hana Hsu and the Ghost Crab Nation (Razorbill/PRH 2022) (upper MG sci-fi): in a near future where teens' brains are connected to the multiweb, a girl uncovers a high tech conspiracy that may involve her mom at the helm. 
• Manatee's Best Friend (Scholastic 2021) (contemporary MG): a girl must overcome shyness and an accidental viral video to save her manatee and dolphin friends while making new friends of her own
• A Morning with Grandpa, illustrated by Christina Forshay (Lee & Low Books 2016) (PB): a young girl and her grandfather teach each other yoga and tai chi, but each are bad at the other thing

I co-run the kid lit resource website, Kidlit411 and am represented by Jennifer March Soloway of Andrea Brown Agency.


What a Mentorship Would Look Like

I've been lucky to have mentors and teachers who've helped me throughout my writing career and I want to give back and help others achieve their writing dreams.

When I began writing novels seven years ago, I threw myself into classes, conferences, and found critique partners. I became a mentee in Author Mentor Match (AMM) in Spring 2018 for my upper MG sci-fi novel, which landed me my agent, Jennifer March Soloway, in January 2019. Since then, she has sold two of my middle grade novels, including my AMM novel. I continue to learn from my critique partners (published and pre-published MG and YA authors) and an advanced writing studio at The Muse Writers Center in Norfolk, Virginia.

This year, I've been mentoring a middle grade graphic novel through Author Mentor Match (ultra-talented Annette Hashitate), and last year I mentored a high school writer through The Muse.

Writing novels can be hard and lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. I’ve learned you can build a community that will help you grow as a writer and be there for you through the wonderful highs and frustrating slogs and disappointments. Having a professional a bit ahead of you in the creative journey believe in your work wholeheartedly and spend time to work with your whole novel is an incredible gift. Sometimes that’s all you need to push you to the next level, and I hope to do that for someone.
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How I Mentor

As a mentor, I will do everything I can to help you achieve your story vision. I’ll provide an edit letter gushing about the things I love and sharing big picture feedback (character and narrative arcs, themes and conflicts, plot holes, pacing, etc.), and craft tips and line edits if needed. We’ll tailor the mentorship to your preferred working style (whether it’s email or phone calls or carrier pigeons) and figure out a revision plan. I’ll do a second round read/review and work with you on your query and pitch for the Agent Showcase. 

I started writing novels as a pantser but have since learned to do some strategic planning at the outset while leaving room for fun and creativity. I’ll share these tips (worksheets may be involved!) and work hard for you, and we’ll hopefully have fun through it all.

Having been published as a picture book author and co-running Kidlit411 (and moderating the associated 10,000+ member Facebook group), I'm familiar with marketing and social media and can help you navigate that aspect of publishing as well.


My Ideal Mentee

Your story doesn’t have to be perfect; it can be a grand, weird mess, but you’re passionate about it and believe in it. You’re not afraid to work hard and make major structural changes if needed. You are flexible enough to take constructive criticism and you’ve had experience receiving and implementing writing feedback. When you receive critiques, you don't take them personally. If I pick you, I absolutely believe you can get your work ready to query and land an agent. 

My criteria for picking a mentee will be: 

• I love your story
• Your writing holds significant promise in premise, voice, and craft
• I have a clear vision how I can help elevate the manuscript to the next level 

P.S. Don't self-reject! Unlike the agent querying process, I don't expect query-ready manuscripts. The point of the Pitch Wars mentorship is to get you there.

Hope to see you in my in box!

f you have any questions, leave them in the comments below or use my contact form.

Hope to see you in my in box!

P.P.S. I will be online at a MG #AskMentor chat on Twitter on Thursday, Sept. 17, 8 p.m. EST, and at an all-mentors chat on Saturday, Sept. 26, 4 p.m. EST.
 


Pitch Wars 2020 Middle Grade Mentors' Wish Lists

1. K.C. Held and Shana Targosz
2. Jessica Vitalis and Julie Artz
3. Erin Entrada Kelly
4. Rochelle Hassan
5. George Jreije and Long Quan Nguyen
6. Lisa Moore Ramee
7. Sofiya Pasternack
8. Sylvia Liu
9. Rebecca Petruck
10. Rajani LaRocca and Remy Lai
11. Reese Eschmann and Christina Li
12. TJ Ohler
13. Darlene P. Campos
14. Gail D. Villanueva
15. Chad Lucas
16. Shakirah Bourne
17. Eric Bell
18. Kim Long and Jennifer L. Brown
19. Adrianna Cuevas and Sarah Kapit

Click here to view all Pitch Wars 2020 Mentors' Wish Lists

It's strange to celebrate good publishing news during this difficult time, but I've had some incredibly good fortune recently: a book deal, cover reveal, paperback news, and the wonderful kid lit community. Read more about all of this at my regular blog, Sylvia Liu Land: Creative Life During a Pandemic & Publishing News.

Over on my regular blog, Sylvia Liu Land, I wrote about my good news in 2019 (landing an amazing agent, a published poem, and a middle grade book deal): 2019 Wrap Up: Book News and a Giveaway of 2020 Releases. To celebrate, I'm giving away a choice of TWO of the above highly-anticipated 2020 releases (PB, MG, and YA).  Check out that link to enter to win, or you can also use this Rafflecopter widget below.