(C) Grace Lin. BIG MOONCAKE FOR LITTLE STAR (Little Brown Books for Young Readers, 2018)
My Mama's Chicken & Dumplings Mentor!
Alvina, thanks so much for allowing me to interview you!
Delighted to oblige!
First question for you. Despite being an über busy vice-president and editor-in-chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, why did you decide to volunteer your time to mentor a children's book author from a diverse background, even without knowing if the manuscript you chose from the selections you received from The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary would ultimately be publishable?
I have worked my whole career trying to bring diverse voices to children's books. As an industry we are working really hard to publish books written and illustrated by authors and illustrators from all walks of life. So when I heard about working as a mentor with The Word, a non-profit whose vision aligns with my own, I felt like it was something I wanted to be involved in. Actually, I wanted other Little Brown editors to get on board, too, and they were happy to do so. Aside from critiquing at SCBWI conferences, I was also really interested in seeing how a mentor-mentee relationship worked.
So very generous of your time, Alvina! Okay, here's question two. (Admittedly, this question makes me feel awkward since I'm way more comfortable highlighting the work of other kidlit authors and illustrators, but if I don't ask it, I won't have much of an interview, will I. So here goes.) Why did you choose to mentor me and my middle-grade manuscript Mama's Chicken & Dumplings?
I was presented with three choices. As I read the first fifty pages of each middle grade, I was looking for something that had the most potential. A manuscript I could help. I fell in love with the voice and the characters found in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings. I responded to it. Even if this manuscript is not the one that gets published, perhaps this kick will bring its author to the next manuscript that will.
Ha-Ha! I believe its author appreciates the editor's kick. Okay, here's my last question for you. Why would you encourage other editors in the children's book community to carve out time from their busy schedules to mentor writers from all walks of life?
If editors are serious about bringing a range of inclusive books for readers from diverse backgrounds, then there's nothing quite like getting involved in mentoring like this.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Alvina. But I really have to go now. I've got a manuscript to revise, and I'm in the midst of obsessing over chapter one.
Happy to stop by! But chapter one? Really? Do we need another kick?
A chocolate-covered truffle kick might do the trick.
Delighted to oblige!
First question for you. Despite being an über busy vice-president and editor-in-chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, why did you decide to volunteer your time to mentor a children's book author from a diverse background, even without knowing if the manuscript you chose from the selections you received from The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary would ultimately be publishable?
I have worked my whole career trying to bring diverse voices to children's books. As an industry we are working really hard to publish books written and illustrated by authors and illustrators from all walks of life. So when I heard about working as a mentor with The Word, a non-profit whose vision aligns with my own, I felt like it was something I wanted to be involved in. Actually, I wanted other Little Brown editors to get on board, too, and they were happy to do so. Aside from critiquing at SCBWI conferences, I was also really interested in seeing how a mentor-mentee relationship worked.
So very generous of your time, Alvina! Okay, here's question two. (Admittedly, this question makes me feel awkward since I'm way more comfortable highlighting the work of other kidlit authors and illustrators, but if I don't ask it, I won't have much of an interview, will I. So here goes.) Why did you choose to mentor me and my middle-grade manuscript Mama's Chicken & Dumplings?
I was presented with three choices. As I read the first fifty pages of each middle grade, I was looking for something that had the most potential. A manuscript I could help. I fell in love with the voice and the characters found in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings. I responded to it. Even if this manuscript is not the one that gets published, perhaps this kick will bring its author to the next manuscript that will.
Ha-Ha! I believe its author appreciates the editor's kick. Okay, here's my last question for you. Why would you encourage other editors in the children's book community to carve out time from their busy schedules to mentor writers from all walks of life?
If editors are serious about bringing a range of inclusive books for readers from diverse backgrounds, then there's nothing quite like getting involved in mentoring like this.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Alvina. But I really have to go now. I've got a manuscript to revise, and I'm in the midst of obsessing over chapter one.
Happy to stop by! But chapter one? Really? Do we need another kick?
A chocolate-covered truffle kick might do the trick.
Photo: Maggie Edkins Alvina Ling is a founding member and former chair of the Children’s Book Council's Diversity Committee. She has a particular passion for books with diverse characters and themes. She's also a sucker for books that feel completely unique, books that can make make her both laugh and sob, and books that can be described (in all seriousness) as "important." She started her career at Little Brown for Young Readers in 1999, and currently oversees their core picture book, middle grade, and young adult lists. You can hear her speaking on life and all kinds of kidlit topics with her lifelong friend and award-winning author-illustrator, Grace Lin, on their Book Friends Forever podcast.
(C) Grace Lin
Alvina and Dionna's editor-writer mentorship program is sponsored by The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary. The program pairs four aspiring writers from underrepresented groups with an experienced editor who provides substantive feedback to help raise their already strong manuscripts to their best position for submission to potential agents and editors.
The program offers each author an opportunity to gain knowledge from experienced acquiring editors. It does not, however, guarantee publication. It is free of cost to the authors due to the generosity of the volunteer editors. Learn more about The Word's 2019 mentorship program HERE and read a PW Bookshelf article about it HERE.
The program offers each author an opportunity to gain knowledge from experienced acquiring editors. It does not, however, guarantee publication. It is free of cost to the authors due to the generosity of the volunteer editors. Learn more about The Word's 2019 mentorship program HERE and read a PW Bookshelf article about it HERE.
Illustrations are used with permission from the publisher.
