Welcome, Mónica! We're super excited to be interviewing you today! Do tell! How did you find your way to becoming a kidlit author?
I have always known I wanted to be an author, but my love of kidlit really blossomed after my daughter was born. We spent countless hours reading and exploring our local libraries. I found myself suddenly bubbling over with picture book ideas of my own. I joined the Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) in 2017 and began attending conferences and critique groups in order to learn more about both craft and the business of publishing. In 2018, I won the Andrea J. Loney Mentorship that was hosted by my region of SCBWI. That same year, I connected with my agent through #DVpit, an annual Twitter pitching event for un-agented, self-identifying historically marginalized authors and illustrators. In early 2019, after a few short rounds of revision, my agent sent my debut picture book Mariana and Her Familia out on submission. The book quickly sold at auction, and I officially became a kidlit author!
Your first book sold in auction?! That is amazing!!! Mariana and Her Familia won some honors this past year, didn't it?
It did! School Library Journal named it a Best Picture Book of 2022. Booklist gave it a starred review, and it received a Junior Library Guild Gold Star!
Wowsie! So, what inspired you to write your debut middle-grade novel, Sing it Like Celia?
Sing it Like Celia was inspired by both my younger sister’s experiences navigating the unexpected disappearance of her mother from her life and my own experiences growing up with parents who were divorced. In writing the book, I strived to empower children confronting similar challenges to speak up for themselves and set healthy boundaries with the people in their lives. It was also a delight to incorporate my own love of music (and, specifically, legendary salsa singer Celia Cruz) into the book. I grew up singing in choirs and playing the piano, and for a long time was an avid salsa dancer. Music was a way through for so much of my life that I felt it important to give young readers the inspiration to use their own gifts as a means of self-expression and inner strength.
Sounds like a project of the heart, to be sure! So, who acquired Sing It Like Celia, and how did it get acquired?
I had just sold my picture book How to Speak in Spanglish to Elizabeth Lee at Penguin Workshop, when my agent mentioned to her my interest in writing IP (essentially, work for hire). Elizabeth was new to the imprint and, in building her list, was extremely excited to work on contemporary MG fiction featuring marginalized voices. However, she felt it important that her authors retain copyright and receive a standard advance and royalties, so rather than IP, she offered to work with me on what she called “proactive publishing” terms. We set up a call to discuss ideas and I submitted sample pages and a detailed outline.
Elizabeth and her team were so enthusiastic about the book, that they offered me a two-book deal! Not only was I thrilled to be working with Penguin (a dream publisher in my eyes), but working with Elizabeth has been absolute perfection. I could not be happier that this book is being written under her direction and can’t wait to work on book two!
A two-book deal?! This just keeps getting better and better! Thanks again for sharing your kidlit journey up to this point. We're looking forward to learning more about Sing It Like Celia soon!
Happy to be here!