PB RISING STARS MENTORSHIP

One of my New Year’s resolutions for 2024 was to volunteer more. Either at my kid’s school or with non-profits we support as a family, I was determined to give back; so when I was invited to apply to be a PB Rising Stars mentor this year, I decided to go for it. 🌟

But what is PB Rising Stars Mentorship? According to PB Rising Stars website, this is “a program created by Kailei Pew and Ebony Lynn Mudd which pairs agented picture book creators that are knowledgeable about querying, author-agent relationships, being on submission, book deals, and contract language, with the next generation of children’s book creators for an immersive, three-month, one-on-one mentorship experience that is more than just a critique”.

The mentor application took time to fill out. There were several questions that made me think about how far I’ve come in my writing journey and the things I’ve learned since I started. I also had to think about the type of stories I want to work on with my mentee, and the ways in which I consider I can support them.

To be honest, it took me several days to complete the process. I wanted to be certain that I could make a difference by sharing my experience. As you may know, I was unagented when Santiago’s Dinosaurios book deal came to be. I remember how excited I was, but at the same time I felt anxious because there was a lot I didn’t know about the publishing industry. Fortunately back then, and even today, I’ve had the support of writer friends and critique partners who’ve been there for me along the way. Additionally, I’ve also had the opportunity to learn from different people who are more experienced than me, and that’s been a game changer. From my agent and writing coaches, to other authors and my editors, I’ve been growing as writer every day by learning from others. The kidlit writing community is so giving, and I’m so grateful for the opportunities I’ve received so far.

After some days waiting for the selection, I received an email with the notification that I’ve been accepted as a mentor, which was another wonderful milestone for me and now it’s my turn to be there for someone else. To be the person who can provide feedback or advice, who may have some answers to publishing questions (based on my experience), and who can be a companion in the path to publication for a fellow writer.

I’m looking forward to having an unforgettable experience this summer, not only working 1-1 with my mentee but also by learning more about the business side of publishing from other mentors and from Kailei and Ebony, through the workshops they’ll be offering. I love that this mentorship also represents a chance for me to keep learning and growing as a writer myself.

I’m so thankful for Ebony and Kailei for including me in such an amazing group of talented creators. I’m happy to be accepting applications from unagented authors starting on March 18th and until April 4th. I encourage latin and marginalized creators to apply, since for me it’s important to promote diversity, inclusion, and representation in the books that children read. I want them to see themselves in stories in which they get to be the main characters. I wish to be part of that change through my books and I want to support others who want to do it too. However, I’m also open to other authors and stories if I consider that I can help make them stronger, so if you think we could be a good fit, please don’t hesitate to apply.

If you want to know more about this mentorship, please visit PB Rising Stars website. There you’ll get to know more about how this program came to be and the experience of past mentor and mentees. You’ll also be able to meet all the mentors for 2024 and find the links to the applications.

I invite you to check out my mentor page, in which you’ll find more information about me, the type of stories I’d like to work on with my mentee, my reference wishlist, as well as what I’m looking for in a mentee. If you think you and I could be a good fit, please apply. I’ll be honored to read your work and get to know more about you through your application. I’m so excited!

Finally, I want to wish everyone applying for this mentorship the best of luck 🍀. Take your time to write the best application you can, be specific, know what you want from this experience, and believe in yourselves. I’m rooting for you!

“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
–Pelé

Thanks for reading,

M

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Cover photo by Alexander Grey.