That Thing About Author & Illustrator Supriya Kelkar: Persistence!

For my latest author Q&A, I interviewed Supriya Kelkar. I worked with Supriya on her middle grade novel AHIMSA back in 2015, when she had yet to land an agent or publish, but Supriya is now the author of nine children's books, with three more forthcoming! Learn about her inspiring road to publication here.

To begin, tell us a little about your first published book, AHIMSA, and what inspired you to write it.

AHIMSA is the story of a privileged girl named Anjali whose mother joins Gandhi's non-violent freedom movement. When her mother is arrested, Anjali must confront her privilege and make sure their little part of the freedom movement is completed.

I was inspired by my great-grandmother to write this story. She was a freedom fighter who answered Gandhi's call for families to give one member each to the movement. She went on to become one of India's first female congresswomen after independence. I wanted to shine a light on her story but realized over 14 years of drafts on this book that the story would be more interesting if it was about a child who wasn't already a believer in everything it took to become free and had room to grow, and that's how the story came to be.

Soon after we worked together, you entered AHIMSA in Lee & Low’s New Visions Award writing contest. How did winning this contest affect your writing career? Is this how you found your agent at Andrea Brown Literary Agency?

I had written the first draft of AHIMSA in 2003 and found out it won the New Visions Award in 2016, shortly after we worked together. Over the 13 years of revising this book and the dozens of other books I wrote, I had been querying agents and had hundreds and hundreds of rejection letters. After I found out I won, I queried again and this time reached out to an agent at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, who ended up liking my work, and the rest is history!

 Do you have any tips on entering writing contests? Do you think this is generally a good way to get one’s foot in the door? Or was Lee & Low’s contest exceptionally well run, at least in the way that it aligned with your writing goals?

I'm not familiar with any book writing contests other than Lee & Low's. So my advice would be to make sure the contest you're entering is with a reputable place. I was very lucky to find that in Lee & Low and am grateful to have a home for many of my books with them. For me, it was the only way I was able to get my foot in the door. Their New Visions and New Voices awards run once a year, so I encourage writers to learn more about their rules and deadlines!

You’ve now published nine books (!) since 2017, with three more forthcoming. How do you balance all this work? Do you brainstorm a new story each time one is published? Or have some of these projects been percolating for some time?

I am constantly working on multiple projects at once. I think it is a great way to combat writer's block and learn about other projects while working in different mediums. 

You began your publishing career as a middle grade author but have gone on to write and/or illustrate picture books as well. Has it been challenging to work in these different categories, and were publishing professionals wary about your shift? (Most early-career writers are encouraged to focus on one category to establish their brand.)

I was lucky enough to only have encouragement for the various formats I wanted to work in thanks to my agent and editors. I was also fortunate to have wonderful art directors and editors who helped me learn so much about illustrating on my first two illustration projects, AMERICAN DESI by Jyoti Rajan Gopal, and MY DIWALI LIGHT by Raakhee Mirchandani.

Your bio indicates that you are also a screenwriter. How does screenwriting fit in with novel writing, picture book writing, and picture book illustrating? Do you have any screenplays in the works?

I use a three-act screenplay structure whenever I'm plotting out my novels. My background in screenwriting helps me see my story visually and concentrate on pacing and tension. I do have a few screenplays in the works and hope to be able to share more about them in the future!

You actively promote your books through signings, school visits, and on social media, including Instagram and Twitter. Do you think that, to have a competitive edge in the publishing industry today, writers must be as dedicated to book promotion as they are to their craft?

Yes, absolutely! It took me a while to understand just how much an author has to market themselves, but it is vital to getting the word out about your books and making connections. Social media is the easiest way for me to be able to form those connections to the educators who introduce my books to young readers. I'd say on most days, half my workday is spent on book promotion and half is writing and illustrating.

Can you share any advice to writers in the query trenches who have yet to land an agent or book deal? 

Always remember the importance of revisions and not being attached to your work. AHIMSA had countless drafts over the decade-plus it took to get it to a good enough place to be published. If I had been attached to my words at any point along the process, I wouldn't be here today as a traditionally published author.