This month we invite, Swapna Haddow, award-winning author to share insights about trying new things, saying Yes and diversifying your skill set.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to speak at a writers’ clinic for aspiring children’s writers. One question has been playing on my mind ever since: should I write the picture book even though I’m being asked to write another YA by a publisher?
My answer at the time was ‘yes’. Mainly because I personally find that if a story is nagging me to write it, I have to write it before I can move on and start something else.
But it got me thinking about diversifying as an author.
It’s more common than not for publishers to pigeonhole their writers. Readers come to expect certain books of certain authors and it helps build readership which in turn helps sell books. But is this pigeonholing useful to the author?
This year, with a bumper crop of eight books out, I had everything from a picture book to a middle grade fiction to reading schemes to children’s non-fiction on the bookshelves.
But it was only a few years ago that I was struggling to shake my young series fiction label. Don’t get me wrong, I love writing young fiction: it’s where I’m most comfortable. But as a writer who was still very much in the early stages of her career, I wanted to flex my writing muscles and dabble in writing for other age groups.
I wanted to know what I could do and what I wanted my work to say about me.
My agent knew my wish list included picture-books and non-fiction, but we were hitting walls trying to find homes for work I had out on submission. It felt to me that the feedback from publishers was they wanted more of my funny young fiction. I was starting to think perhaps they were right. I did young fiction and I’m pretty sure I did it well but that didn’t mean I’d be able to write anything else well and publishing wasn’t willing to take a punt on that.
We ploughed on anyway. My agent saw something in me that I was starting to lose sight of, and she eventually found me opportunities to meet with editors to showcase what I could do. Soon enough, some brave editors took me on, and I was working on picture-books, a middle grade historical fiction, and I also had a non-fiction book in the pipeline.
As publication day approached, the nerves took over and I honestly wished I hadn’t stepped away from the safety of young fiction. I was terrified my peers might think I was treading on their toes, and I was all too aware as a writer of colour the pressure to do well at all times.
If a writer of colour fails, it weighs heavy that we might give the industry the justification to stop offering shelf space to other writers of colour.
I think I surprised readers and fellow authors when my non-young fiction books came out. I remember the sinking feeling I had when I saw one of the first reviews for my historical fiction MG that said, ‘I think the book is interesting but if you're expecting Dave Pigeon, think again.’
While I appreciated the five-star review I felt so guilty that in some way I had misled my readers. Was this deviation from young series fiction going to lose me my readership?
It was only once I returned to writing young fiction that I realised I had actually done my readers a favour.
In diversifying the kinds of books, I was writing, I had learnt new skills.
My ideas felt fresh again having taken a break to write new things, and my confidence in myself as a writer had grown. I’d learnt new disciplines - each genre has its own set of skills to master. Even my workshops for young writers felt fuller with all the new knowledge I had to share.
And let’s face it, there is only so much space on the shelf for young fiction and advances for these books aren’t huge – if I hadn’t diversified when I had, it would be mighty hard to keep the lights on at home. Ultimately my answer to diversifying as a writer is ‘YES’.
Don’t let publishers pigeonhole you.
Stretch those creative muscles. Your readers will be loyal and new readers will find you. Don’t do yourself and your readers a disservice by staying where you are comfortable.
Swapna Haddow is a prize-winning children's writer. Nowadays, Swapna Haddow lives with her husband, son and their dog in New Zealand. Follow her on Twitter here.