Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Dunlap
Hi Sydney, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I was an elementary school teacher for a long time and always had the dream of one day writing books for kids. I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and studied the craft of writing for years, and I worked on a variety of manuscripts. After I became aware of the crime of human trafficking and began volunteering in the fight against it, I learned that kids ages 11-14 are often targeted, especially online. Realizing there was a gap in literature addressing this important topic, I decided to write a middle grade novel that would incorporate themes of social media safety in an age-appropriate and kid-friendly way. My book, IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, was picked up by an agent and then a publisher, and it has now received several awards and was recently named the Foreword Indies Book of the Year Silver Medalist for Juvenile Fiction. It was also selected as an all-community read in Loudoun County, VA, featured as an OLA Masterlist Selection, and is the 2024 Crystal Kite Award Honor Book in the TX/OK division. I’m honored and grateful that my book has been so well-received and appreciate all the public speaking opportunities that have come with this to help raise awareness of the issues addressed. I’m excited to share that my next book, RACING THE CLOUDS, which addresses the opioid crisis, is scheduled to release in February 2025.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I heard early on in my writing journey that the odds of an aspiring author getting their work published is one to two percent. I also found out that of the small percentage of writers who do ultimately get a book traditionally published, it often takes at least ten years of study, writing, and rewriting before they get a contract. That seemed to be a very long time to me, and I didn’t see how it could possibly be the case. But looking back, it took me closer to fifteen years! I attended Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators conferences, became a volunteer, then a leader in the organization, attended writing workshops on setting, character, dialogue, plot, first chapters, voice, you name it — and worked my way from form rejection letters, to personalized responses, to requests to see more work, then to an offer of representation from an agent, which ultimately led to a lot more writing and rewriting, but eventually, a book contract.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I write upper middle grade novels addressing “tough” topics in a heartfelt, hopeful way, helping young readers to develop empathy and resilience. Kirkus Reviews featured IT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY as a title that promotes mental health in kids and called this novel “a powerful work.” I’m happy that I was able to take a very difficult subject and handle it in a way that would be engaging to readers with a likable, relatable main character who they’d care about and root for from the very beginning. I tried to walk the line carefully between how far to go in the narrative and what would be most appropriate for my readership, and I’m thrilled to have received such positive feedback from so many readers about how this was accomplished. I was honored to have my book listed on School Library Journal’s Mock Newbery list, along with the other awards and recognitions the novel has received, but mainly I am grateful for the opportunity to reach more and more young people with the themes of staying safe, especially as they go online and use social media. I’m also very pleased that many adult readers have left reviews saying that they found the book to be very interesting and a page-turner, and that they learned a lot from it too.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
People who’ve read my bio know that I love animals, but they may not know how much. When my family was going on vacation during a time when my dogs were getting older and really didn’t like being left with a pet sitter, I once drove thirty hours round trip (with my son, who loves animals as much as I do) to drop them off and pick them up from my mom’s house, so they could have a visit with their adoring grandma instead.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sydneydunlap.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sydneydunlapwrites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sydney.dunlap
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/sydneydunlap16
Image Credits
Karen Butts