Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Tupper Ling
Hi Nancy, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Hello! I’m a children’s author, poet, book seller and librarian. Basically, I surround myself with books! Occasionally, I create a few of my own, including my latest with co-author, June Cotner, Bless the Earth: A Collection of Poetry for Children to Celebrate and Care for Our World (Convergent/Penguin Random House) and One Perfect Plan: The Bible’s Big Story In Tiny Poems (WaterBrook / Penguin Random House) I’ve always loved to write, even as a young child, but I’ve spent years honing my skills. Truly, there have been lots of ups and downs on this journey to publication, but there have been some amazing surprises as well, like most recently winning the Florida Authors and Publishers Association Award and being a Golden Scroll Book Award Finalist. Often, I draw my inspiration from the multicultural background of my family.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Rejection is a challenge no matter what field you’re in, and it’s certainly true in the world of an author. The road to publication is definitely a journey requiring patience and fortitude. Still, each personal connection and book publication has helped me to refine my art and to grow professionally. That said, I was under the impression that book sales would happen quickly after my first picture book (My Sister, Alicia May) was published in 2009. However, that didn’t happen. Each step has required more revision and research and workshops. Along the way, it also became obvious that a literary agent was necessary, too. Without my former agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette (Erin Murphy Literary Agency), and my current agent, Anne Marie O’Farrell (Marcil-O’Farrell Literary Agency) I’m certain I would not have had as many published books. One other godsend in my career was the connection I made with other authors. For years I had poems published in a variety of anthologies created by June Cotner, but it wasn’t until 2013 that we teamed up to coauthor our first book Toasts. Our latest anthology, Bless the Earth was published this year. Ever onward!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I love to visit schools and students of all ages, teaching how to create poems and children’s books. I have written a variety of poetry books from short chapbooks to anthologies for all ages. I began by submitting a poem or two at a time to various journals. Gradually, one publication led to another to another. Currently, my latest picture book cover was revealed for a story called Hearts in my Pocket: “For fans of The Invisible String, here is an uplifting and lyrical story about a young girl who learns to navigate her family’s divorce.” This book is illustrated by Shirley Ng-Benitez and it will be published by Union Square and Co (formerly Sterling Publishing) in December 2024 https://www.unionsquareandco.com/9781454949749/hearts-in-my-pocket-by-nancy-tupper-ling/
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
A few pieces of advice on writing:
1. Ask Away . . . Many authors, like myself, are on the introverted side, so asking a question or two doesn’t come easily. Still, I’ve discovered that one question can make all the difference. You never know where the answer may lead.
2. Listen Up . . . There’s always more to learn, even after you’ve been published. Over the years a lot of people have asked me how to go about getting a book published, but it takes commitment to A) write a manuscript and B) take those suggestions you’ve received to heart. While it’s easy to think a draft is perfect and ready for print, it’s valuable to realize it might take some elbow grease to get published. A good listener will go far.
3. Write anything and everything . . . submit all kinds of writing to all types of publishers. Yes, it’s good to hone your craft, but don’t limit yourself to one genre and style. A short story might lead to an idea for a novel. A poem might become a picture book. All of this helps to build your resume as an author.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nancytupperling.com/about-nancy-tupper-ling/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nancytupperling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ntling/
- Twitter: https://x.com/nancytupperling
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaEvijSEdbAmwaQn3PgstKQ
Image Credits
Author Portrait credit Stacy Murphy Photography
Young Girl Reading One Perfect Plan credit Lisa Oliveira
Hearts In My Pocket book cover announcement credit Shirley Ng-Benitez
All the rest are my own