Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dana Griffin. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Dana, thanks for joining us today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?

Since childhood, I have always admired famous polymaths. Some of my favorite historical figures are Leonardo DaVinci, Rene Descartes, Moses Maimonides, and Hypatia of Alexandria. These people may not seem to have much in common: they come from vastly different religions, societies, and time periods. But all of them pursued excellence across multiple disciplines. Many of them overcame great personal tragedy: Maimonides was exiled from his homeland of Cordoba, while Hypatia became a leading philosopher and mathematician in a male-dominated society (and was ultimately murdered at least partly because of her commitment to her intellectual endeavors). Figures like these convinced me that despite my “day job,” which is very STEM-oriented, it was still worthwhile to pursue a simultaneous career as a writer. This prompted me to write my first children’s book, which will be forthcoming in 2025. I’m also working on a second children’s book and a longer work of speculative fiction. I can’t claim to be a leading philosopher like Hypatia, Descartes, or Maimonides — nor am I a revolutionary artist, like DaVinci. But I am a successful scientist and (now) author, in part because of the influence of these historical figures.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Under my pen name, I am a new author of children’s books. My first book, Ask the Wide World, will be available wherever books are sold in Feb 2025. This is a story of discovery and exploration that focuses on a young girl who has to learn how to find the answers to her endless questions. However, I have also been a scientist for the last 20 years, with an independent lab and research program. One of my goals is to encourage my readers to engage in their own acts of discovery and exploration. Because of this, I post scientific activities and explanations to my website (www.dsgriffinbooks.com) for my readers to enjoy. I hope my readers and followers use these activities as a springboard to search for answers – and ask more questions – as they engage with the world.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had taken the time to learn a bit more about hybrid publishers earlier on. I wasted a lot of time trying to break into the conventional book publishing industry. As someone who has had a busy and demanding “day job” throughout this process – first as a medical student, then as a resident/fellow, and now as a physician-scientist – I didn’t have the time and resources to devote to pursuing a second career as a book author with a major company. I needed the flexibility to do this as a second job without having to give up my career. But I also didn’t want to self-publish. Going with the hybrid publisher gave me that opportunity.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

The first time I submitted this story, I was a 23-year-old medical student with no children and no clue. I tried sending it out to a few conventional large and small publishers, but when I got the rejections I let it drop. Medical school was picking up, and I didn’t have time to study for the boards and submit a book. Time passed, and I kept coming back to the story on and off while I finished med school, pursued training in residency/fellowship, started my own lab, and started to raise a family. When my kids grew old enough to share their input, I learned what worked for them and rewrote the story to be more approachable for young readers. And then, when I thought the story was ready for another chance, I did a bit more research into options for aspiring authors and identified a potential publisher. This time, the story was accepted on the first try!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.dsgriffinbooks.com
• Instagram: @dsgriffinbooks
• Facebook: dsgriffinbooks
• Twitter: @dsgriffinbooks

Image Credits

Publisher: Amplify/Mascot books
Illustrator: Alejandro Echavez (https://alejoartworks.com/home.html)