We recently connected with Stefany Valentine and have shared our conversation below.
Stefany, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?
Like most authors, I’ve dreamt of seeing my name in a bookstore ever since I was a child. But unlike most authors, English wasn’t my first language. I grew up in Taiwan and was brought to America when I was five years old to start a new life. As a result, I was academically behind all of my peers in grade school and eventually needed to be held back in fourth grade. But that never stopped me from chasing my dream.
After graduating high school, I spent the next ten years writing seven failed manuscripts and shopping them around to literary agents hoping someone would tell me my writing was good enough. I had accrued over 500 rejections from industry professionals by the time I finally got one yes. Someone lived my writing and they wanted to represent me as an author.
Two years after that, my young adult romcom about a Taiwanese girl who takes her Mandarin tutor on fake dates inspired by the love languages was bought by Penguin Teen and Penguin Workshop. It is now on track to be published on Jan 14, 2025.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’m a young adult author and I write stories for readers who have rarely seen themselves reflected in media. Representation matters to young people. It has been proven time and time again that when people can see a version of themselves that isn’t characterized, they then have more confidence within themselves.
I strive to uplift Asian diaspora, adoptees, and survivors of religious trauma as these are the underrepresented elements of my own lived identity. Young readers who are still trying to make sense of the world don’t need another mainstream production of what these narratives have traditionally offered. They need an authentic role model who has experienced what they have. My lack of conformity is my greatest strength despite existing in a system that praises conformity.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
As an author, I thought that it was my job to create books that others wanted to read. So I spent ten years writing 7 various scifi and fantasy books only to be told by industry professionals that my stories weren’t enough.
It wasn’t until the pandemic of 2020 that I decided to shift from writing books for other people, to writing books *I* needed to read when I was a kid. This completely shifted my career. I wrote a contemporary novel about a Taiwanese American grappling with her identity as an adoptee and that’s the book that landed me a deal with Penguin Teen/Penguin Workshop. Since then, I’ve fostered a community of Asian diaspora who have been affected by feelings of otherness as that unique experience is what ties us together.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is hearing how relatable my writing is. Yes, my experiences may be unique to me, but being human and feeling emotions is a universal experience. Knowing that I created something for other people to see themselves in is rewarding to me because it’s validating to know that I’m not alone in the way that I feel.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stefanyvalentine.wordpress.com
- Instagram: @BooksByStefany
- Twitter: @BooksByStefany
- Other: TikTok: @BooksByStefany
Image Credits
Dru Valentine