Happy Tuesday Critters! Today we have a fantastic interview with the incredibly talented Erin Silver who is jumping into Kidlit with TWO debut books this month! How exciting is that?! JUST WATCH ME, a middle grade novel, released October 7th with Common Deer Press and WHAT KIDS DID: STORIES OF KINDNESS AND INVENTION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19 releases TODAY with Second Story Press. I’m thrilled to be sharing Erin’s work, road to publication, and insights with all of you today.
So without further ado, please welcome Erin Silver!
Where do you live?
I live in Toronto, Canada.
When did you know you wanted to write?
I’ve always wanted to be a writer—since I was a little kid. I can’t remember wanting to do anything else. The path to having my first book published took 40 years but I’m finally doing what I love!
Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?
The road to publication was a long one! I went to journalism school, after my undergraduate degree, and worked in communications for several years until I had my kids. All of a sudden, they gave me the inspiration to write other things! I worked as a magazine editor and wrote articles (mostly about them!) for newspapers, magazines and blogs before deciding it was time to pursue my dream of becoming an author. I went back to school when I was 35 to get my Master’s of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction.
Even after I graduated, it was tough going. I took writing workshops, went to conferences and retreats and submitted work to agents, editors and publishers. I wrote and wrote and wrote. I even experimented with writing romance novellas under a pen name before realizing I wanted to write books my kids could read! I got lots of rejections—and I mean lots—but I knew if I gave up I would never get the one “yes” I needed to become an author. I kept at it. There was nothing else I wanted to do or was qualified to do, so I kept writing things I was interested in or things I thought my kids wanted to read. Things I thought would make a difference to young readers. I wanted to show my kids what it meant to be resilient and persevere.
Less than two years ago, I finally got a yes from a small Canadian publisher to write a nonfiction book for kids about Canadian LGBTQ athletes. Called Proud to Play, it was such a thrill to write stories that mattered. It was going to be my first book. Then the pandemic hit and the book was put on hold. Someone told me that it’s always good to be working on several things at once, and I took that to heart. While I was working on Proud to Play, I had also submitted a middle grade novel, Just Watch Me, to a contest held by Common Deer Press, another small Canadian publisher. (They are all so great to work with!) My book won third place and a publishing contract! It was published earlier this October.
It was also during the pandemic that I was emailing back and forth with an editor at Second Story Press. They asked if I wanted to write a book about kids around the world who helped during the pandemic. I said “yes,” of course! I had a month to scour the whole internet and tell some amazing stories so the book could be published this fall. I’m so thrilled and honoured to have a middle grade novel and a picture book published in the same month.
Spread from WHAT KIDS DID by Erin Silver
Spread from WHAT KIDS DID by Erin Silver
Can you share a bit about your process?
When I have an idea or a deadline, I sit down and just write. I write until I can’t think straight and my eyes blur and my fingers cramp from typing so much. I get really motivated, inspired and energized when I have a project that I know will make a difference. Nothing makes me happier than working on a book. It’s honestly the thrill of a lifetime for me and there’s nothing else I’d rather do. When I don’t have a deadline or I’m just working on my own projects that I hope will one day be published, I end up moving at a slower pace and making time for other things, like going to yoga class and for walks with friends. I also enjoy being involved in the writing community and going to critique groups, writer’s meetings, conferences and taking writing workshops. It’s all online these days, though, so most often I’m sitting at my desk in my office!
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
Ideas are everywhere. I listen to what my kids are talking about or what they’re interested in. I jot down funny stories I hear from friends. I was even in traffic one day, complaining about how slowly we were moving—and how late my son would be for baseball practice—when I got the idea for a nonfiction book about traffic. I did some research, pitched it to an editor at Orca, and ended up getting a book contract. Another time, I was overwhelmed by how much food I had in my fridge. Between the overripe fruit and leftover chicken, I didn’t know how we’d eat it all. It felt wasteful. I searched up “food waste” online and was shocked at how much food gets wasted. I typed up a proposal, sent it to my editor at Orca, and got another book contract. Ideas are all over—even in your fridge.
Anything you can’t live without while you write?
Coffee!
Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?
Oh gosh there are honestly so many. I don’t know where to begin. I read as many middle grade books as I can. I really love Canadian authors Susin Nielsen, Kira Vermond, Tanaz Bhathena and Heather Camlot. I recently discovered Meg Medina, Kate Messner and Sharon M. Draper. I just read Draper’s book, Out of My Mind, and Wow! I will never forget that title.
Dream project to work on?
I am particularly proud of What Kids Did. There are so many amazing kids who used their skills, abilities and tenacity to help other people at a time when even adults were paralyzed by fear and anxiety. To be able to write a book that highlights their accomplishments and puts it on display for other kids to emulate is really meaningful. And I’ve really enjoyed working with the Second Story Press team to pull it all together in such a short time. I love the concept, the design, how we’re promoting it. They even created an e-book version, since how else will kids read it when many are learning virtually and even school libraries are closed? My publisher made it happen and I’m beyond excited to share these inspiring stories.
But honestly, every project that an editor or publisher wants me to write is a dream project. I’m 40, but I’m very much a new children’s author at the beginning of my career. I have so much to learn and accomplish, but I never thought I’d get this far. It’s surreal. It felt like it took forever to get that first “yes,” and now I’m looking ahead with several book projects underway and hoping for a whole career. I will never take it for granted. I hope I can continue to write books kids like, books that inspire people, make them laugh or help them see things in a new light. I’m learning as I go, too!
Tell us about your debut book.
My debut book is my middle grade novel called Just Watch Me. It’s about social media, video games and divorce. I started it a few years ago when my kids were younger and struggling with my divorce from their dad. I remember reading to my kids when they were small and noticing that all the books had a mom and a dad. I was mad that my kids were growing up thinking that having divorced parents wasn’t “normal.” I wanted them to know that even if they lived in a single-parent home, they would be ok. And since there was nothing for them about the topic written in a way that interested them, I decided to write it myself. I made it really funny, with lots of embarrassing bloopers, and I based it around the themes of social media and video games because these are really important in the lives of pre-teens today, but if you read until the end, you’ll see that there’s a bigger message. It’s dedicated to my boys and to every other kid whose parents have gone through a divorce.
What’s up next for you?
I’m so excited to be promoting my books. Especially during a pandemic, What Kids Did is particularly relevant and timely. The world feels like it’s been turned upside down, and there’s a lot of anxiety. I hope this book teaches kids that they can make a big difference, even if they’re small. I hope readers are inspired to help someone and that they realize that even the tiniest gestures can have a huge impact. I’m also working on a few other projects with some amazing Canadian publishers. I have a picture book and three nonfiction books in the pipes, plus other books I’m pitching or working on for fun. I always like to have something on the go.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
I can’t pick just one! Princess Bride, Grease, Dirty Dancing…there were so many. My sister and I had dance routines and knew the lines for all of them!
Huge thank you to Erin for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on all your success!
ERIN SILVER is a children’s author and freelance writer with nearly 20 years of professional industry experience. Her work has appeared in Good Housekeeping, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, Today's Parent, Chatelaine, ParentsCanada, Best Health and Clean Eating magazine, among others.
Erin’s middle grade novel, Just Watch Me, won a publishing contract with Common Deer Press and is available in October 2020. What Kids Did, a picture book about the amazing ways kids around the world helped during the pandemic, is available in October as well (Second Story Press). Proud to Play (Lorimer, spring 2021) is about the experience of LGBTQ athletes in Canadian sports. Erin also has two more books coming out with Orca in 2022.
Erin has a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Nonfiction from King's College in Halifax, a postgraduate journalism degree from Ryerson University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto.
She is a member of IBBY, The Writers Union of Canada, CANSCAIP, SCBWI, and Authors Booking Service.
FOR MORE INFORMATION visit Erin online at www.erinsilver.ca or on social media:
www.facebook.com/erin.dym
ca.linkedin.com/in/silvererin
twitter.com/1ErinSilver
www.instagram.com/erinsilver1/
ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of WHAT KIDS DID or JUST WATCH ME click here.
WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of WHAT KIDS DID?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, November 5th! US addresses only please.
