Give us your elevator
pitch: what’s your book about in 2-3 sentences?
Dear Scarlet is an intimate and honest look at my struggle
with postpartum depression after the birth of my first child. Written as a
letter to my daughter, my graphic memoir is equal parts heartbreaking and
funny, capturing the ups and downs of life as a new mother.
What boundaries did
you break in the writing of this memoir? Where does that sort of courage come
from?
I wrote this book as an honest telling of what I went
through and didn’t think I was breaking any boundaries until other mothers told
me that my book is much needed. There is extreme pressure on new moms to be
perfect and to embrace motherhood as a wonderful, joyful experience—and if you
don’t find it all that great, you feel ashamed and alone. I’m not sure if Dear Scarlet is courageous, but I tell
the ugly truth about my postpartum experience, and I hope others who are
struggling will feel encouraged by it.
Tell us a bit about
the highs and lows of your book’s road to publication.
So many lows, so many highs! I began the book in 2015,
writing and illustrating it over nine months. I finished my second draft and
began querying in the summer of 2016, eventually landing a U.S. agent a few
months later. We went out on submission in mid-2017 and, by the fall, had been
rejected by 20+ “Big Five” imprints. Most editors loved the material but didn’t
see it breaking out in the market, either because of the topic or because of
the genre. We got really close in one case, but in the end it all came down to the
profit-and-loss statement.
At the beginning of 2018, my agent dropped me, so I made a
list of indie publishers and began sending my manuscript out in batches. By the
summer, one small press had expressed interest, but they were waiting for their
editorial board to reconvene in the fall before making an offer. That same week
I received an email from Brian Lam, the publisher at Arsenal Pulp Press, who
asked if I had gotten his earlier email containing an offer (I hadn’t!!) and
restating his interest in publishing Dear
Scarlet. They wanted to fast-track the book because they had an opening for
their Spring 2019 lineup. I took Arsenal Pulp’s offer to a Canadian literary
agent, who agreed to represent me and took over negotiations.
What has struck me most about the past year was the number
of people (total strangers) who gave me advice and offered help. I’m part of a
large online writers group for women, and when I lost my agent, so many of them
encouraged me to keep going. One woman even sent an email on my behalf to her
ex-boyfriend, a well-established graphic novelist. He, in turn, introduced me
to his own agent. Even though nothing came of it, I will never forget how kind
and generous people were to me.
What’s your favorite
piece of writing advice?
“If you are
writing the clearest, truest words you can find and doing the best you can to
understand and communicate, this will shine on paper like its own little
lighthouse.” Anne Lamott wrote this in Bird
by Bird, which is a book full of the best writing advice I’ve ever read.
My favorite writing
advice is “write until something surprises you.” What surprised you in the
writing of this book?
I was surprised that I ended up illustrating it myself. I am
a writer, not an artist, and I felt for sure that I’d need to collaborate with
an illustrator to make the book. However, when I showed the first draft to
friends and colleagues, they said that the simple drawings amplify the
vulnerability of the story. They told me it would be a better story if I drew
the thing myself. I’m not entirely happy with all of the drawings in the book
(especially now that I’ve been practicing for a few years), but there are
certain panels that I really do love.
Who is your ideal
reader?
My ideal readers are people who know or want to know what
it’s really like to be a new mother, how big of a change it is and how
difficult it can be, even when you have a baby under ideal conditions (e.g.,
with access to health care and a supportive partner).
Inquiring foodies and
hungry book clubs want to know: Any food/s associated with your book? (Any
recipes I might share?)
I write about traditional Chinese postpartum foods, but I’m
sure nobody here wants my mother’s recipe for pork liver soup.
***
READ MORE ABOUT THIS
BOOK: www.byteresawong.com/arsenalpulp.com
ORDER THIS BOOK FOR
YOUR OWN TBR PILE: https://www.amazon.com/Dear-Scarlet-Story-Postpartum-Depression/dp/1551527650
