Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor
Hello, PB Rising Stars fam! And welcome to our November blog post!
It’s hard to believe that we’re in the last two months of 2023. And what a year it has been. But before we get into what the end of the year means for us at PB Rising Stars, make sure that you catch up on last month’s blog post from Anna Orenstein-Cardona all about debuting without an agent.
Now, back to the last two months of the year!
As you know, PB Rising Stars doesn’t take much of a break. We go from finishing the mentorship right into preparing for the following year. And now…
It’s time to find the 2024 PB Rising Stars Mentors!
You may have seen our call-outs for potential mentors to apply. And maybe you’ve even taken a look at the application page (found HERE).
But if you still aren’t sure if you’re ready to commit or not, you are in luck!
Sylvia Chen is popping onto the blog today to pull back the curtain and tell us exactly what it was like to be a PB Rising Stars Mentor not just once, but TWICE!
Because we get it… this mentorship program is very young, and very new. You want to make sure that it’s the right fit for you.
So get ready for an in depth chat with Sylvia. She’s so graciously pulling back the curtain and giving us all the details…
Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor
Let’s give a warm PB Rising Stars Welcome to Sylvia:
Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor
||
Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor ||
Written by Sylvia Chen
2022 and 2023 PB Rising Stars Mentor
Wait, what?! Are you here to find out what it’s like to hold-your-breath apply to be a #PBRisingStars mentor? Or to hear how a #PBRisingStars mentor may approach reviewing mentee applications? Or both?! Then I’m ready to spill the hot tea about my experience (x2 years!).
Ready? Let’s GOOOOOooo!!!
Back in late Spring 2022, when Kailei floated the idea of a “guinea pig mentorship” on Twitter, I by-lucky-chance saw the tweet, replied with my interest as a guinea-pig-mentor, and then… well you can see for yourself with this DM screenshot.
Kailei very kindly replied, and the mentorship program setup kicked off full-speed, with Ebony super-teaming up with Kailei.
There was so much interest from potential mentors that they even had to create a mentor application process! And WHEW! If you know Ebony and Kailei well, you’d expect nothing but an uber-thorough set of vetting questions. So future (and past!) #PBRS mentees… your #PBRS mentors can fill out VERY LONG FORMS (just like you too! keh keh keh).
Oh and match well for the #PBRisingStars mentorship mission.
Ok, so what was it like waiting for the official mentor announcements?
Well, somewhat nerve-racking because of my handy imposter syndrome, but ultimately exciting too! And just because I made the selection the inaugural year, I didn’t assume it’d be the case the second time around. Each year, I’ve felt super grateful to have the opportunity to help a fellow #Kidlit creator in such a close-knit way, and both years, I’ve been blown away by such stellar fellow #PBRS mentors!
Alright, alright, so what was it like preparing to review mentee applications?
If you may not know, I’ve been a judge for the #PBParty contest each year since 2022. That contest runs in early Spring and usually has around 1000 entries, so I used a similar approach to consider #PBRisingStars applications:
hide the applicant name, jump to the main writing entry for a quick yay/nay based on how well I connect to the voice/concept/etc, then review the rest of the application to help finalize my decision.
The difference with #PBRisingStars is that with a more manageable number of applications tailored to each mentor of interest, I can really dive into the full query and other application answers.
Each year, I’ve also requested additional work from a select set of potential mentees because:
1) I find it challenging to make the absolute decision based on only one manuscript and
2) Knowing my working style, I want to see if the potential mentee has multiple manuscripts (that I connect strongly with overall), so we can work on as many of them as possible during the mentorship.
Then what?!
Ok, so after selecting the mentee I’ve felt is best matched at that time, there’s more to decide and it’s not easy either—choosing the runner-up and the honorable mention. Over both years, I’ve chosen from the select set of applicants who provided more work as well as applicants who stood out to me in a more connected way for their talent and passion. I’ve tried to decide based on who can gain the most as a runner-up given my particular skillsets, and who I think can benefit a lot from the honorable mention recognition.
But it’s not all set yet!
Some of you may know, but the mentee application period is extra harrowing for mentors (well, at least for yours truly) because even after you’ve made your mentee/runner-up/HM decision, it’s not quite confirmed because 1) other mentors are also deciding on mentees/runner-ups/HMs and 2) applicants may have open queries out to agents. There’s always a chance that another mentor could make the same choice, or an applicant could receive an amazing offer of representation and withdraw from consideration. The good news is—
Ebony and Kailei are pros at handling these types of situations
(and communicating reality in a non-soul-crushing way), so by the official #PBRisingStars mentee/runner-up/HM announcement, everything is sorted out as best possible.
Fast forward to the #PBRisingStars mentorship!
This 3-month collaboration will definitely differ for each mentor-mentee pairing, but that’s what I especially love about #PBRisingStars—
the flexibility to make your mentorship your own and shape it to what works best for you as a dual team.
I’ve absolutely loved my experience each year (the first with Jasmine Fang, and the second with Carren Jao; both are supremely gifted writers and now-connected-forever friends!).
For both mentorships, we started out with a mega-long doc covering guidance on many different facets of the publishing journey with some helpful resources, plus discussion points for anything they wanted to focus on during the mentorship. I also requested the latest versions of all their picture book manuscripts to help provide high-level feedback, suggested ordering for querying strength, and plan of attack for manuscript critiques and revisions during the mentorship.
We video-chatted about every two weeks depending on our schedules to discuss parts of the doc and any in-the-moment questions and to-dos. Both mentees worked extremely hard during our mentorship time, and I couldn’t be any prouder of all the progress they both made, not just for the manuscripts we worked on together, but also growth for their publishing journeys!
And there’s even more!
As if that weren’t a lot to focus on during the mentorship, Kailei and Ebony also brilliantly integrated amazing publishing-focused webinars into the mentorship program. These are so invaluable to help fine tune PB-crafting skills and not just for the #PBRisingStars mentees, but for the mentors too!
I just cannot laud this incredible mentorship program enough, and could go on and on and on…
Wherever you are in your connection to the #PBRisingStars mentorship program—including applying to be a future mentor or mentee—I wish you the most positive wishes for your publishing goals. There’s one takeaway for sure from what I’ve seen over the first two years since #PBRisingStars started up…
this incredibly unconventional opportunity only gets better and better beyond belief each year.
Did that help answer your ponderings if you’re a prospective #PBRisingStars mentor or mentee? I hope so! But if not… I’m excited to offer giveaways for those who braved this VERY LONG blog post. (Find out how to enter below!)
Thanks for taking the time to read about my experience as a #PBRisingStars mentor!
About Sylvia Chen
A New Yorker now living in the Seattle area with her husband and two sons, Sylvia Chen is an Asian American children’s book author represented by Alyssa Eisner Henkin of Birch Path Literary. Sylvia is a member of SCBWI and 12x12, a #PBParty judge since 2022 (and behind-the-scenes Ninja Rockstar), and the creator of #PBStudyBuddy, which features amazing picture book creators and mentor texts (plus occasional #Kidlit giveaways) on Twitter/X, Instagram, Bluesky, and Threads for fellow creators, teachers, and librarians. Ever so excited about her upcoming debut picture book TRICKY CHOPSTICKS (March 19, 2024; Atheneum/Simon & Schuster), Sylvia loves crafting picture books that spark kids’ interest in STEAM and creative thinking. She often stays up late into the night puzzling away with wordplay and working on quirky ideas. Sylvia was a #PBRisingStars mentor in its inaugural 2022 year and loved returning as a mentor in 2023 too.
Find Sylvia Online Here:
Bluesky | Threads | Tricky Chopsticks Site
Pre-order TRICKY CHOPSTICKS at Sylvia’s local indie! (US shipping or pick-up only!) or pre-order your preferred way.
Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor
||
Inside the Mind of a PB Rising Stars Mentor ||
***
WOW, Sylvia
Thank you so much for that in depth look at what it’s like to be a PB Rising Stars Mentor. We hope many of our readers will follow in your footsteps and apply to the 2024 program!
And now, it’s about that time to update you all on what Ebony and Kailei have been up to!
We truly appreciate each and every one of you! Ebony and Kailei are creators FIRST so the fact that you support them, their businesses, and books is HUGE and helps them keep this community going!
And first, it’s BIG NEWS…
Ebony’s courses are now LIVE and ON DEMAND.
You do not want to miss your chance to be part of this new community!
INSTANT, UNLIMTED, ON-DEMAND access to 110+ picture book writing video lessons
Live monthly publishing chat and Q&As
Monthly bonus videos
The PB Retreat Community is your home WITHIN your home! A virtual KidLit retreat with instant, unlimited, on-demand access to one-of-a-kind craft courses, live publishing chats, Q&As, & monthly bonus videos, all for a low monthly or annual price!
AND if that wasn’t all…
Ebony’s Winter & Holiday Merch is OFFICIALLY OPEN FOR SHOPPING!!
SHOP A BLACK-OWNED, WOMAN-OWNED BUSINESS THIS HOLIDAY AND WINTER SEASON!
Which design will you be gifting yourself and your favorite BOOKISH friend or family member?
As for Kailei…
Kailei has been running her little heart out spreading the word about
But now, it’s time to slow down for a pajama party!!!
That’s right!
It’s Blossom’s Bedtime Bash
and it is going to be a PARTY! Kailei will be offering back-to-back parties on Tuesday, November 28th to try to snag multiple time zones. So come at 7:00 PM Eastern OR 7:00 PM Mountain Time (Or both!) Bring your kiddos, wear your jammies, and get ready for the bedtime bash of the year!
Register on zoom HERE!
Did Kailei Order personalized pajamas with Blossom’s face on them specifically for this event? Well, you will just have to come to find out!
This is a special interactive story time for kiddos and their grownups, but you all know Kailei… she’ll of course have awesome giveaways and opportunities for both kids and PB Creators so snag your seat today!
***GIVEAWAY OPPORTUNITY***
Sylvia is generously offering one lucky winner
a 30-min ASK-ME-ANYTHING chat with Sylvia
You don’t want to miss this chance to learn from Sylvia!
To enter:
Comment on this blog post below letting us know how you liked this topic AND confirming that you’ve done all of the steps above!!
For Bonus entries:
Follow Sylvia, Kailei, and Ebony on Instagram (one bonus entry per follow.)
Follow Sylvia, Kailei, and Ebony on Twitter (one bonus entry per follow.)
Like, Retweet, and comment on THIS tweet (one bonus entry per item.)
If you do EVERY bonus item, that’s NINE extra entries! But every bonus entry counts! If you complete any bonus items, let us know in the comments!!!
That’s it!
Thank you, friends, and good luck! The last day to enter is December 6th, and the winner will be announced via our newsletter on December 7th!
************************************************************
And as a BONUS and early heads-up for #PBRisingStars blog readers! To celebrate reaching the 100th #PBStudyBuddy feature this week, Sylvia will post a special #PBStudyBuddy #GiveaYAY! this Friday, November 17 which will include a chance to win the following 3 prizes:
Prize #1: A mini-mentorship with Sylvia, which includes:
· One 1-hour kickoff & goals chat to discuss latest progress for publishing pursuits and mini-mentorship focus
· Quick review, ranking, and notes for up to 5 PB manuscripts with suggested ordering for querying strength
· 1 PB query and manuscript critique (non-rhyming, <1k words)
· High-level feedback on the PB query+manuscript revision
· One 1-hour strategy & wrap-up chat
Prize #2: PB manuscript critique (non-rhyming, <1k words)
Prize #3: Ranking of 3 PBs with notes
This special #PBStudyBuddy #GiveaYAY! will run from November 17 through December 12, 2023. Keep an eye out for Sylvia’s #GiveaYAY! post on her social media: Twitter | Instagram
ABOUT PB RISING STARS
The #PBRisingStars Mentorship program started with a tweet, a huge response from the KidLit community, and two authors with book deals looking for ways to pull other picture book creators up the turbulent publishing ladder.
This program pairs agented picture book creators that are knowledgeable about querying, agent calls, author-agent relationships, being on submission, book deals, and contract language, with the next generation of children’s book authors and illustrators for an immersive, custom-made mentorship experience that is more than just a critique.