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More About Tonya Duncan Ellis (She/Her)
Language: English
TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS is author of SCBWI Crystal Kite Honor Book THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM: THE STORY OF JUNETEENTH AND HOUSTON'S EMANCIPATION PARK (HarperCollins) and COOKOUT CHEMISTRY (Charlesbridge 2027). She writes picture books, chapter books and middle grade novels, and successfully self-published the 13-book SOPHIE WASHINGTON chapter series, which has sold over 175,000 copies.
A diversity advocate, Tonya is a member of the Brown Bookshelf’s Highlights Foundation-sponsored Amplify Black Stories cohort and has served on faculty at Boyd's Mills (formerly Highlights). She was a 2023 and 2025 We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) Black Creatives Mentor. Tonya is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), has presented on marketing for SCBWI’s 2023 Winter Conference in New York City and is a winner of SCBWI's 2022 Independently Published Book Marketing Grant and SCBWI Austin's 2021 Cynthia Leitich Smith Writing Mentor Award.
Tonya founded the Write This! Instagram Live show, featuring bestselling and award-winning authors, illustrators and publishing professionals. She is represented by Adria Goetz of KT Literary and lives in Houston, TX.
You can find Tonya online at:
Tonya's strengths are …
Lyrical writing
Finding strong hooks and marketable story concepts
Social media
Brand building
Networking
Managing the author-agent relationship
What Tonya is looking for…
Tonya is looking for a mentee who wants to develop as a writer and is serious about pursuing a traditional publishing path.
She hopes to connect with someone eager to roll up their sleeves to polish manuscripts and to learn/enhance skills needed to navigate the business side of publishing.
A Note from Tonya:
“What do I look for in a picture book manuscript? A great hook or concept, beautiful language, a story that tugs my heart...that certain "it" factor. Show me what you got! If your work's not quite where you want it to be, but you feel it has potential, I'll be your coach to help you move to the next level. Let's work together to make your publishing dreams a reality!”
Tonya’s Picture Books:
Tonya writes in other markets, so to check out her full catalog, please visit her website.
THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM: THE STORY OF JUNETEENTH AND HOUSTON’S EMANCIPATION PARK, Written by Tonya Duncan Ellis and Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed (HarperCollins, Balzer+Bray)
COOKOUT CHEMISTRY, Written by Tonya Duncan Ellis and Illustrated by Tiffany Rose (Coming Spring 2027)
If Tonya created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…
*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.
KICKS, Written by Van Garrett and Illustrated by Reggie Brown
SO MANY YEARS: A JUNETEENTH STORY, Written by Anne Wynter and Illustrated by Jerome Pumphrey
BEFORE THE SHIPS: THE BIRTH OF BLACK EXCELLENCE, written by Maisha Oso, and illustrated by Candice Bradley
NELL PLANTS A TREE, Written by Anne Wynter, and Illustrated by Daniel Migares
THE DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE, Written by Malcolm Newsome, and Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed
THE SIX TRIPLE EIGHT: A TRUE STORY OF THE BLACK WOMAN BATTALION OF WORLD WAR II, Written by Tonya Abari, and Illustrated by Lance Evans
PRAYER IS, Written by Tameka Fryer Brown, and Illustrated by Allenna Harris
SCARECITED ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, Written by Alliah L. Agostini, and Illustrated by Lala Watkins
Tonya is a good fit for:
Lyrical writing
Fiction
Historical fiction
Nonfiction
BIPOC voices
Tonya is not a good fit for:
Rhyme
Concept books
Books with lots of puns
Potty humor
🚫 Please DO NOT submit manuscripts that depict animal characters, or stories about Alzheimer's or dementia.
Who can apply to Tonya?
Unagented Text-only Authors only.