More About Tonya Duncan Ellis (She/Her)
Languages: English
TONYA DUNCAN ELLIS 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. Her debut picture book, THEY BUILT ME FOR FREEDOM, will release through HarperCollins, Balzer+Bray in May 2024.
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 Highlights. She was a 2023 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 and hosts the Write This! Instagram Live show, featuring bestselling and award-winning authors, illustrators and publishing professionals. She is represented by Sara Megibow 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 and 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 Upcoming Picture Books
Tonya writes in other markets, so to check out her full catalog please visit her website.
They Built Me for Freedom, Illustrated by Jenin Mohammed (HarperCollins, Balzer+Bray May 2024)
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.
When I Wrap My Hair, written by Shauntay Grant, illustrated by Jenin Mohammed
To Boldly Go: How Nichelle Nichols and Star Trek Helped Advance Civil Rights, written by Angela Dalton, illustrated by Lauren Semmer
I Am Every Good Thing, written by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James
Nell Plants a Tree, written by Anne Wynter, illustrated by Daniel Miyares
That Flag, written by Tameka Fryer Brown, illustrated by Nikkolas Smith
Like So, written by Ruth Forman, illustrated by Raissa Figueroa
Fly, written by Brittany J. Thurman, illustrated by Anna Cunha
Tonya is a good fit for:
Lyrical writing
Fiction
Historical fiction
Nonfiction
BIPOC voices
School and family life
Tonya is not a good fit for:
Rhyme
Concept books
Books with lots of puns
A strong science slant
Potty humor
*Please DO NOT submit manuscripts that depict animal characters, or stories about Alzheimer's or dementia.
Who can apply to Tonya? Unagented authors only.
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