“Despite the challenges we may face, those of us who call ourselves writers know how to persist.“ —Rachel Toalson
On Saturday, May 2, Rachel Toalson will teach “Get That Story Out There: Choosing Your Best Publishing Path.” In this class, students will learn whether pursuing a traditional book deal, embracing indie publishing, or choosing another publishing model altogether is the right path for them. Deep dive into all the nitty-gritty of publishing with a seasoned author!
Rachel Toalson writes books. Lots of them. For everyone—kids, teens, adults, fiction lovers, poetry lovers, essay lovers. People who adore realistic stories or magical realism or fantasy or tales that keep them up at night or make them laugh out loud. Most of her stories examine the intersection of neurodivergence, trauma, feminism, and mental illness and feature characters who challenge societal norms and shatter misconceptions. Her books have received awards, been Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selections, and are studied as curriculum in English classes. She loves running, reading, writing, and drinking peppermint green tea in her home in San Antonio, TX, where she lives with her one extraordinary husband, six brilliant kids, and two arrogant cats.
Here’s what Rachel had to share with us:
Who are your earliest influences? What people and books made you a writer?
I was an avid reader as a child and teen, so there are many authors who inspired me to tell stories of my own, including Madeleine L’Engle, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Mary Downing Hahn, Scott O’Dell, Lois Lowry, and many others (these are merely the ones who inspired me the most, I think). As a teen and young adult, I gravitated toward and studied (for pleasure!) the work of Emily and Charlotte Brontë, Toni Morrison, Sylvia Plath, Maya Angelou, William Faulkner, Edgar Allan Poe. Their marks can likely be seen all through my writing.
What writing challenges have you faced? What have these challenges taught you about your process?
Publishing seems to be an emotional roller coaster. I suppose that’s one of those obvious things when you consider that publishing is the sort of business that operates on rejection and very few acceptances. But lately things have grown even more challenging, with reports about declining literacy in both children and adults, book banning, and publishers closing imprints seemingly every week. For those of us who have always dreamed of being writers, this can be incredibly disappointing and alarming.
But writing, in and of itself, is a hopeful act. We write, and we hope. We hope, and we write. Despite the challenges we may face, those of us who call ourselves writers know how to persist. We know how to take, as poet Edward Hirsch says, “the muck and mire of your own life and turn it into something.” That’s what we do as writers—we take the muck and mire, and we turn it into something beautiful or entertaining or healing or fun. That’s the magic of the writing process, to me, and it beats the challenges every time.
From your perspective, what’s the most rewarding part about being a writer?
Connecting with readers, shaping their lives in some way or giving them something to think about—that’s my favorite part of the writing process. Maybe it’s naïve or too optimistic to think that books make a difference in readers’ lives. Maybe they don’t make a difference for every reader. But I know that, for myself, books have broadened my mind and shown me worlds I couldn’t possibly have known and brought me joy in times when I felt only sorrow… or nothing at all. Books have been a lifeline to me during rocky periods of my life, and it gives me the greatest pleasure to think that somewhere someone feels the same about one of my books, even if that reader only exists in my head.
Who do you write for?
I write for everyone, but I’ve been published in the middle grade and young adult categories, and that’s where the bulk of my creative energy goes (though I am, at the moment, shifting to adults and writing more for them). I think I mostly write for 12-year-old, 13-year-old, 16-year-old, adult Rachel. I am constantly pulling pieces from my past and exploring them through story—both to preserve memories and people and also to heal from traumas I’ve carried for far too long. Writing is a kind of therapy for me (though actual therapy is a must). It allows me self-expression as a neurodivergent person—and ensures that there’s representation in the market, too.
I suppose I mostly write the books I want to read and hope someone else wants to read them, too!
What do you hope writers will learn from your course?
I hope writers will gain the confidence to make a decision about where they want to place their book in the publishing world—self publishing? Traditional publishing? A hybrid mix? I think that decision is so personal to what a writer wants out of their career, and I hope they find the necessary information they need to decide for themselves what’s right. I also hope they understand (though this might be disappointing for some) that there is no right or wrong answer to the question “Where should I publish?” There are, however, some right and wrong ways to go about that publishing, and I’m coming armed with my best tips and strategies.
I hope, most of all, that writers will learn they are in charge of their own futures and careers and that they are fully equipped to handle whichever path they choose.
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Thanks, Rachel!
Click here to learn more about Rachel’s upcoming class.
