Creator Interview Plus Giveaway: Maria Piñero Pope

Author of Bilingual Picture Books that are Fun and Full of Heart!

I first met Maria when she reached out to me via Twitter to start a new critique group. Her KidLit journey is impressive: a writer since the third grade, Maria began writing picture books with the goal of becoming a published author in September of 2022.

Since then, her writing has received a ton of recognition in the writing community: Susanna Hill Holiday Contest 1st place winner ‘22, Vivian Kirkfield's 50 Precious Words ‘23 Honorable Mention, PBParty ‘23 Honorable Mention, and KidLitVibes Winner ‘23. By the start of summer 2023, Maria landed a dream agent (Bethany Jett at The C.Y.L.E Agency) and is currently on sub.

We always hear about publishing being a slow haul, but Maria's experience only proves that everyone's journey is different! While her work is out on sub, Maria is keeping busy writing and revising new manuscripts, and in addition to being a working mother (and a business owner! And a soccer carpool chauffer! And a green smoothie afficionado! And...) she's also a SCBWI Southern Breeze local liaison. This woman keeps busy.

Oh, and there's a giveaway! Maria is generously offering a critique package, so be sure to read through her interview for details on how to enter!

"...don't ever give up. If you keep working and writing, you will accomplish your dreams. It may take one year or 10 years but eventually, we will all get there."

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How did your journey as a KidLit creator begin?

I've always wanted to write but never dreamed that I could actually be a writer if it wasn't something that I majored in in college. I chose a healthcare profession as a speech pathologist but my love of writing, especially in the picture book world, only increased when I started working with kids and had kids of my own. It wasn't until the pandemic that things really started to change for me. When everything came to a halt, I had a lot of time to really think about the goals I wanted to accomplish in my life. I decided to start my own speech therapy practice. Once I successfully did that, I started to wonder what else I could do and decided to put a pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write my first story.

Like most new writers, I queried too early without any real understanding of the publishing world. I had immediate interest but I needed to build up my portfolio. Once I joined the KidLit community in the social media world (RIP Twitter), I began entering contests and found my incredible critique partners. I feel like that's when my journey really took off and it's been a whirlwind ever since.

What is your favorite thing about creating for children?

I love how books allow you to enter into different worlds, perspectives and experiences. As a reader you can connect with the message in a story or learn new things that you may have not been exposed to. Picture books are the perfect way to take these short journeys as a child, or as an adult, and experience a large variety of stories in a small amount of time.

This is an industry full of high highs and low lows. What are some of the peaks and valleys you've experienced in your career?

When I wrote my first story, I started querying right away and had a portfolio request within 4 days, followed by a virtual meeting. I thought I had somehow found a magical writing wormhole and was going to immediately get agented and published. It turned out that the agent wasn't a good match for me so I continued to query. I had other interest, but it always fizzled out because the rest of my portfolio wasn't very strong at the time. I was doing this alone and I questioned whether I was a strong enough writer to make this dream a reality.

I was feeling hopeless, but decided to give it one more shot and push myself by entering my first writing contest. I ended up winning first place and regained my faith in my writing. The best thing to come out of it, though, was meeting my incredible critique partners. There have been so many times when I'm in a rut or have writer's block and they are always there to cheer me on. They help shape my stories and really push me to improve my writing. If you do nothing else as a new writer, find a solid critique group who you trust.

Do you have a "day job"? If so, what is it, and how do you create balance between your "day job" and your work as a creator?

I run my own pediatric Speech Language Pathology practice and have two kids that are very involved in sports and theatre. At work, I use picture books in my every day therapy sessions so I feel like I'm always studying and learning about writing. Finding the time to be creative is another story. It's definitely challenging to find the time to work on my writing and weekends are always packed. I found that the best approach was to carve out a block of time every week that could only be used for writing. This time is sacred and everyone knows it's not negotiable. I still work on writing throughout the week when I can. But no matter how busy I get the rest of the week, I know I always have that time to look forward to.

Describe your perfect writing/illustrating/creating day.

Monday mornings are my favorite writing time. The chaos of the weekend is behind me, the kids are in school and the house is finally quiet. I put on music, make a list of the things I hope to accomplish that week and sit down with my favorite drinks (green smoothie, water, and coffee). I call it the Green Smoothie Writing Club.

What motivates you to keep going when this industry gets you down?

My critique partners and my agent! I don't know why I ever thought I could do this alone. My first piece of advice for anyone that is getting started; get a group of CPs. Period. You'll be so thankful that you did!

My second piece of advice is find an agent that you connect with and that believes in you. Figure out what you need to keep you happy in an agent-client relationship and choose accordingly. Communication and organization is so important to me so when I met Bethany on our virtual call, it was love at first sight! She was passionate about my stories but she was also very clear on her plan and communication style. It was a perfect fit! Now that I am on submission, I am so thankful that she is constantly keeping me up to date and I'm never left in the dark!

What is a favorite craft tip you'd like to share with other creators?

Since I am not an illustrator, one of my favorite things to do is to study the text in picture books. I type out the text and look at the pacing and imagery in the story without the illustrations. Illustrators add a whole new layer of story telling and as an author, it's important for me to see the author's side of the story telling.

What are your top 3 favorite books of all time (any age range)?

My favorite childhood book is a poem by Ruben Dario, illustrated by Monica Meina, called A Margarita Debayle. Next I would have to say Stuck by Oliver Jeffers and my favorite current picture book is Maria the Matador by Anne Lambelet.

My favorite grown-up book is Pride and Prejudice!

Who are some authors or illustrators that inspired your style as a creator?

Aaron Reynolds, Oliver Jeffers, Jory John and Breanna Carzoo's sense of humor, Anne Lambelet's story arc and balance and Meg Medina's heart.

What advice do you have for someone considering starting their journey as a KidLit creator?

The first thing I would say is don't query right away. I know you'll want to, but don't do it! Write your stories. Learn about the craft and write some more. Find a critique group and write some more. You will see your writing grow and evolve. When I look back at my first ever story, I'm so glad that it didn't end up being my debut picture book. My writing has matured so much since that first attempt at story telling. Build up a portfolio that you're proud of before you start looking for representation. Enter contests that challenge you to write outside of your comfort zone.

Figure out what stories you want to tell and stay true to that vision. Your CPs will offer lots of advice. Take what resonates with you and leave what doesn't. A good group of CPs will not expect you to take every piece of advice they give you and they won't take every piece of advice you give them. Use the critiques to strengthen your vision.

Finally, don't ever give up. If you keep working and writing, you will accomplish your dreams. It may take one year or 10 years but eventually, we will all get there.

Is there anything else about you, your career, or the industry that you'd like to share?

READ! Read as many picture books as you can get your hands on! Make an effort to take weekly trips to your local library. The library is gift and your local librarians have a wealth of information. My librarians always know the right books to pull when I am looking for comps or themes. Don't let these amazing resources go to waste!

Speed Round: This or That!

Let us get to know you better! You must pick ONE- no "I don't know" or "neither" allowed! Ready... Go!

Summer or Winter?	Winter
Chocolate or Vanilla?	Chocolate
Cats or Dogs?	Dogs
Playlists or Podcasts?	Playlists
Text or Call?	Text
Unicorn or Dragon?	Unicorn
Ice Cream or Cake?	Ice Cream
Physical Books or E-Books?	Physical Books
Coffee or Tea?	Coffee
Sunrise or Sunset?	Sunset

It's Giveaway Time!

Maria is generously offering one lucky winner a critique package: pitch, query, and manuscript! To enter the giveaway, comment on this post with your name and email address so we can contact you if you win!

For extra entries, follow Maria and share this post on Twitter!

That's it! The giveaway closes on Tuesday, October 3rd at 11:59pm.

Be sure to connect with Maria through her website or find her on social media!

Twitter: @mariappope IG & Threads: Cuentosforkids