Once Upon a Quinceañera by Monica Gomez-Hira | Debut Friday
Hey everyone! Welcome to Debut Friday!
For today’s feature, I chatted with Monica Gomez-Hiraz, the author of "Once Upon a Quinceañera", a YA Contemporary Romance standalone that will be released on March 2, 2021.
Read ahead to see what Monica has to say about her publishing journey, her debut novel and her best advice for aspiring debut authors!
1. First off, congratulations on being published! How does it feel to be in the final steps of becoming a published author?
Monica: Thank you so much! It's a bit surreal to think that the story that lived in my head (and on my laptop) for so long is now going to be out in the world, for others to read and (hopefully!) enjoy. Is there a word for terrified and excited and exhilarated all at once? Terrixcited? Because that's exactly how I feel. It's just been a dream for a really long time.
2. From what I've heard, the publishing process was not an easy journey. What was the hardest part of the process for you and what did you learn from it?
Monica: My journey has been a bit unusual, in that I found my amazing agent through an online mentoring program called #PitchWars. I worked closely with a published author (Rachel Lynn Solomon, who is brilliant) to revise my manuscript, and then it was presented in the online showcase that capped the end of the PitchWars session. So, I was lucky enough to get fast tracked through the querying process, and I'm so grateful that I had that opportunity! However, going on submission was still terrifying--would anyone be interested in the book? Would I be able to make the changes that the editors requested in order to make the book the best it could be? I really had to battle through a lot of imposter syndrome and fear at every stage. I'm so lucky that I have people in my life (in publishing and outside of it) that can talk me down from those ledges and bring me back to myself. The solution to the fear was always to take a deep breath, ask questions about anything I didn't understand, and take everything (rejections, suggestions, editorial letters) one at a time. Otherwise, it 's really easy to become completely overwhelmed. My goal is always to come back to work itself, to the words themselves.
3. Did you have any finished manuscripts before you started on "Once Upon a Quinceañera"?
Monica: I had a couple of full manuscripts before I started on Once Upon a Quinceañera, but this was the first one I wanted to revise and revise until I got it right! Maybe someday I'll go back to those earlier stories and think about how to improve them so that they deserve to see the light of day beyond my laptop!
4. What's the one thing you wished you knew about the publishing process?
Monica: Many years ago, I actually worked in publishing---I worked as an assistant editor in NYC and I worked for a literary agent, and I had other jobs in publishing as well. So you would think that I would feel completely comfortable with the whole process, but actually, it feels very different from this side of things! So, that's what I wish I had known...that I didn't know as much as I thought I did! :) Luckily, I'm really open to being a beginner, so whenever I encountered something that hadn't existed back when I worked in publishing, or that was different now, I was happy to learn more about it.
5. Let’s talk about your debut novel! What was the main inspiration behind "Once Upon a Quinceañera"?
Monica: I've always been interested as the quince as a Latina rite of passage--I didn't have one myself, but I knew girls who did. The ritual has changed as Latinx culture has changed (I am talking here of the US, which is my only real experience) but it's really a cultural touchstone, a connection to the motherland(s) and a way to connect back to traditions that some people are afraid are going to be lost. And once I found my main character and my main family, I knew I had a way in to this fun yet fraught custom. I also wanted to explore what it's like to feel like you HAVEN'T had that coming of age experience, and how it can make a person feel like they have fallen behind in some essential way. There are many times in life that feel like a true bridge to growing up, and the quince is just one of those times. A fun one!
6. How did the title "Once Upon a Quinceañera" came along?
Monica: What's funny about the title is that I hit upon it almost immediately when I started my first draft of the story! And I kept trying to find a different one, but the title just captured the fairy tale fantasy feeling of the entire quince experience. The fact that my main character, Carmen, plays a party princess who dresses as Belle for children's parties made it even more perfect.
7. Describe "Once Upon a Quinceañera" in 5 words in one sentence.
Monica: A Latinx-romantic-comedy celebrating second chances! (And that was really REALLY hard!)
8. Alongside your debut novel. what other 2021 YA debut novels you're most excited for?
Monica: So many! I can't wait to read Elise Bryant's book Happily Ever Afters, Kelsey Rodkey's Last Chance Books, Loan Le's A Pho Love Story, Anuradha Rajurkar's American Betiya, Crystal Maldonado's Fat Chance, Charlie Vega, Louisa Onomé's Like Home, and Hot British Boyfriend by Kristy Boyce. And that's just off the tippy top of my head! There's so much great stuff coming out in 2021 that I haven't even begun to scratch the surface. I'm honored to be among their company!
9. As a debut author, what is your best advice to those who wants to become a published author someday?
Monica: I know it's a cliché at this point, but don't give up! Keep working on the stories of your heart, keep reading, keep practicing the craft. There's an amazingly generous writing community online--on Twitter, on Instagram, on Discord-- full of people who will happily read your writing, and share their writing with you. Do things to hold yourself accountable to your work--in my case, I joined a writing group that expected to see at least five pages of SOMETHING once a month. When you are just starting out, it's so easy to put everything else ahead of your writing. We all have responsibilities; families, day jobs, hobbies, school, life. But we need to make sure to carve some space in the busyness for our writing practice, for time to read and think and dream and, of course, put words on the page. It's not always going to flow, and it's definitely not always going to be fun. And on those hard days, it's important to remember that writers are usually not the best judge of their own work, so keep writing, keep learning, keep showing up at the desk and keep showing your work to others. Learn to take feedback, even when it's pointing at something that seems difficult to do or change. But also keep your inner voice in mind--balance the feedback you receive with what you believe is best for your book. This is a task that basically never ends. And, eventually, when you feel ready to put yourself out there and query your book, remember that everyone has different feelings on what a good story is. When you get rejected (and you will get rejected, absolutely everyone does!), take a day to lick your wounds, and then keep trying. Because that's the only way to find that person who WILL see the potential in your work, and who will be excited to work with you. Also! There are so many great contests out there, so do your research and jump in. Because you absolutely never know!
10. And my last question! For the readers who are still hesitating to pick up "Once Upon a Quinceañera", why do you think they should give it a go?
Monica: Because we all need to have an absorbing, fun, fast, romantic read during These Uncertain Times! Seriously, I wrote this book as a way to reach back to my teenage self--I always wanted to be the star of the romance, but it seemed like only upper middle class blonde teenage girls from the suburbs got the epic love stories. I wanted to write something that showed that we ALL deserve that toe curling romance, with all of the attendant highs and lows and dancing and drama. Because we really do!
Thank you so much for reading for reading today's feature!
A huge shout-out to Monica for being a part of Debut Friday!
You can follow her on her Instagram (@mardou99).
And don't forget to add "Once Upon a Quinceañera" to your Goodreads!
You can click here to add it.