Do people ask you questions frequently enough to warrant an FAQ page?

How dare you! But to answer your question…no. But I felt fancy having this page.

What are you working on next?

Another young adult novel ;) This time with a sprinkle of magic and a lot of herbal tea.

Is The Sticky Note Manifesto of Aisha Agarwal based on your own life?

The story is inspired by my life, but not based on it. I was similar to Aisha - struggling to accept myself, daydreaming about a boy that probably wasn’t all that great after all, and I am Indian and did grow up in Michigan! However, unlike Aisha, I wasn’t brave enough to start a manifesto to change my life.

What tips do you have for aspiring writers?

I love the book Bird by Bird. It not only discusses craft, but it also discusses the mental and emotional parts of writing. The only way to become a writer is to write (I know, it sucks), and so if you want to become a writer, you might have to fight your fear monsters in order to write. It can be in between work meetings, weekly, daily, or during a retreat, but you gotta write!

Another thing I want to share is that being published traditionally by a big five publisher is difficult, and is an honor, but it also often doesn’t allow you to pursue writing full time. Author advances are often modest and paid out over a long period of time, and you might not see royalties until you earn out your advance for the publisher. The editing process is also not easy - rewriting your words a zillion times, at times questioning, “but what is this all for?!” Rewriting is a huge part of writing.

My biggest takeaway from this process personally has been that if you want to write, do it because you truly love it…because even if you do “make it,” the money is usually not enough to last you a year living anywhere in the United States, and the experience can be grueling, with no guarantee of commercial success.

How did you get an agent?

I applied to participate in a writers’ mentorship program in 2019 called Pitch Wars, but was rejected. I took the feedback I received and applied again in 2020, and was accepted! Though the program is no longer running, that program was life-changing for me. After that, I submitted my revised manuscript to agents and was lucky enough to land a contract with CAA, signing with Alex Rice and Lola Bellier. If you’ve queried agents and aren’t getting offers, I highly recommend applying to a mentorship program or workshop to understand where your blind spots may be.

Are you on social media?

I’ve been trying to post on Instagram for book updates if that interests you (@ambiwritesbooks), but now that the Algorithm with a capital A controls all…I’d love if you would subscribe to my email newsletter (I know, how Grandpa Shelly of me). I won’t be spamming you with BUY MY BOOK PLZ ads although tempting. I’ll only be sharing updates and thoughts that would hopefully be useful for aspiring writers, or entertaining!