On Continuing to Write and Publish New Books: Interview with Sally J. Pla and Invisible Isabel Giveaway

Happy Monday Everyone! Today, I’m thrilled to have author Sally J. Pla here to share about her newest MG contemporary, Invisible Isabel. Sally is an award-winning author. Her newest release sounds like a book that many middle graders and some adults (including me) can relate to. I’m really looking forward to reading it.

Here’s a blurb from Goodreads:

In this illustrated middle grade novel by Schneider Award-winning author Sally J. Pla, introverted Isabel Beane learns how she can speak up to help quiet the worries she feels. For fans of Elana K. Arnold and Leslie Connor.

Isabel Beane is a shy girl who lives in a home full of havoc and hubbub and hullabaloo. With five siblings, there is too much too much-ness.

At the same time, there’s a new girl at school who is immediately popular, but she’s also not very nice to one person—Isabel.

Isabel has never felt more invisible. She has so many fears: being abandoned by her old friends at school, having to speak to strangers in public, taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, it seems like they get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?

Hi Sally! Thanks so much for joining us.

1. Tell us about yourself and how you became a writer.

Like Isabel, I didn’t have much success with “talking” as a means of communication, when I was an undiagnosed autistic kid, back in the 1970s. So, writing things down, scripting out conversations in advance, making up stories to either prepare for something or assess how something went wrong  – “writing” was crucial to me for survival. 

As I got older, things got easier. I became a journalist, a business magazine editor, a freelance corporate writer. But I always yearned to write meaningful, artful fiction. Two things finally made it happen. 

(1)  I became a library aide in my neurodivergent sons’ school, and realized there were NO books that respectfully represented their different brain wiring, their lived realities. No respectful disability books at all, really. No true modern representation. I started dreaming about how I might fill that need.

(2)   I got a cancer diagnosis, which made me reevaluate priorities. I decided my life’s legacy was not going to be a pile of downstream marketing reports. I needed to give myself permission to dream bigger. So, I started a fiction-writing career in middle age. 

2. I’m sorry you were diagnosed with cancer, but it’s great how you decided to focus on what’s really important to you. Where did you get the idea for Invisible Isabel and how much did you draw on your own experiences in middle school in creating your story? 

Isabel is very much me. The story idea grew from the notion of butterflies. 

I’d dreaded school as a child. It was a perfectly decent suburban school, with kind teachers. But I was super-sensitive, so school was a cacophony of screeching bells and flickering lights and shouts and noises and startling movements and bewildering expectations. 

On the bus each morning, I’d get anxiety palpitations, as if something was tumbling and fluttering in my chest. I told my grandmother, who tried to dismiss it. She said, “Oh, pshaw, that’s just a regular old case of the butterflies.” 

But it didn’t feel like “butterflies.” Butterflies were delicate and pretty. This felt more like big, scary, heavy, dusty worry-moths flapping around inside me! And that’s what I imagined they were. I scared myself with my own imagination. Isabel does the same. In the book, it’s humorous—but the sensations of fear are real, as anyone with anxiety knows. 

Anxiety is on the rise. Learning to name and tame your anxiety, and to understand your mind-body connection, learning to face fears: these are all parts of Isabel. 

3. I so agree with you that more kids and adults are anxious these days. What made you decide to write this story as a novel in verse and what were some of the challenges you faced in writing it in verse rather than prose? 

I wanted to lift the subject matter with a light touch, with simple, wry, quiet humor. Spare text. I wanted the illustrations to do some of the lifting. (Tania de Regil did the lovely illustrations). Verse forced me to be economical, to keep to the important bits. I loved the discipline of that. 

Your Writing Process and How You Continue to Write and Publish New Books 

4. What is your plotting process like, and how has it changed since you wrote your debut book, The Someday Birds, in 2017?

I haven’t really changed my “technique” (I use that term loosely) since The Someday Birds.

I start plotting by spilling out a rough summary, everything I can think of, start to finish. Then I look to see where it could divide into acts. It always seems to naturally fall into 3 or 4 acts. Then, I more properly think through the scenes needed in each act. I revise and finesse those scenes. And through all this, I know it all might drastically change. 

Then, I call a friend of mine who’s a screenwriter and a whiz with structure. She helps me with my projects and I help her with hers. I highly recommend finding an “idea-sparring partner” friend like this. We laugh, argue, shout, point out problems and pluses, laugh some more. We get really excited! It’s always a super fun conversation and leaves me stimulated and full of ideas and eager to start. 

Finally, I open a nice fresh word doc and start. I spend an inordinate amount of time finessing the first 50 pages until everything feels right—character, voice, setting, pacing, action, inner and outer conflict. Like ‘locking in the coordinates’ of the ‘battleship’ of the book, getting the prose pointed in the right direction. 

Or does that sound too clunky or mechanical? What all this is for, what I want the book to feel like, is organic: a symphony that starts with the hum of a single mysterious note and then grows in waves of interweaving harmonious/dissonant strands. And now maybe that sounds pretentious, haha. I know I may never accomplish this! But it’s what I want... 

5. How awesome that a friend and you help each other out. Since The Someday Birds released, you’ve published three middle grade novels—Stanley Will Probably Be Fine, The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, and Invisible Isabel—and two picture books—Benji, The Bad Day, and Me, and Ada and Zaz. How long did it take you to write these books, and what is your writing schedule so you continue to produce so many picture books and middle grade novels? 

It takes me the better part of nine months to a year to write a roughly 55,000-word MG novel draft. I have contracts now so I have to be expedient. I usually know well in advance what my next story will be about. 

Honestly, if I am not working in some way on a story, I feel at a loss. My brain loves the structure and focus of a gainful project. I like to stay occupied. I like to have part of my brain always living in a story world. Having a place to dream is what helps me cope with the world-world. 

6. What’s your advice to other writers on how to keep getting published after a debut book and how to write fast enough to keep having books to sell? 

What is your compelling reason? Why do you write? Identify that. What do you care about, what do you want to convey? What are you trying to say? Do you have a platform of some sort? Are you filling a need or a want in some unique or meaningful way, or in a fun entertaining way? What’s the goal? Know this, and writing toward this, helps define you and your readership and your ‘niche.’ 

For me, my mission is to populate children’s literature with as many natural, nuanced, authentic, neurodivergent characters as I can, so that more young readers can see themselves authentically and genuinely reflected in a story. Representation matters. I believe in this passionately. I care deeply about our children with extra challenges. 

There is such a need. Disability representation as a whole, according to the CBCC’s last data, was at about 3 percent of books published. Neurodiversity is even less—maybe somewhere around one percent. I want these children to see themselves in stories. I want to represent the unrepresented. 

Your Journey to Publication 

7. Wow! That’s such great advice. You’re represented by Sara Crowe Literary. How did you get your agent and what was your road to publishing your first book like? 

I adore not only the amazing Sara, but so many of her writer-clients! I love nuanced, sensitive, intelligent stories of contemporary realism, and Sara represents some of the top such writers working today! I came to Sara via Pippin Properties, and before that, Full Circle Literary. I’ve had to change agents in the past because they’ve moved on to different careers, or I’ve moved, or situations just changed. This happens. It’s a tough business, and important to be flexible, as well as philosophical. And to try to be kind, and treat everyone respectfully, and never burn bridges if you can help it. 

My road to publishing my first book (The Someday Birds) was quick and exciting. I was lucky. It sold fast and there were bids. 

8. Has the submission process changed at all over the years for you? If so, how? 

Starting out as a debut, you must cast your submission net very widely. But if you are lucky, after a while, you might find a “home:” a stable editor-author relationship at a publishing house you love. And then the submission process becomes more customized. 

I think I have finally found that with my wonderful editor, Alexandra Cooper. She is the best. I’m so grateful to her and Exec VP Rosemary Brosnan for their warm support at Quill Tree Books (HarperCollins). Quill Tree lifts up underrepresented voices. I love this imprint, and adore its team of brilliant and dedicated people. I hope I can work on many more books with them, even as I acknowledge that publishing is TOUGH, and full of changes no one can predict.  

Promoting Your Book 

9. How are you planning to promote Invisible Isabel? How has your marketing of your books changed since you were a debut author and why did you make those changes? 

As a kid, I quit Girl Scouts because I could not handle selling cookies. Just so you know: I am not a seller! 

So I did not do much marketing for my first two books, beyond throwing a launch party (which was fun!) and doing just a few events and online guest posts. I did work hard to build my connections with educators and booksellers. I think this is very important. Help the teachers find your book, and offer them whatever help you can, if they decide they want to use it in their classroom. I prioritize that. 

This time around, I’ve spent some of my advance to hire local book publicists at Blue Slip Media, and they’ve been lovely to work with. They are putting together a little media kit for Isabel – it will even have a little felt “worry moth” that my artist-friend Emily is making. 

Will this move the needle of sales at all, for Isabel? Probably not. But it’s fun, and it will bring some smiles. 

My publisher submits my books for trade reviews and distributes advanced review copies (sometimes hard copies, sometimes only electronic), and they focus on school and library, which is wonderful. I’m the one who’s responsible for guest posts, social media, school visits, book tours, other appearances, etc. I am doing as much of that as I can. 

I don’t travel much, as I have some physical disabilities, plus it is a sensory burden, and I feel badly about that – that I don’t have the resilience to travel more right now. Connecting with young readers in person is the best part, and sadly, the rarest part of my job right now. But I am always available if an educator wants a virtual classroom visit. 

10. It’s good to know that you can figure out a way that works for you to market your books. What advice do you have for authors, especially those who are starting their author career, about marketing their books? 

The most important thing you can do is to write an absolute stunner of a great book. The best, most perfect book you are capable of. Seriously. 

All the other things, the guest posts, the social media outreach, the bookstore visits, etc etc – these things may not move the needle as much as you first think. I’d say, just relax, and do what you can. Go for it, if that’s your thing – but don’t feel guilty, if it’s not your thing. 

If you can maintain the mindset that this business isn’t really about just selling units, but about making connections and serving young people in some meaningful way, then I suspect you will be happier with your children’s writing career in the long run! Anything else is pure gravy. 

11. What are you working on now? 

A new upper middle grade tentatively titled Rowan and Gemma. Two 9^th graders fall innocently in love in the high school special ed room, unbeknownst to their parents, who are starting a petty political war, splitting the once-harmonious town of Friendship Prairie, and setting neighbor against neighbor. It should be out sometime in 2025! 

Thanks for sharing all your advice, Sally. 

Sally J. Pla is a San Diego-based autistic children's author and advocate whose 2023 novel, The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn, won the  ALA Schneider Award for its literary depiction of disability. Her 2024 novel, Invisible Isabel, pubbed July 9.  Find out more about her at sallyjpla.com. You can find Sally at: 

sallyjpla.com (author website)

Instagram  (@sallyjpla)

anovelmind.com (resource website)

https://linktr.ee/SallyJPla  (media links, more) 

Giveaway Details 

Sally’s publisher is generously offering a hardback of Invisible Isabel for a giveaway. To enter, all you need to do is be a follower of my blog (via the follower gadget, email, or bloglovin’ on the right sidebar) and leave a comment by August 3rd. If your email is not on your Google Profile, you must leave it in the comments to enter the contest. Please be sure I have your email address. 

If you mention this contest on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog and/or follow me on Twitter or follow Sally on her social media sites, mention this in the comments and I'll give you an extra entry for each. You must be 13 years old or older to enter. This book giveaway is U.S. 

Marvelous Middle Grade Monday is hosted by Greg Pattridge. You can find the participating blogs on his blog. 

Upcoming Interviews, Guest Posts, and Blog Hops

Monday, July 29th I have an agent spotlight interview with Sheila Fernley and a full picture book or three-chapter MG or YA critique and a one-hour Zoom call giveaway 

Thursday, August 1st I’m participating in the Apple a Day Giveaway Hop 

Wednesday, August 7th I have an interview with co-authors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows and a giveaway of their YA My Salty Mary 

Monday, August 12th I have an agent spotlight interview with Erica McGrath and a query critique giveaway 

Friday, August 16th I’m participating in the Old School Giveaway Hop 

Monday, August 19th I have an interview with author Julie Abe and a giveaway of her MG Tessa Miyata Is So Unlucky 

I hope to see you on Monday!