Many debut authors don’t end up selling the first novel they ever wrote. Was this your first manuscript or do you have others stashed in your desk drawer?
This actually was the first book I’ve ever written. It was the story I had in mind ever since I was a high schooler. Of course, it wasn’t completely fleshed out in my mind, but I kind of knew loosely some of the topics that would be explored in the book. It took 10 to 15 years of just thinking about it and dreaming, and then finally starting to write it as a short story.
I was very overwhelmed at the time because I had two young boys who are just 17 months apart. I was in the thick of being a mom, plus we had just moved to a new city. But I showed the story to my friend, Lauren Fox (now a New York Times best-selling author) and she invited me to join her writing group. She suggested I flesh it out into a novel, and it was sort of the permission I needed to overcome my imposter syndrome. I wrote a 165,000 word story, which I had to cut to about half that length.
When did you realize that it was meant to be a YA novel rather than a literary short story?
I think there was a part of me that knew all along. The truth is, I'd always wanted to write a novel for young adults. When I was young, the books I read were friends to me. They helped me work through so many challenges and became part of my fabric. And yet I didn’t feel like I knew exactly what I was doing. I just had a story in mind, and I was reading a lot of Alice Munro and James Baldwin—adult literary fiction. It was my writing group who felt the voice sounded more YA. I took it as permission to go forth and finally write that young adult novel I'd for so long dreamed of.
What were some of those influential books you read as a teen?
Bridge to Terabithia, Tuck Everlasting, and anything by Judy Blume. Forever was a book that really stayed with me. Especially the exploration of sexuality and the fact that high school relationships don’t always end in happily ever after.
How did you channel the voice of your teen protagonist Rani?
Sometimes I would practice creating character sketches or write a throwaway scene to get the voice right. It helped that I had such a close connection with certain challenges Rani goes through. This is very much a work of fiction in that no scene from the book comes from my own lived experience, but I understand the emotions and the themes that she struggles with. People I knew in high school and even adulthood managed issues she found herself dealing with, so accessing those voices helped shape Rani's.
What themes were you trying to explore with American Betiya?
I longed for story that explores the balancing of two or more cultures that so many teens of the diaspora navigate, especially the nuances of cross-culture relationships and the role that race plays in our everyday experiences. There’s a sense that racism is about hate crimes, strangers yelling racial slurs, and being overtly cruel. But often, even in some of our liberal cities, it is oftentimes more subtle than that. Bias can take the form of microaggressions, cultural gaslighting, and cultural fetishization, which is a form of objectification. It’s a nuance that’s so important to detail in YA, whether it’s with friendships or romantic relationships.
It’s common to question yourself in the face of microaggressions. It can feel mild at first, so you tell yourself They’re just joking or That person doesn’t know any better. One thing I wanted to do in the story was to exemplify those red flags. When Rani meets Oliver, her love interest, she’s very taken with him because he’s charming, even when he says things that make her feel like something isn’t quite right.
I think as women, we’re conditioned to want to be the best. That’s the significance of the title, American Betiya. ‘Betiya’ is a term of endearment that means daughter or darling. There’s a lot of pressure to fulfill the expectations society puts on you--to be the best girlfriend or significant other, best friend, best grandchild. It is really widespread. In an effort to try to be everything to everybody, it’s so easy to lose yourself.
And you don’t have to be of South Asian descent to understand that element in the story–many of us can relate to that. How far are we willing to go to make compromises for the ones we love?
What’s the story behind the gorgeous cover for American Betiya?
The cover is honestly beyond my wildest dreams. It all started from me perusing Instagram and looking at all these amazing artists posting their work there. That’s how I found Saqiba Suleman, who created the work of art on the cover. It’s actually a piece of art that is hanging in a gallery in Pakistan. I reposted the painting on my own Instagram with a caption that read This reminds me of my main character, Rani. We had a different cover in mind at the time–I thought it was set in stone. I wasn’t 100% feeling like the other cover art reflected the story that well--it appeared too young for some of the themes in the book. After my Instagram post, my editor reached out to me and said, What do you think about us trying to change the cover to this one?
My agent had ensured that there was a clause in my contract saying that I, as an Own Voices author, should have input on the cover. I was grateful that he did that because I was consulted from the beginning, and while the first cover wasn’t perfect for the story, I had a lot of input in terms of revisions to the art. Then, when my editor emailed me about changing the cover to Saqiba's work, I felt truly grateful to have an editor that was sensitive to my vision. It was a really special and exciting moment.
Do you have any suggestions for writers who want to be traditionally published?
The very beginning of everything for me was SCBWI. When I first joined, had just moved to Milwaukee, my kids were really young, and I knew no one. I attended some regional conferences, and the classes were really eye opening. I began to feel like this was something I could actually do. So SCBWI was my baseline, my lifeline.
Secondly, find critique partners who are supportive but who also give constructive feedback. I know everybody’s process is different, but the only way I would send things to my agent was after my critique partners read the pages and provided feedback. Finally, I would say it’s important to research agents carefully, using platforms like Publishers Marketplace and Manuscript Wishlist. Creating a strong strategic plan around pitching your book to agents is essential.
Finally, how are you going to be promoting your book–especially considering the lack of in-person author visits because of the pandemic?
Lots of social media. Twitter and Instagram is where I feel I get the most engagement, and where it feels the most comfortable for me. I’d like to get more into TikTok, because it’s fun and silly. I recently made my first TikTok, which is of me struggling to open my box of books—a little reflection of who I am.
I did my official book launch party through Boswell Books online with my dear friend and author, Lauren Fox on March 9th. The rest of my events are on IG Live: On March 11, I’ll be in conversation with Kathleen Glasgow at 8 pm EST, March 14th with Dr Gayatri Sethi, aka Desi Book Aunty, and the 16th will be with Adiba Jaigirdar, author of The Henna Wars. I’d love to see all my SCBWI friends there!
