We are thrilled to introduce you to our newest published author, Tony Chen! Tony recently published his book, The Hoop Dream: A Basketball Story, through our Fresh Ink publishing program. In Fresh Ink, youth authors with a completed draft of a novel are mentored through a chapter-by-chapter revision process. At the end of the program, the author is guided through the publication process resulting in an ink-and-paper book they can hold in their hands and share with other readers! We interviewed Tony about his experience in the program. Keep reading to learn more about Tony‘s book and Fresh Ink.
Interview with Tony Chen
Did you enjoy revising your story in layers? What did you learn about revision by working on it stage by stage?
It took a while, but the revisions were worth the wait. I spotted many out of place sentences that I didn’t see before, and it greatly helped my book.
What problems did you run into in your revision and how did you resolve them?
I found some items I described in the book were too new to exist in the 1930’s (which is when the story took place) and had to substitute them for slightly newer things.
What is something that surprised you about revising?
It’s not as hard as I thought! I reread the book a couple times and that was that. It’s surprising how much you can find just by reading your book out loud.
What would you tell someone who wrote a novel and is not sure they want to do revisions?
If you don’t want to, it’s fine! as long as you think your book is ready, you should start publishing!
Grab your copy of The Hoop Dream by Tony Chen online at Barnes and Noble or request a copy from your favorite indie bookstore.
