Darlene P. Campos is an accomplished indie author whose work centers Latinx narratives. Even though she splits her time between teaching and writing, she still finds space to encourage other writers and promote others’ works. Her first two books were published by Vital Narrative Press, a small POC-owned publishing company, and her third book, Heaven Isn’t Me, is coming out later in October, and thus I wanted to talk about her publishing experience.
Can you talk about what the process of publishing with a small or independent publisher is like? How does the submission process and then the editing phase look like?
I can’t say enough good things about my publishing house, Vital Narrative Press. Since they are a small company, there is a lot of one-on-one time with the editors, smooth and fast communication for any concerns, and an overall family feeling. The submission process for them was about the same as querying agents. In late 2016, I submitted to them via Submittable and followed their guidelines which included a query letter, synopsis, and the whole manuscript. Days later, they offered me a three-book contract.
The editing phase consists of me writing the draft, submitting it to the editors for evaluation, and followed by live meetings on the Zoom app to talk about what’s working and what needs improvement. We also communicate on the Basecamp app in case we missed something during the Zoom meetings.
As my contract with Vital Narrative Press ends with the publication of my third YA novel titled Heaven Isn’t Me (comes out on 10/29), I am now in the querying process again! That’s about as fun as getting a tooth pulled, but it must be done. Vital Narrative Press gave me a chance in the novel world and I will always be grateful for them.
How has community helped you in your writing journey?
I’m lucky to live in Houston, TX. Houston is DEDICATED to local writers. There are organizations like Writers in the Schools, Inprint, events curated by the Creative Writing Program at the University of Houston, Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say, Arte Público Press, Talento Bilingüe (which is on the brink of insolvency!), and Writespace. Every year, these local organizations host famous authors from all over the world which has allowed me to meet Sandra Cisneros, Heather Morris, Angie Thomas, Zoraida Córdova, Elizabeth McCracken, and many others. Special shout-out to Tony Diaz AKA “El Librotraficante” and host of Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say for having me on the show last summer!
How do you decide which ideas are worth pursuing when writing and which ones to keep in the back burner?
Great question! Basically, if I’m working on a piece and I lose interest after a few days, I won’t go any further. I have at least 50 unfinished short stories and poems on a flash drive somewhere in my house.
However, if I’m working on a piece and I just CAN’T stop thinking about it, then I will definitely finish it. The novel I’m currently querying poured out of me so much, I wrote the first draft in 28 days.
You have free reins to collab with another Latinx creative and they’re free and on board as well, who are you picking and what are you making?
Hands down, Meg Medina! Her latest novel, Merci Suárez Changes Gears, is so beautiful. The characters stayed with me for weeks after I finished the story. She’s one of those writers who makes me think, “Wow! I wish I could write like her!”
I would absolutely love to write a family story with her, one in which the family feels real, as if they could be anyone’s next-door neighbors. Perhaps, in some fantasy land, we could write the sequel to Merci Suárez Changes Gears!
How does your identity affect your writing?
I have many identities. I’m Ecuadorian, American, Texan, Houstonian, an educator, a woman, a wife, a bunny mom, and according to a couple DNA tests I’ve taken, I’m a mix of other backgrounds such as indigenous Ecuadorian, West African, and Jewish. However, my parents lived in Brazil before I was born so I grew up hearing them speak Spanish, Portuguese, and English. When I was a kid, my mother cooked fusions of Ecuadorian, Brazilian, and American cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even though I am not Brazilian, I feel very close to Brazil, too.
In my writing, I often combine all or most of my identities to create my characters. But I also like to create characters outside of my own experiences (with proper research, of course) to learn more about the beautiful people around me.
Who do you write for?
Anyone who loves to read YA fiction.
For my great-grandfather, Alcides Martinez Tobar, who was a poet and songwriter. He wrote many songs for local Ecuadorian artists, his most famous one being “Ancla de Amor,” which means “Anchor of Love” in English. I always wear a ring on my right hand that has a heart wrapped in an anchor. Every time I sit down to write, I kiss the ring to remember my great-grandfather and his writing influence in Ecuador. I met him just once when I was a toddler and I do not remember our meeting at all, but if I could talk to him for five minutes, I’d tell him how much I love him, how often I remember him, and how thankful I am for him passing his writing passion down to me. ¡Gracias, Bisabuelito!
Is there a piece of media (book, TV, movie, etc) created by a Latinx that has helped shape your creativity?
The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros was the first book I ever read where I thought, “Hey! This sounds like my life!” and I was immediately hooked. I read it for 8th grade English class and enjoyed it so much, it didn’t feel like homework.
Eugenio Derbez is finally getting the worldwide attention he deserves. He is an absolute genius with his creative works.
I also love the music of Leo Dan, Piero, Vicente Fernández, Sandro, Raphael, Selena (of course!), Juan Gabriel, and Rocío Dúrcal.
Coco is also one of my top favorite movies ever. The writing of this film is GOLDEN.
Shoutout a Latinx writer or creator whom you admire!
Donna Muñoz and Guadalupe Garcia McCall! I went to graduate school at UTEP with these two talented ladies. They wrote such brilliant stories in our classes and they haven’t stopped post-graduation either. It was an honor to have them as classmates and it’s an even greater honor to call them my friends. I am extremely proud of all they have accomplished. ¡Son mujeres en la lucha!
Anything you can share about your upcoming projects?
I’m currently querying my fourth novel, The Center of the Earth, a YA historical based on true accounts from Holocaust survivors I interviewed. Half of the story takes place in Germany and the other half takes place in South America. Unfortunately, I haven’t had any luck with finding an agent so far.
Meanwhile, while waiting for responses from the 80 agents I’ve queried since February, I wrote my fifth novel called Matthew The Riot. This book is another YA, but a contemporary this time around, about a 17-year-old boy named Matthew who’s trying to get a scholarship for medical school. He comes from a low income, single parent household and paying for college seems impossible for him. This novel is a semi-sequel of The Center of the Earth.
I also recently got hired with Heinemann Publishing as a freelance writer for third and fourth grade level reader booklets. I’m very excited about this opportunity as I love writing stories for children. I can’t wait to get started on my first booklet!
Summer Camp is Canceled & Behind Mount Rushmore are available now! Heaven Isn’t Me will be out 10/29/2019.
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Darlene P. Campos
Darlene P. Campos earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Texas at El Paso. She is the author of young adult novels Behind Mount Rushmore, Summer Camp is Cancelled, and Heaven Isn't Me (forthcoming fall 2019) as well as the bilingual picture book, Mr. Ray's Barbershop / La barbería del Sr. Ray. She is Ecuadorian-American and lives in Houston, TX with her husband, David. Her website is www.darlenepcampos.com