Interview with Kim Harrington, YA and MG #kidlit author

CAROL GORDON EKSTER: Kim Harrington, a fan of Writers’ Rumpus, is an acclaimed author with Scholastic, Penguin, and Sterling Childrens Books. I interviewed her below. Read and be inspired! 

Kim, tell us how you came to writing and about your path to publication.

KIM HARRINGTON: I always wanted to be a writer, ever since I could read. But in high school, I gave up the dream because it seemed unrealistic. So I went to business school, started working in marketing, got an MBA. After my son was born, I went part-time. When he entered kindergarten I found that I had extra time on my hands. I began writing again, mainly as a hobby. I wrote a few books that did not sell, but kept plugging away, learning and working hard. Then I sold my first book to Scholastic! Ten books later, I’m still learning and working hard. And though I’m still not selling every book I write, I’m living the dream.

CGE: Can you tell us about your series with Sterling Children’s called GAMER SQUAD?

KH: GAMER SQUAD is a series about a group of gamer kids who have to save their town from mobile game-related disasters. The books have humor and heart, encourage girls in STEM, and focus on a love for community. I had so much fun writing them! I’ve heard such positive feedback from reluctant readers, teachers, and librarians. It’s been wonderful. The third and final book in the series came out in October.

CGE: What drew you to write middle grade and YA?

KH: Honestly, it’s where my writing voice feels natural. And I love to read MG and YA!

CGE: What is your writing schedule like?

KH: I try to write Monday through Friday while my son is in school. I also have a part-time “day job” as well. I try to keep my weekends for my family, but if I have a deadline I’ll plop myself in the library on a Saturday afternoon too.

 CGE: Tell us some of the highs and lows in your life as a #kidlit author.

KH: The number one high is emails from readers. These are a writer’s lifeblood. They mean so much to me. Another high is seeing my book on a shelf in a bookstore. That never gets old. The low is rejection. Even after publishing ten books, I still write books that don’t sell. That stings. It’s a strange career—you do the work first and then find out if you’re going to get paid for it or not! But I try not to think of it as “six months of wasted work” or anything like that. I learn from every book, even the ones that don’t sell.

 CGE: What does the future hold for Kim Harrington?

KH: I do have exciting news but I can’t share it yet. Hopefully soon!

You can connect with Kim here:

Website

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