WORDS WITH AUTHOR FRIENDS: LYDIA KANG
One of the quotes I repeat most often is, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” In my previous post about Jayci Lee, I hypothesized that there is something in kimchi (that quintessential Korean food) that promotes overachievement. Well, no one proves that theory better than my next author friend, Lydia Kang.
I first became acquainted with Lydia when my sister sent me a signed copy of Lydia’s debut, a young adult novel titled Control. At the time, I had written my own YA novel and was struggling to find an agent who’d represent me. I quickly turned to the back flap of the book to find out more about Lydia, as if the secret to publication success lay within her author bio. That’s when I learned that, in addition to being a debut author, Lydia was also a practicing physician and mother of three. That information somehow made Lydia both more impressive (doctor, mother, and published author???) and relatable (OK, if she can do it with all that she’s got on her plate, maybe I can too).
Fast forward a few years. I’ve written my second book — which would become A GOOD FAMILY — and my agent has sent it out to publishers. Miracle of miracles: I have two offers. I have no idea which one to pick. That’s when I reach out to Lydia, who calmly walks me through the pros and cons of each, like a really good therapist crossed with a fairy godmother.
I finally got a chance to meet Lydia in person this past month when I was visiting my sister in Omaha. Lydia is just as smart and sympathetic in person as she is on the phone. And modest! Since her debut, Lydia has quietly published six more books (with another on the way — see below) and contributed to two anthologies, racked up a bunch of “best of” awards, and mentored countless medical and writing students. And as her followers on Instagram know, Lydia is also a talented artist, incredible baker and cook, hobbyist naturalist and gardener, and devoted mom to human and canine lifeforms.
Readers, I’d like to introduce you to Lydia Kang, the ultimate overachiever.
Name: Lydia Kang
Book title: Opium and Absinthe
Favorite book(s): Jane Eyre. I've probably read it fifty times.
Favorite local bookstore: The Bookworm Omaha (AH note: Agreed! It’s where I bought both books pictured above. And how funny that our outfits match the books we’re holding — totally unplanned! I only noticed it as I was posting the picture.)
Favorite (or notable) quote: (At the moment, this is my favorite! It's the epigraph in my upcoming book, Opium and Absinthe.) “I want you to believe...to believe in things that you cannot.” -Bram Stoker
Where and when do you write: When I'm not in my doctor's office, so about half my week. I write from home, with doggies always nearby.
Favorite thing to do when you’re not writing: Eating. Baking Bread. Eating bread. Playing with puppies. (I have a new puppy, does it show? His name is Sawyer. He's a Yorkipoo rescue. He is a lap snuggler and is the hungriest dog I've ever met.) Hanging out with my family. Wearing yoga pants 24 hours a day. Cooking. Eating my cooking. Watching movies that center on eating and food.
How did you get your agent: After writing my third young adult novel, Control. I racked up a few hundred rejections before that finally happened. My agent is Eric Myers, of Myers Literary Management and he's been my agent for nearly ten years now.
How did you get your first book offer: It was unusually fast. After I signed with Eric, we had the manuscript proofread and cleaned up, and sent it on submission. We received a pre-empt offer from Penguin Random House (back then, it was just Penguin). The offering editor was Kathy Dawson, who now has an eponymous imprint and is an award winning editor. So we said yes!
What advice would you give an aspiring author: Wow, so much advice. First, have respect for what you're intending to write. If you want to be a young adult author but don't read the genre and think "writing for teens is easy", your cockiness will show.
Second, which is part of the first: read a lot. Learn from books you love.
Third, be humble about knowing that you will likely have a lot to learn, and be open to feedback and improving your craft.
Fourth, learn about the publishing industry so you can temper your expectations. It's good to dream big, but it's also good not to quit your day job expecting you'll be as rich as Stephen King after writing your first book.
Fifth, understand that your path to publication may be very different from other people's. It may take you a month to write a book, or five years. You may want a literary agent and a Big Five publisher, or you may want complete control of the process and self publish it. Snobbishness abounds regarding genre, and publishers, and indie publishing and self-publishing. Do it the way that suits you.
What surprised you the most as a new author: That my career as an author was not a slam-dunk from here on out. You have to prove yourself with every book, and I still received rejections on books and pitches after I was an established author.
What are you working on next: I am working on my next book with Lake Union. It takes place in New York City during World War II and involves the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the Manhattan Project, and a mystery lady.
What are you reading now: Sigh. I am reading online articles about puppies and Yorkipoos all the time. Sorry, I'm in puppy-mommy mode!
In the movie version of your life, who would you want to play you: Awkwafina, if she was twenty years older!
Any final thoughts: Wear sunscreen and get your flu shot. Sorry, it's the doctor in me. Hehe.