SATA
ENTRY TYPE: new
WORK TITLE: EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: https://meredithireland.wordpress.com
CITY:
STATE:
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY: American
LAST VOLUME:
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born in Seoul, South Korea; children: two.
EDUCATION:Rollins College, graduated; University of Miami School of Law, graduated.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Attorney and writer.
AWARDS:Gold Standard selection, Junior Library Guild, for The Jasmine Project.
WRITINGS
Contributor of short stories to anthologies, including You Are Here and When We Became Ours.
SIDELIGHTS
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, September 15, 2021, Amber Hayes, review of The Jasmine Project, p. 64.
Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2021, review of The Jasmine Project; August 15, 2022, review of Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller.
School Library Journal, December, 2022, David Roberts, review of Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller, p. 92.
ONLINE
Meredith Ireland blog, https://meredithireland.wordpress.com/ (May 30, 2023).
Pine Reads, https://www.pinereadsreview.com/ (November 4, 2022), Erika Brittain, author interview.
Quiet Pond, https://thequietpond.wordpress.com/ (September 14, 2021), author interview.
Utopia State of Mind, https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/ (September 20, 2021), author interview.
We Need Diverse Books website, https://diversebooks.org/ (October 5, 2022), JoAnn Yao, author interview.
Meredith Ireland is a Korean American attorney and writer, born in Seoul. She is a Rollins College and University of Miami School of Law alumna. She writes young adult and children’s books and is proudly represented by Lauren Spieller of Folio Literary Agency. Her debut novel, THE JASMINE PROJECT, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, a Best Book of 2021 according to Boston Public Library, and received a starred review from Booklist. Her follow up, EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER, also from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, was named a best book of 2022 by both Forbes and Seventeen Magazine. Her short story was featured in YOU ARE HERE, a middle grade anthology and the inaugural title from Allida/Clarion, which received six starred reviews. She will also have a short story in WHEN WE BECAME OURS, a YA anthology coming October 2023, edited by Nicole Chung. EMMA & THE LOVE SPELL, her debut middle grade fantasy will be out in January 2024 from Bloomsbury Children’s Publishing.
Meredith resides in New York with her two children and a county fair goldfish who will probably outlive them all.
Our Friend is Here! An Interview with Meredith Ireland, Author of The Jasmine Project; On Writing an Adoptee-Centered Story and the Journey of Becoming Who You Want to Be
SEPTEMBER 14, 2021 CW @ THE QUIET POND1 COMMENT
Our Friend is Here! is a guest feature at The Quiet Pond, where authors, creatives, and fellow readers, are invited to ‘visit’ the Pond! In Our Friend is Here! guest posts, our visitors (as their very own unique character!) have a friendly conversation about anything related to books or being a reader — and become friends with Xiaolong and friends.
If you love the sound of a The Bachelorette-inspired YA romantic comedy about a Korean American adoptee whose family set her up with three boys to show her that she’s worth more than her cheating boyfriend, then friends – you really have to read The Jasmine Project. I’ve been in the mood for a funny and heartwarming book about love, and The Jasmine Project hit all the right spots (and if you’re curious, I had the privilege of sharing the first two chapters of The Jasmine Project last week)!
An illustration of an orange tabby cat, looking grumpy, wearing a
Given how much I loved The Jasmine Project, I am truly delighted to have the author, Meredith Ireland, visiting us at the Pond today as a grumpy cat wearing a bathrobe! I adored The Jasmine Project, and I had so many questions about the book – from how Meredith pulled off a great romance with different dynamics, all engaging and delicious in their own way, as well as a heartfelt story about an adoptee teen who learns to love herself (and that love has nothing to do with being an adoptee or searching for her birth parents).
Advertisements
REPORT THIS AD
I think you’re all going to love reading this interview, friends. So, without further ado, before I share my interview with Meredith, let’s have a quick look at the cover and synopsis for The Jasmine Project!
THE JASMINE PROJECT BY MEREDITH IRELAND
Illustration: Kat Goodloe | Art Direction: Krista Vossen
Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college—all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new.
But…what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.
The plan is simple: use Jasmine’s graduation party as an opportunity for her to meet the most eligible teen bachelors in Orlando. There’s no pressure for Jasmine to choose anyone, of course, but the family hopes their meticulously curated choices will show Jasmine how she should be treated. And maybe one will win her heart.
But with the family fighting for their favorites, bachelors going rogue, and Paul wanting her back, the Jasmine Project may not end in love but total, heartbreaking disaster.
Find and pre-order The Jasmine Project on:
Goodreads | Bookshop | Indiebound | Amazon | Preorder campaign
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: MEREDITH IRELAND
CW: Hi Meredith! A warm, warm welcome to The Quiet Pond; it’s lovely to have you visit us today! For our friends out there who may only be meeting you for the first time, can you please tell us a little bit about yourself and shout-out some of your favourite books?
Meredith: Thanks so much for having me CW! I’m so happy to be here. So, a little about me: I’m a Korean American adoptee, an attorney, a mom, and a writer of kidlit books. Some of my favorite recent reads, both adult and kidlit are: Black Sun, the Jade City series, Damsel, the Aru Shah series, and Hello Universe.
CW: Before we dive into your wonderful debut, I’d love to hear more about your writing journey! When did your love for stories start, and when did you start writing? What has your writing journey been like?
Meredith: Well, my dad was a librarian, just like the dad in The Jasmine Project, but unfortunately he passed away when I was young. I always wrote, though–journals and stories to process what was going on in life. Then about six years ago I started taking it seriously. Four years ago I signed with my agent through the fantastic first #DVPit event. We tried to get my adult books acquired, but the climate was different then for diverse stories. I decided to make one of them YA since I really enjoy reading YA and my writing caught the eye of my editor. Together we came up with The Jasmine Project!
CW: A huge congratulations on your debut, The Jasmine Project! I absolutely adored it. There were definitely a few times when I wanted to squeal into a pillow because of how cute it was, and I liked that you balanced the soft and funny parts with some serious stuff too. What inspired you to write The Jasmine Project? And how has the story grown since its first draft?
Meredith: That’s so wonderful to hear! Truly, it just is so fulfilling to know someone enjoyed my story. I love stories that have both light and dark and I’m glad it read as balanced!
The story was very collaborative with my editor. My editor liked the idea of having this big, unwieldy family and the whole cast just came to me so organically. And then we both love reality shows (Love is Blind super fan over here) and it all flowed together from there. I went to college in Florida and Orlando was the first place that really felt like home to me, so I wanted to set it there. The story grew so much emotionally with the help of my editor. She really brought out the essence of Jasmine and why she was afraid to follow her dreams.
CW: Jasmine was such a gorgeous character and I love her with my whole heart. Self-love is a big theme in The Jasmine Project. What was your motivation behind characterising Jasmine as someone who genuinely struggles with feeling good and confident about herself, but then goes on a journey of learning to love and respect herself?
Meredith: I was honestly worried Jasmine would be disliked because she’s not this fierce, burn down the world character that has become popular in YA. She’s a girl who struggles but has inner strength. I think the hardest journey in life is the one you take with yourself–who you want to be. This is true for everyone, but especially teenagers, and I wanted to reflect that. I really hope it’ll help someone out there who is struggling with similar issues to Jasmine.
CW: Let’s talk a little bit about the romance in The Jasmine Project! I liked that you balanced this delicious tropey fun (friends-to-lovers! falling into his arms! the loveable jock!) but then the story evolves into this heartfelt journey about falling in love. From a writing perspective, how did you balance three different dynamics and relationships between the three boys? Did you always know which boy Jasmine would ‘choose’ when crafting the story?
Meredith: I love reading romance! I love that I know the entire formula but still get swept up. I remember being thirteen and reading Nora Roberts, so I love all the tropes as well. When writing my debut I wanted to craft three boys who each bring out a different side of Jasmine, but also serve as a foil to Paul, her sort of ex. Through them she sees what she likes about herself as well as what she thinks should change.
I actually didn’t know who she was going to choose! When I began writing this I thought she’d pick someone differently, honestly. But then when I got into it there was a clear choice. My editor was also okay with her ending up alone and it being all about self-discovery.
CW: Jasmine is a Korean-American adoptee, adopted by her Filipino father and White mother, and she has one other adoptee sibling as well. How much does writing a character who is an adoptee mean to you personally? And what do you hope other adoptee readers take away from Jasmine’s story?
Meredith: I wanted to, first and foremost, have an adopted main character who is doing something other than searching for her birth parents, where it’s just a background facet in her life because that’s the way it is for me. Growing up, I didn’t see myself reflected in books and even today I’m not usually the audience for adoptee stories–they’re very clearly written with a non-adoptee audience in mind. Too often the stories are penned by people who aren’t adopted themselves and they’re unintentionally offensive. I want other adoptees to know they are indeed my intended audience. I have a sibling who I am not related to biologically but I’ve known as my sister my entire life. And I have friends who were adopted and then have another adoptee sibling and for all of us, luckily, they’re just family. I wanted to depict that reality.
CW: Something that I also loved about The Jasmine Project was Jasmine’s big, chaotic, and unconditionally loving and supportive family. (The chapters with the family group chat were one of my favourites; it reminded me so much of my own family’s chaotic group chats!) What was your thought process behind giving Jasmine a big family with (what feels like) hundreds of aunties, uncles, and cousins?
Meredith: I loved the group chats too! I thought it was a great way to get so many characters across without them bogging down the narrative.
I used to have a very large Italian family. Sadly, they were mostly elderly by the time I came along, so my family isn’t as big now, but I remember Sunday dinners and large family parties and the various distinct personalities there. I wanted to give people who may not have large loving, supportive families as safe place, even for just 400 pages, where they’d feel loved and included too.
CW: Thank you so much for visiting today, Meredith! My last question is one I ask all of our guests (and I suppose it’s quite topical, since Jasmine loves to cook): What is a food that reminds you of ‘home’ – wherever or whoever that may be?
Meredith: Sunday dinner! My family is Italian American and Sunday was about antipasto, pasta with gravy, braciole, meatballs, sausage, roasted chicken, pastry boxes with red string, and cards after dinner.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Meredith Ireland is a Korean-American attorney and writer, born in Seoul. She is a Rollins College and University of Miami School of Law alumna. She writes adult and children’s books and is proudly represented by Lauren Abramo of Dystel, Goderich & Bourrett LLC. Her debut novel, THE JASMINE PROJECT will be published on September 7, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. The forthcoming follow up EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER is scheduled for Fall 2022.
Meredith resides in New York with her two children and a county fair goldfish who will probably outlive them all.
Find Meredith on: Website | Twitter | Instagram
Interview with Meredith Ireland
SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 INAUTOPIASTATEOFMIND 2 COMMENTS
Finding more adoption representation is what I live for and so I’ve been so excited for The Jasmine Project. Being able to interview Meredith Ireland is a true joy. I’m so happy to share these interview questions for a book I love so dearly. Keep reading for this amazing interview.
The Jasmine Project
Jasmine Yap’s life is great. Well, it’s okay. She’s about to move in with her long-time boyfriend, Paul, before starting a nursing program at community college—all of which she mostly wants. But her stable world is turned upside down when she catches Paul cheating. To her giant, overprotective family, Paul’s loss is their golden ticket to showing Jasmine that she deserves much more. The only problem is, Jasmine refuses to meet anyone new.
But…what if the family set up a situation where she wouldn’t have to know? A secret Jasmine Project.
The plan is simple: use Jasmine’s graduation party as an opportunity for her to meet the most eligible teen bachelors in Orlando. There’s no pressure for Jasmine to choose anyone, of course, but the family hopes their meticulously curated choices will show Jasmine how she should be treated. And maybe one will win her heart.
But with the family fighting for their favorites, bachelors going rogue, and Paul wanting her back, the Jasmine Project may not end in love but total, heartbreaking disaster.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/56980402-the-jasmine-project
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1534477020/ref=x_gr_w_bb_sin?ie=UTF8&tag=x_gr_w_bb_sin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1534477020&SubscriptionId=1MGPYB6YW3HWK55XCGG2
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-jasmine-project-meredith-ireland/1138779269;jsessionid=648EE330CF32FA7CACB7F9D124BE5FCC.prodny_store01-atgap07?ean=9781534477025
Book Depository: https://www.bookdepository.com/The-Jasmine-Project-Meredith-Ireland/9781534477025
IndieBound: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781534477025
Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-jasmine-project/9781534477025-item.html?ref=isbn-search
Author Interview
How did the side characters come alive for you? Did any of them change through drafting?
My editor had suggested Jasmine have a big family and I was totally game. I wanted to write characters that reflect the world around us—both in race and sexual orientation. The trick was to have large personalities with small roles because it was such a large cast. Jasmine having two close friends who are different from her was a goal of mine. I’d originally included more on June’s family upbringing and Emily’s parents’ divorce, but there simply wasn’t the space for it without detracting from the narrative. Everyone else just kind of came to me, almost as written, especially her bickering cousins.
What advice would you give to yourself?
So advice… I think it’s appreciate how far you’ve come. I had a moment the other night where I got an absolutely amazing review and then got upset that it wasn’t a star (starred reviews affect marketing) until I thought: are you seriously upset about a glowing review that said zero negative to even your hyper-critical brain? It’s very easy in this industry to let the goal posts shift on you, to look at the next benchmark and not behind, to forget how incredible it is to even write a book. I’m trying to take time to admire how far I’ve come from my original manuscript which was an underwater Hunger Games knockoff (lol, no seriously).
What was your journey to publishing THE JASMINE PROJECT?
It was a long and twisty road. I started out six years ago and wrote some truly bad manuscripts. I hadn’t read anything published recently. I hadn’t understood craft. I just wrote The Hunger Games rip off to do something with my mind. And then I started taking it seriously. I wrote a book called SCATTERED, which was adult, and signed with my agent. Then people don’t usually talk about the time in between signing and getting that first book deal and it’s a really difficult period because it feels like it should be happily ever after, but it’s just the beginning. SCATTERED didn’t sell as adult. This was about three or four years ago and adult still is behind kidlit in diversity and was very behind then. I next wrote a domestic suspense and it was really hard to hear: we love this, we just don’t know how to market it because it wasn’t straight and white. So I went back to SCATTERED and made it YA. The whole concept didn’t really work as YA, but my writing caught my editor’s eye and together we came up with THE JASMINE PROJECT! And now within the next two years I’ll have four books with my title on the cover. It’s a wild ride.
Do you have other favorite stories with adopted MCs?
I think so few are done well, honestly. I’m always extremely disappointed when I pick up a book by a few Asian American author and it’s about an adoptee and I think: yay! Then I read it and it’s more offensive than other stories I’ve read. That said, I did really like Ashely Woodfolk’s THE BEAUTY THAT REMAINS.
About the Author
Meredith Ireland was born in Korea and adopted by a New York librarian. Her love of books started early and although she pursued both pre-med at Rollins College and law at the University of Miami, stories were her fate. She currently resides with her two children, and Bob, a carnival goldfish, who’s likely a person. She writes young adult books, some of which you may like. The Jasmine Project is her debut novel.
Interview with Meredith Ireland
November 4, 2022 Erika Brittain 0 Comments
About the author: “Meredith Ireland is a Korean-American attorney and writer, born in Seoul. She is a Rollins College and University of Miami School of Law alumna. She writes young adult and children’s books and is proudly represented by Lauren Spieller of Triadaus Literary Agency. Her debut novel, THE JASMINE PROJECT, was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, and is out now! The forthcoming follow up EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER is scheduled for October 11, 2022 also from Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. Kelsie was named a best book of 2022 by Seventeen Magazine. Her short story will be featured in YOU ARE HERE, a middle grade anthology coming winter 2023. She will also have a short story in ADOPTEE TO ADOPTEE, a YA anthology coming 2023. EMMA & THE LOVE SPELL, her debut middle grade fantasy will be out in Winter of 2024 from Bloomsbury Kids.
Meredith resides in New York with her two children and a county fair goldfish who will probably outlive them all.” (Bio taken from author’s website.)
Find Meredith Ireland on the following platforms:
Link
Twitter
Instagram
A huge thank you to Meredith Ireland for taking time to do another interview with us at Pine Reads! Her sophomore YA novel Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller is out now from Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers.
Be sure to check out our review of Kelsie’s story here!
Erika Brittain: To start our interview, I want to say thank you so so much for chatting with me about Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller! This is your sophomore novel, published on October 11th, and it is one of my favorite reads this year. How does it feel to have this story out in the world?
Meredith Ireland: Thank you so much for reading and interviewing me! I’m so glad you enjoyed Kelsie! Although it’s my second book, it’s my first original concept so it’s still very special to me. I’m so happy it’s reaching readers!
EB: A major part of this book is the road trip that Kelsie and Eric take. I don’t want to give away too many spoilers, so instead, I want to know about your dream road trip! First, where’s your road trip destination?
MI: I used to drive back and forth to Florida because I went to college and law school down there so I’ve been all up and down the 95 corridor (where some of the book takes place). I’d love to do the Pacific Northwest one day!
EB: Second, what 3 songs are at the top of your road trip playlist?
MI: I like you, I do—Post Malone and Doja Cat
Motivation—Normani
What’s My Name—Rihanna
Like Kelsie, I listen to a lot of pop.
EB: Third, if you could take any 4 of your book characters with you, who’s coming on the trip and where are they sitting?
MI: I think Jasmine wouldn’t mind sitting in the middle. She’s the shortest and the most easy going. Eugene next to her. Kelsie to the other side, behind Eric, which she wouldn’t like. Eric in the passenger seat because he’d want to be upfront and in control.
EB: Now let’s get into the book! Kelsie Miller is a pretty prickly character at first– hence the title– but her growth is one of my favorite things about this story. When writing, were there any moments in Kelsie’s arc that surprised you? Or did you always know how you wanted her story to go?
MI: I’m mostly a pantser so I never really know where a story will go. One of my favorite things about writing is the ability to surprise myself. I knew that Eric was going to have a Forgetting Sarah Marshall type of arc where at first he’s thinking non-stop about his ex but then realizes that maybe the relationship wasn’t as good as he thought. Kelsie realizing she wasn’t the friend she thought she was just happened along the way.
EB: To talk more about Kelsie’s character, I loved reading the candid conversations she has about being adopted from Korea. Kelsie is OK with not knowing her biological mother, and she’s happy with her adoptive family. Being a transnational adoptee myself, this kind of representation made me feel so seen! Can you describe your approach to writing the thoughts of an adoptee in this story?
MI: When I wrote The Jasmine Project, I wanted to tell the story of someone who happened to be adopted. With Kelsie, I wanted to go into her thoughts on it a little more. I had a friend in high school who was also an adoptee but not transracial and her birth mother had gotten in touch with her toward the end of school. I wanted to bring that kind of complicated aspect into a book, because I think as you become an adult you naturally think about where you came from.
EB: Another big part of Kelsie’s story is her friendship with Bri. Kelsie reflects a lot on their friendship, realizing where/when she was in the wrong. What advice would you give to writers who want to create ‘‘strong female characters” but also characters who are relatable and flawed?
MI: For any character, your chapter one MC should not be able to recognize your end chapter MC. But, know that the standard for likability for feminine characters is going to be different from masculine because society judges us differently. What is strong and ambitious in men is often frowned upon and looked at as bossy and career-obsessed for women. All strength in any character, male/female/non-binary, all the time is boring. Show those flaws, those regrets and doubts. Relatability is in the thought process behind a character, so even if you ultimately disagree with their decisions, you know why they chose it, and that makes them real.
EB: We also have to talk about The Romance. Kelsie and Eric fit so many of the best rom-com tropes. Academic rivals to lovers, ‘he falls first’, forced proximity, and arguably a bit of grumpy x sunshine… What was your process for developing their friendship and romance? Was it easy to create their relationship?
MI: I adore rivals to lovers and forced proximity! The hardest thing is to create a situation where they’d believably agree to be together and then the arcs are clearly defined in romance expectations. I loved creating two characters who are so book smart but have so little common sense. Their differences made for humor but also opposites attract.
EB: Switching gears a bit, as I mentioned before, this is your second novel. What things did you learn from The Jasmine Project that helped you when writing Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller?
MI: With any book you write you learn a ton! TJP was my first experience in working with a publishing house. My editor was big on expressing emotions and the emotional arcs of my characters in Jasmine which helped me a ton for Kelsie. With book two I already understood edit letters, line edits, dreaded copy edits, and pass pages, so that helped a lot.
EB: You’ve been very open online about where this story came from. You and Kelsie have a lot in common in terms of high school experiences, being a Korean adoptee and demisexual, and losing a close friendship. How did you maintain healthy mental and emotional boundaries when writing this book?
MI: Yes, I went to one of the humbly named “Elite 9” in New York City and I really wanted to portray that type of pressure to “be something” and how hard it is when you don’t know what you want to be. And although I’ve always known I was adopted, I didn’t figure out I was demi until I was an adult. It would make me so happy if a reader said: wait a second, this sounds familiar and figures out that piece of them as well. But honestly, I wrote this to heal. I did lose my best friend five years ago. After a falling out she died suddenly and nothing really prepares you to lose a childhood best friend. Fiction has the ability to help us tackle the worst things and it was really therapeutic to write this for and about her. There’s so much hope in getting a second chance in a book that I didn’t have in life.
EB: With that, do you have any tips for aspiring writers who want to draw on their own experiences?
MI: I would say if it’s trauma to wait until you do have a little distance from it. With drawing on any experience, particularly marginalized ones, you’ll feel the weight of “getting it right”—but honestly, there’s no such thing. As long as it’s authentic to you, then it’s right. Two people never have the same exact experiences. What I experienced being adopted won’t be the same as you, but if it’s authentic to me then that’s what matters and will resonate. Also, understand that you are not your characters, because if you don’t create that distance it’ll feel like criticism of you when you get reviewed by anyone from critique partners to Kirkus. If it’s too painful there’s nothing wrong with shelving it until time can heal you enough to see the story objectively.
EB: To wrap up the interview, I’d love to hear about your upcoming projects! I hear there are some anthology short stories AND a debut middle-grade book in the next couple of years. Can you share any details?
MI: I’m so excited to have contributed to two all-star anthologies both out next year. The first is You Are Here, a middle grade contemporary anthology that features eleven East and Southeast Asian kids in an airport experiencing micro and macro racism in a post-covid Chicago. The second is Adoptee to Adoptee, a YA anthology by and for adoptees. My story is my first fantasy about a girl who is going to kill her biological sister—something very different! Last, in winter 2024 I have my first middle grade novel coming out. It’s Emma & The Love Spell which I call a queer, witchy Parent Trap.
Spilling the Tea: Author Meredith Ireland on Querying
October 5, 2022 by JoAnn Yao
spilling the tea header featuring an image of a wndb mug with a puff of steam rising from it. the text reads, "spilling the tea: authors on writing, publishing and more"
Welcome to Spilling the Tea, a new feature where we ask authors all about craft, industry ins and outs, and more! This week we have Meredith Ireland on the WNDB blog to discuss the (often dreaded but necessary) practice of querying, which involves pitching not only your manuscript but yourself to prospective agents.
*
Congrats on signing with your new agent! Since you had multiple offers, what questions did you ask the agents that provided the most helpful insights for you?
Thank you so much! Multiple offers is a strange position to be in as you go from hoping so hard for just one person to be interested to trying to decide between dream agents. I asked what their sub strategies would be, the priorities for my works in progress, and for client references. Then I asked those clients what they see as the biggest pro and the biggest con of their agent. It’s always illuminating.
You’ve queried a few different times over your career. How is the climate different now than when you first started?
Querying before you have anything published is a completely different animal than after you do. I remember (and still have nightmares) about the query trenches before I sold my first book—The Jasmine Project. From what I’ve heard, covid burnout has caused the responses to be slower. I will say that many more agents are now actively seeking diverse works and diverse authors than when I first queried.
Following up on the last question, how has your querying strategy changed each time you’ve queried?
I’ve gotten more and more selective. When I was first in the trenches I sent queries to agents I would not have been enthusiastic about repping me, but what people say is true: a bad agent is worse than no agent. The second round I wanted someone who could sell my work right away because, well, paying bills was my priority. This time because my agent left agenting, I wanted an agent who had a vision for my entire career and who was in it for the long haul so hopefully I could avoid doing this again!
meredith ireland pull quote graphic
What can agents be doing to better support their diverse clients?
My last agent was diverse like me and I loved being with someone who implicitly understood my issues, but this is a hard business. I wish the support structure around new agents was better. I think the best thing any agent can do for their diverse clients is to be a sounding board and willing to go to bat with publishers, if necessary. It’s also appreciated when agents say: put me as your contact, so that their clients don’t have to subject themselves to the hate mail that comes from being visible online.
What advice do you have for writers who are struggling in the querying trenches right now?
Hang in there and keep writing. It truly only takes one yes, however, sometimes the story isn’t The One that will break you out. When you’re seeking an agent you’re attempting to move from your book being art to being a business. It doesn’t make your book any less special but now the market comes into play. No trend is done, especially with a fresh spin, however some ideas are much harder to sell than others. I had to trunk four books before I signed with an agent, but I kept at it. Now in the start of 2024 I’ll have five books with my name on the covers.
Anything you’d like to add?
The hardest lesson I had to learn was to not compare myself to other writers. Just as no two writers will ever write the same story, even from the same prompt, no two people in the querying trenches will ever have the same path to publication. I’ve said on Twitter that it may feel like other writers are passing you by but writing success isn’t a horse race. We’re possums stuck in trash bins and you get out in your own time. I stand by that.
*
Meredith’s young adult novel Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller comes out October 11, 2022.
******
Meredith Ireland headshot
Credit: Leila Evans
Meredith Ireland was born in Korea and adopted by a New York librarian and nurse. Her love of books started early and although she pursued both pre-med at Rollins College and law at the University of Miami, stories were her fate. A variety of questionable choices brought her to Upstate New York, where she currently resides with her two children, and Bob, a carnival goldfish, who’s likely a person. She writes young adult books, some of which you may like. She is the author of The Jasmine Project and Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller.
SHARE THIS:
IRELAND, Meredith. Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller. 288p. S. & S. Oct. 2022. Tr $19.99. ISBN 9781665906975.
Gr 9 Up--Ireland takes the age-old friends-to-lovers story and injects it with relevant social commentary for teens, balanced with a healthy dose of comedy. Kelsie Miller and Brianna Hoffman have been inseparable for most of their childhoods, until Bri ups and moves to Seattle to be with her mom, leaving Kelsie in radio silence for a month. Not sure what to do, Kelsie tries emailing and texting her best friend, hoping for a clue as to what happened. In walks Eric Mulvaney Ortiz, the best-looking and most well-liked boy at her high school, who is equally confused as to why he hasn't heard from his girlfriend Jessica. He offers Kelsie a deal--to drive together to the University of Pennsylvania, where both Briana and Jessica are supposed to be, to see why they were ghosted. Hilarity ensues during their adventure, and the tension between them is palpable. Throughout the story, readers catch glimpses of sexual assault and racial prejudice, along with topics such as children of adoption and surrogate parenting. While none of these themes takes up a particularly large amount of text, Ireland handles them gracefully and with enough intent that they will resonate with teen readers. The novel's main characters are Asian and Latine. VERDICT An excellent addition to any YA collection, especially those seeking love stories with diverse characters. --David Roberts
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Roberts, David. "IRELAND, Meredith. Everyone Hates Kelsie Miller." School Library Journal, vol. 68, no. 12, Dec. 2022, p. 92. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A729548062/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6f3d51a8. Accessed 15 May 2023.
Ireland, Meredith EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER Simon & Schuster (Teen None) $19.99 10, 11 ISBN: 978-1-66590-697-5
A road trip with her rival becomes a journey of self-discovery for Kelsie Miller.
Kelsie hasn't heard from her best friend, Brianna Hoffman, for 30 days, not since Brianna left upstate New York and moved to Seattle to live with her mom. Brianna has been posting on social media, so Kelsie knows she's OK but not what went wrong with their friendship. When Kelsie literally crashes into Eric Mulvaney Ortiz, quarterback of their elite private school's football team and her rival for valedictorian, at a party, they start chatting. They realize that Brianna and Jessica Lovelace, the girlfriend who ghosted him, are both going to be at the University of Pennsylvania that weekend, and they come up with a plan to road trip there to win them back. Their time together leads to revelations for Kelsie about misconceptions she's held about Eric, her friendship with Brianna, and herself--including the fact that she is demisexual. Kelsie's realization that she has to address her own issues before she can fix her relationships with other people evolves naturally, and her budding romance with Eric is believable and sweet. Eric and Kelsie also know what it's like to be different in their predominantly White town: Kelsie is a transracial adoptee from Korea, while Dominican and Irish American Eric has two dads and was born to a surrogate mom. They bond over an exploration of family and their origins.
With its focus on personal growth, this is a sweet romance with substance. (Romance. 12-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Ireland, Meredith: EVERYONE HATES KELSIE MILLER." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2022, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A713722783/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0fdc31e1. Accessed 15 May 2023.
Ireland, Meredith THE JASMINE PROJECT Simon & Schuster (Teen None) $19.99 9, 7 ISBN: 978-1-5344-7702-5
Everyone should dream, but Korean American adoptee Jasmine holds herself back.
After high school graduation, she plans to move in with her long-term boyfriend, Paul, and get her nursing degree. But if Jaz let herself dream, she would move to Paris to pursue a culinary career. Her practical plan crumbles when she catches Paul cheating and allows him to talk her into an open relationship. While she is devastated, Jaz’s family sees this as an opportunity. Her large, lively Italian and Filipino extended family, plus ethnically diverse siblings and friends, knows she can do better than settle for Paul, so they decide to secretly stage a competition in the style of TheBachelorette, complete with podcast. They advertise on social media and narrow down the list to three bachelors: former boy next door Justin Michael, minor league baseball player Aaron, and aspiring chef Eugene. As Jaz starts having supposedly chance meetups with the guys, she starts falling for one even as Paul realizes his mistake. Will Jaz returned to Paul and the life she had carefully planned or throw out the script and dare to dream? Occasional plot points around the messy, entertaining, and loving extended family dynamics feel inconsistent and require suspension of disbelief, but Ireland’s charming and fun debut, told through traditional narration with text messages and podcast transcripts peppered throughout, ends on a satisfyingly positive note.
A sweet story of discovering your own worth and finding someone worthy of you. (Romance. 13-18)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Ireland, Meredith: THE JASMINE PROJECT." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Aug. 2021, p. NA. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A671782971/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0c48f444. Accessed 15 May 2023.
The Jasmine Project. By Meredith Ireland. Sept. 2021.400p. Simon & Schuster, $19.99 (9781534477025). Gr. 9-12.
Ireland pens a refreshing YA contemporary about a young girl finding herself and taking a stance to finally live on her own terms. Jasmine has been in a relationship with her high-school boyfriend for four years, and she is content in their relationship. After graduation, they have plans to move in together and begin their happily ever after. Unknown to Jas--but well known to her extended family--Jasmine's boyfriend has been cheating on her and wants to take a summer break to reassess their relationship. Enter Jasmines meddling family as they introduce three boys to Jasmine, a la The Bachelorette, to prove to her that she is deserving of love. This light and spirit-lifting tale weaves family, love, and uncertainty into a classic coming-of-age story. Jasmine and her blended family are the centerpieces as Ireland depicts a family that seemingly has nothing in common but are connected through their love and devotion to one another. To better shape her world and make her characters multidimensional, Ireland makes great use of podcast transcripts and family group chats, which add a pop of color to Jasmine's perspective. This charming read is sure to lure readers in with its promise of romance, but it will truly capture hearts with its affectionate exploration of family.--Amber Hayes
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2021 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
Hayes, Amber. "The Jasmine Project." Booklist, vol. 118, no. 2, 15 Sept. 2021, pp. 64+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A678822194/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=854f3e4e. Accessed 15 May 2023.