Marti Dumas is a mom, teacher, and creative entrepreneur from New Orleans. An expert in childhood literacy, Marti has worked with children and teachers across the country for the last 15 years to promote an early love of reading both in and out of the classroom. Her best-selling Jaden Toussaint, the Greatest series combines literacy with STEM skills, and humor, and adds much-needed diversity to the children’s chapter book landscape. Her series, The Secret Society of Rebel Girls is being praised for its skillful combination of science, family, history, and magic.
The Journey: My Path to Publishing
I started my writing career with an un/healthy distrust of the publishing industry. I was working on a series about a kindergarten genius who solves all of his problems with the scientific method, and in a casual conversation, an editor said, “Oh! So he’s urban, but smart!” upon realizing that the protagonist was black with a giant afro. That really stuck with me and made me feel I needed to work to publish in a way that gave me a lot of control. Later on, as I spent more time at conferences and met more people, I met the person who would be my agent while we were standing in line for breakfast. We clicked on a human level that transitioned into a professional connection. I trusted her and her ability to put both me and my characters in good hands. We’ve been working together for five books and counting, and I’m so grateful for her support. When people ask me for advice about finding an agent, my response is that it’s like dating. An agent is a life partner, in a way. You don’t have to grab the first person who looks your way. Y’all should vibe.
The Inspiration: Who/What Inspired Me
It’s been a few years since I taught full-time, but my students still inspire me daily. Even the ones who are all grown up now. (Miss Dumas still loves you!) I’m a firm believer that there is no such thing as a child who doesn’t love reading. There are only children who haven’t discovered something they love to read…yet. Trying to help my students find books they could connect with was one of my favorite parts of being a teacher. Sometimes, I’d have an idea of what a particular child might like, but couldn’t find where that particular book had been written yet. Every one of my books is my attempt to fill in a gap for a real child I knew. That makes it easy for me to press forward even when the world tells me “No.”The Process: How I Work
Under the Radar
Oof. That early experience with the editor would leave a bad taste in your mouth – I’m glad you’ve moved on to better experiences, and kept going ’til you made it.