On the Cusp is a regular series I do on this blog, comprising an interview with another writer who’s about to become a traditionally published debut author. I send them the standard list of ten questions and ask them to please pick five, and to also answer the bonus question.
This week we have Ali Terese, who I know via an online writing group. Ali lives in the US and her middle-grade novel Free Period will be out with Scholastic on March 5. Pre-order it via one of the links here.
Why this genre? Why this age group? Why these characters?
Free Period is a middle grade story of friendship and period equity where a couple of chaos monsters fight for maxipads in school bathrooms for all students who menstruate. It is full of bestie banter, wildly weird crafts like Crochet Cuterus Uteruses, and delightfully disgusting desserts like Maxi-Grahams and Tampretzels.
It is about a serious issue—you can’t learn if you don’t have the period care you need to attend class—while being lots of fun, which I think is a great part of writing for middle grade readers. They’re really starting to appreciate that the adults in their lives don’t have all the answers and that they’re going to have to create their own futures while also being hilarious. And you never know if they’re going to hit you with an epic fart joke or scathing satirical comments next. I feel really lucky to connect with that kind of humor through my writing for children and hope it helps them navigate tough issues with big laughs and big feelings.
What’s surprised you the most during this whole pre-publication process? What have you enjoyed the most?
Scholastic has sent me to events all over the country in the lead up to publication, and it has been an incredible experience to connect with booksellers, teachers, librarians, and non-profit leaders who say there is a real need to stories like Free Period that center period experiences for tweens and teens in a positive way. And of course I love talking about maxi-pad cupcakes when everyone is trying to eat lunch at the convention!
What do you wish you’d understood better beforehand, about the business?
I wish I had better understood that a lot of advice which is very helpful in adult markets can lead to a waste of time and money for middle grade authors. We all need to learn how books are sold in the specific age group and genre for our work and what author actions can actually make a difference. I was thrilled to see that the Authors Guild is developing kidlit-specific publicity and marketing programming for 2024 because I think it will help a lot of debuts plan better.
Any plans yet, for publication day?
Yes! I’m launching Free Period in two parts! First, on Sunday 3 March at 4pm at a fantastic indie bookstore called The Curious Reader in Glen Rock, NJ we’re going to have a craftivism party where we’ll talk about the book, discuss how you can change hearts and minds through art in action, and make crafts getting out the message on issues young readers care about. Then on Tuesday 5 March at 4pm at the Enoch Pratt Free Library (Pennsylvania Avenue) in Baltimore, MD we’re going to have a book talk where young readers get a free copy of Free Period while supplies last. I still can’t believe it! So if any New Jersey or Maryland friends can make it, I would love to see you at one of these events!
What’s next?
More funny stories for young readers!!
Bonus question: Is there anything else you wanted a chance to talk about?
If you’re reading this and you menstruate, take a moment to check in with yourself on your own wellbeing. Do you have the products you need for safe and effective period care? Is your period interfering with daily activities? Are you getting adequate medical care for your period-related issues? Are you getting the support you need at home and at work around menstruation?
For more information, including the patterns for the marvellous crochet creatures in the image above, visit Ali’s website.
Photos copyright Ali Terese 2023.
Lisa Tirreno 