Book Friends Forever Podcast

Alvina and Grace
  • 4.9 (236)
  • Books
  • Updated Weekly

Children's book publishing's secrets are revealed as we listen in on fascinating, unguarded, insider discussion from two uniquely qualified best friends: award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, and one of NYC's top editors, Alvina Ling. Go behind the scenes of kid lit and catch a glimpse of the lives of the best-selling author and editor, and the relationship between them.

  1. Sep 3

    Easy vs Hard!

    Grace and Alvina discuss how publishing and writing is hard, and why it should or shouldn't be. They talk about the stereotype of the tortured artist, and while the act of creating art doesn't have to be hard, but that the publishing part perhaps does need to be in order for it to be a true accomplishment. They talk about how if things are hard now, things may be easier later, while other things may be easy now, but make things harder later. They talk about what things should be hard, and what things should be easier (like taxes and healthcare). They talk about how the sense of accomplishment comes from doing hard things. And, how balance in your life is important. For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about how they currently use (or don't use) AI in their own lives, and what is ethical vs unethical usage. They talk about a recent article about AI usage amongst Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.  Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1   Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  2. Aug 28

    Book Friends Forever and You, Me, and the Writing Journey Podcast crossover

    Grace Lin and Alvina Ling are joined by Danielle Render Turmaud, host of the podcast You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast to do a crossover episode! Danielle is a therapist and a kidlit author, and You, Me, and the Writing Journey meets at the intersection of all thing literary + mental health, so they discuss anxiety and stress in the writing industry. The distinguish between the anxiety and stress involved with the actual writing vs publishing. They talk about the potential joy of the doing/writing, but the stress and anxiety that's introduced once you share your work with others, try to get published, and then actually get published! Danielle talks about how your writing can change, and your relationship to writing can change, once you decide that publishing your writing is your goal. They talk about how publishing brings the market and capitalist element into your art. They also talk about how uncertainty in publishing contributes to anxiety, as well as the personal nature of writing, and the danger of comparison.  Danielle shares a few factors that research has found that are highly likely to contribute to stress: lack of control, suddenness, and ambiguity. They discuss how these three factors are intrinsic in the industry. They also talk about how stress and anxiety manifest in their lives and bodies (like insomnia, rumination, and "stress eating"), and what things they've done to help alleviate their work stress and anxiety. Danielle talks about how to "Feel, release, and accept."   For the Fortune Cookie segment, they each share what they're obsessed with right now. Grace is obsessed with seeing the Dambo Trolls, Alvina talks about her recent TV and book obsessions, and Danielle is obsessed with their new firepit. And they end with what they're grateful for.   Check out the You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/you-me-and-the-writing-journey-podcast/id1791701688   Follow Danielle and You, Me, and the Writing Journey podcast on Instagram: @Drenderturmaud and @YMWJPodcast   Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1   Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  3. Aug 21

    Interviewing!

    Grace and Alvina discuss interviews--both conducting good interviews and being a good interviewee--Grace had recently had an interview for a surprise opportunity, and Alvina has been interviewing for her new assistant. They talk about what elements make for being a good interviewer, including how all candidates, including rejected ones, should feel like they were fairly assessed. All of the interviews should be conducted with the same list of questions for all candidates, and questions should be crafted to evaluate the specifics of the role requirements. They talk about bias in interviews and when to take that into account. Then they talk about how to be a good interviewee, and how some questions can be misleading in terms of what the interviewer is looking for. If you're interviewing for a position, make sure to do some research about the company you're interviewing for, and use the "STAR" method when answering questions. And, always send a thank-you note after your interview! For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about what they both think is worth waiting in line for. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.  Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  4. Aug 13

    Our Legacies!

    Apologies, as it sounds like Grace's microphone is still not working properly!  Grace Lin and Alvina Ling catch up with each other's lives, and Alvina gives an update on her search for a new assistant, and Grace talks about attending Jane Yolen's memorial service at the Eric Carle Museum. Because of that, it sparked them to discuss what kind of legacies they would like to leave. Jane had touched so many lives, especially from her mentoring and teaching. Alvina talks about her own mentorship in the industry, while Grace admits that mentorship isn't her strength, and that she hopes that her legacy will be the work she produces. She thinks of her books as a "soft place to land" for her readers.  They share some tips on how to leave a lasting legacy, including "it's a marathon, not a sprint" and "know your mission and vision" and "continue to learn and grow." For the Fortune Cookie segment, they revisit the four type of thinkers topic from the previous week--the worries, the domestics, the bodily thinkers, and the work hard play hard thinkers. They looped in their husbands to participate in this very unscientific study to determine what kind of thinkers they are. Then, Grace asks Alvina to tell her about the book NO ONE LEAVES THE MANOR by Kelly McWilliams, a YA historical horror novel that is perfect for summer reading and spooky "summerween"! And then, they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast   Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  5. Aug 7

    2026 Mid-year Check In!

    Grace Lin and Alvina Ling check in on how they're doing with their new year's resolutions at the halfway through the year(ish) point. They remind themselves about their words of the year, and then run through four resolutions each, and talk about their aspirations and what they wanted to get rid of/stop doing this year. For the Fortune Cookie segment, they talk about a recent Guardian article outlining four different types of thinkers: the worriers, the domestics, bodily thinkers, and work hard-play hard. They discuss which ones they think apply to them. And they end as always with what they're grateful for.  Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  6. Jul 30

    CHOP SUEY: Aging, Hiring, Favorite Teacher, and Book Recs with Alison Morris!

    Apologies for the quality of Grace's audio! We're hoping to fix it for next week's episode. Grace Lin and Alvina Ling talk about several topic, including aging--as they're both in perimenopause, they're dealing with issues like frozen shoulder and brain fog, and Alvina talks about being on hormone replacement therapy. And then, Alvina talks about the process of hiring a new assistant and what some of the things she's looking for. For the next topic, they talk about who their favorite teachers have been over the years. And then children's literature specialist Alison Morris joins to share some book recommendations. They end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  7. Jul 23

    The End of Reading? And Raising Readers!

    Grace and Alvina discuss a recent article in the Atlantic that bemoaned the end of reading in our society, the so-called "literacy crisis," and they also talk about Hachette Book Group's Raising Readers initiative to help counter that crisis and encourage parents and other adults to read with their children. They touch on social media use, and how so much of social media is photo or video-based rather than text based, and how instead of text messaging, some people are using voice memos instead. They also touch on AI use. They talk about how dire things are, but how there is still hope and things that we can all do to turn this around. For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about their favorite summer treats, including their favorite popsicle flavor, ice cream flavor, and summer drink. And they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

  8. Jul 16

    Nature vs Nurture!

    Grace and Alvina talk about that age-old question of nature vs nurture and how much people's genes versus upbringing and environment affect their personalities and lives. Alvina has been particularly thinking about this topic because of all of the different children in her life that she's been interacting with recently, including the "bio-kids" of her husband, who is an identical twin, compared to their niece and nephews (the children of her husband's twin brother). There have been a lot of twin studies done for this debate, and they discuss some of these studies and what they reveal, including how aspects like one's religiosity are proven to be related to "nature". They talk about how talent is affected, as well as intelligence and personality. And, they also talk about parenting styles. For the Fortune Cookie segment they talk about the silliest things they've seen online recently that has made them laugh. And they end as always with what they're grateful for. Click here to become a Patreon member: https://www.patreon.com/Bookfriendsforever1. Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Bookfriendsforever_podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bookfriendsforever_podcast/

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4.9
out of 5
236 Ratings

About

Children's book publishing's secrets are revealed as we listen in on fascinating, unguarded, insider discussion from two uniquely qualified best friends: award-winning author/illustrator Grace Lin, and one of NYC's top editors, Alvina Ling. Go behind the scenes of kid lit and catch a glimpse of the lives of the best-selling author and editor, and the relationship between them.

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