Meet Delia Ruiz

We were lucky to catch up with Delia Ruiz recently and have shared our conversation below.

Delia, looking forward to learning from your journey. You’ve got an amazing story and before we dive into that, let’s start with an important building block. Where do you get your work ethic from?

I grew up in a hustle mentality-Latino culture. Both of my parents worked since they were children in Mexico and continued to work while they raised my sister and me. My mother would bring us along to go clean homes. I remember playing board games with my sister as my mother cleaned. During the summers we’d host yard sales and tag along to sell at the flea market. My family was always working and they instilled that drive in me. As soon as I could obtain a driver’s license, I started working multiple jobs to save up for college. My parent’s work ethic made me a go-getter but it also taught me to step back a bit and prioritize rest. Now as a mom, I am trying to model rest for my son because as much as work is important, health shouldn’t get the last slot. It’s a working balance to have both.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?

I am a children’s book author with the latest release titled, WAYS PAPI SAYS I LOVE YOU/ Las maneras en que papi dice te quiero, which is a picture book on the 5 love languages. As an author, it feels so special to go back to my roots on the ranch and show a setting outside of the U.S. with the universal theme of love. Knowing your partner and child’s love language can lead to better understanding and communication to know how to give and express love. Everyone has a preferred way of love and this book serves as an introduction to love expression along with backmatter on each love language. I wrote this story in 2022 and it landed me my agent in 2023. It’s taken some years to publish but it will finally be out in 2026.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

When I first started writing I focused on building a community. This has been the most beneficial because I’ve met so many writers and bookish friends along the way that continue to support me today. As I prepared to query back in 2022, I had to remind myself not to let rejections get to me. Sharing my work was vulnerable and getting rejections stung, but you have to keep going. The rejections only made me want to improve and show up again to prove that my stories were worth being on the shelves. Looking back, I signed up for writing courses, took time to read craft books, and even showed up to conferences alone. When a dream matters, you show up and make space for you.

For those wanting to get into traditional publishing I would say invest in your craft. Take the time to watch webinars on Youtube on publishing and craft. Sign up for the writing classes that will help improve your query letter, revisions, and techniques. Lastly, don’t give up! Publishing is a world full of no’s and rejection but there will be a door that opens. Work on revisions that have repetitive feedback, keep the heart of the story, and keep going.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

There are so many talented book reviewers and amazing humans that inspire me to continue sharing the word that Latine books exist and should be on shelves all year. Some people I would love to collaborate with:

Carmen at @tomesandtextiles is an advocate for Latine literature and libraries. She also is a strong community member and supports causes all year from books, politics, and families in need. I admire all her work.

Daisy Annaly Campuzano @cooking_with_daisy_ bridges her Mexican-American life through recipes, lifestyle, and motherhood. Her work is a strong representation of being bicultural and still honoring your roots.

Mirelle Ortega @msmirelle is an award winning author-illustrator. Her work is full of expression, culture, artistic details, and displays familial love. I’m putting it out there to have a book project one day.

Sí Sabo Kids @sisabokids have bilingual books and games perfect for any home. Whether you’re learning Spanish or raising bilingual kids, their resources are so handy! I admire their message and dedication.

Gabriela Bañuelos @0hgaby is an actor, host, content creator, and overall an amazing host. I grew up watching her on Youtube and am excited to see another Latina succeed and embrace her roots. Her dedication is remarkable.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Bethany Williams

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