Meet Natasha Yim

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Natasha Yim a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Natasha, thank you so much for opening up with us about some important, but sometimes personal topics. One that really matters to us is overcoming Imposter Syndrome because we’ve seen how so many people are held back in life because of this and so we’d really appreciate hearing about how you overcame Imposter Syndrome.

I’m a children’s author, and my first children’s book “Otto’s Rainy Day” was published in 2000. After that initial feeling of pride and euphoria about seeing my name in print and birthing a book that had seen a relatively easy path to publishing by industry standards (the publisher, Charlesbridge Publishing was the first publisher I submitted to for this story), my follow-up projects were rejected by publishers and didn’t gain any traction—for the next 10 years! Granted, I also had 3 kids during this time so finding writing time was intermittent.

Self-doubt and imposter syndrome definitely kicked in. Was I merely a one-book wonder? The first book didn’t sell that well so it wasn’t much of a wonder either. In fact, it went out-of-print within two years. Will I ever publish another book? Could I even call myself a writer? But for me, writing is an addiction. I couldn’t NOT write. And I LOVED the magic of creating stories for children. So, I kept on writing. I never lacked for ideas, but perfecting those stories took a ton of revisions and perseverance. I tried to keep my focus on the creative process (which I had full control of), and not on the publishing process (which was often out of my control). I wrote different things—magazine articles, nonfiction and picture book biographies—and eventually, worked with a small press to publish two picture book biographies. Having smaller projects published helped with my confidence. Then, after many years in the making, Charlesbridge Publishing acquired my fractured fairy tale, “Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas”, which became a Junior Library Guild and a Scholastic Book Fair selection.

“Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas”, an Asian-inspired twist on the Goldilocks and the Three Bears story, centered around Lunar New Year, and seemed to hit the right chord with teachers, librarians, booksellers, and parents. Barnes and Nobles bought the entire print run a week after its release and it quickly went into a second printing. The success of this book fueled my confidence to keep creating. However, the world turns very slowly in publishing, so there seemed to be long, dormant periods between each book which would then bring on the imposter syndrome again. At one point, I stumbled upon a quote by Richard Bach, author of “Jonathan Livingston Seagull”: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit”, and this quote inspired me to keep persevering. Lo and behold, the more I persevered, and the more I expanded to other kinds of work and writing: scripts, work-for-hire projects etc., the more success I had.

My motto is “never say no” as you never know what opportunities will present themselves, and doors you can open. I have had one opportunity lead to another. For example, a project with Disney Press led to two more projects with Disney/Pixar. And in the publishing business, it’s important to keep writing, and to keep persevering. Rejections are part of the business. As hard as it may be sometimes, it’s important to not let that get you down.

I currently, have a new picture book, “Luna and the Case of the Missing Mooncakes” coming out on Aug. 12, 2025, and a follow up book “Luna Picks a Lucky Dumpling” releasing in 2026. After publishing 11 picture books, I can confidently say I’m an Imposter no more.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I was born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong. I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was 11 years old when a 7th grade English creative writing assignment fired my imagination. I’ve been writing stories ever since. I came to California for college in 1979 and received my B.A. in English Literature with a Writing Emphasis and an M.S. in Counseling Psychology from Dominican University. Most of my job career has been in counseling or social work. I worked with Mendocino County Child Protective Services, and with kids in residential treatment centers, and group homes. It was here, reading and telling stories to kids who were away from their families, that I discovered the power of stories to soothe, comfort and inspire children. I decided I wanted to write books for kids.
I’m the author of 11 picture books including “Goldy Luck and the Three Pandas” (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2014), a Junior Library Guild and Scholastic Book Fair selection; “The Rock Maiden” (Wisdom Tales Press, 2017); and “Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum” (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2020) part of Charlesbridge Publishing’s Storytelling Math series. I’ve also written for Disney Press which released the picture book “Mulan’s Lunar New Year” in 2018, and for Disney/Pixar with the release of “Like Mother, Like Daughter” based on the Pixar movie, “Turning Red” (Feb. 2022), and the Little Golden Book “Lightyear”, an adaptation of Disney/Pixar’s movie “Lightyear” (May, 2022). Two nonfiction picture books on the Lunar New Year were released by Quarto Books as part of their Holiday Around the World series in November 2023, and by Jump! Publishing in August 2023.  I’m an advocate for diverse literature for children and many of my stories are inspired by my cultural upbringing. I love visiting schools and connecting with students, either in-person or virtually. Schools and libraries who would like an author visit, can reach out to my booking agent, The Booking Tree, https://thebookingtree.agency/contact-us.
My nonfiction articles have been published in the children’s magazines “Highlights for Children”, “Faces”, “Appleseeds”, and “Muse”. I’m currently working on my middle grade historical fiction, and several other picture book projects.
My new picture book, “Luna and the Case of the Missing Mooncakes” will be released by Charlesbridge Publishing on Aug. 12, 2025 and a follow up book, “Luna Picks a Lucky Dumpling” will follow in 2026. I’m represented by Ana Crespo of East West Literary Agency. You can connect with me on:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashayim.author
BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/natashayim.bsky.social
X/Twitter: https://x.com/natashayim
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authornatashayim/

If you’d like to be informed of my upcoming events and books, industry news, and writing tips and resources, you can sign up for my newsletter here: https://natashayim.eo.page/signup.

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?

Perseverance – Writing and Publishing isn’t for the faint of heart. There are frequent rejections, long waiting times, negative feedback (some necessary, some not). Writers often have to have the skin of a rhinoceros. It’s important to write the stories of your heart, not let negativity derail you, keep your creative goals in mind, and plow through the disappointments and celebrate the successes. Many years ago, I found a quote by author Richard Bach, “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit” It inspires me every day to do what I love and focus on the journey, not the end result.

Perfecting my Craft – Publishing trends change, markets change, generations of readers change, what they read change, so as a writer, the learning never stops. I love to learn from other industry professionals: editors, agents, other authors, and glean from their acquired and collective wisdom, then I try to apply this knowledge to my own work. I find that my work improves when I connect with others through mutual feedback, sitting on writing panels, attending workshops and conferences, and always seeking to better my craft. I’ve been so lucky to have had wonderful editors, agents, and writing friends who have guided me along the way.

Be part of the community – No writer is an island. Your creative work will benefit so much more by being part of your local and writing community. Attend writing and publishing events to network with your peers, be part of a writing group to share your work and provide feedback, volunteer for a writing organization or library event. The experiences are invaluable.

My advice for those who are just beginning in their writing journeys is to begin by perfecting your craft. First ask yourself what stories you enjoy writing, who do you want to write for then learn as much as you can. You have to learn to write, before you can learn to publish (they’re both very different animals), so don’t put the cart before the horse. My other advice is to start small. For example, if you want to attend a writing conference but the big ones with 1,500 attendees seem overwhelming, then go for a smaller conference. The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI, www.scbwi.org) is the premier organization for those who want to create children’s literature. They offer various workshops, conferences and webinars for very low registration fees.

What was the most impactful thing your parents did for you?

Every writer begins as a reader, and I want to thank my parents for instilling in me the love of reading and literature which eventually led to my interest in writing and becoming a published author. My parents were avid readers, and our household was always filled with bookshelves of books. My Mom purchased a whole Treasury of Children’s Books when I was only a year old. They contained many children’s classics from “Treasure Island”, to “Huckleberry Finn” and “Alice in Wonderland”. My parents also encouraged me to read folk tales from around the world. I grew up delighted by the ability of books to transport me to these imaginary worlds, and the magic of words. My Mom read to my sister and me every night, and this inspired me to create my own stories.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Adler Boncher Creative – Headshot
Alena Carter – event photos

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