More About Alana Tyson (She/Her)

Alana Tyson is the debut author of the picture book My Red, White and Blue, an American story that helps young readers find their voice and understand those of others. She’s spent many years as a federal employee protecting national security, but her love for telling stories keeps her grounded and connected to the literary space. Her forthcoming picture book, Devin’s Gift (summer 2025) is a departure from the mature voice of MRWB, showing her range & flexibility as a breakout author. Not ever one to be put in a box, Alana aims to create a diverse catalog of books that reflect the spectrum of emotions young readers experience.

When she’s not dreaming up kid stories, she’s managing her non-profit organization, ASMAS®, a professional member organization for content creators. A proud Native New Yorker (born in Brooklyn and raised in Queens), Alana is a low-key sneaker head, and unapologetic lover of hip-hop and big cities. She's been to twelve countries on the African continent, and lived to tell about a walk on the wild side with four lions in Johannesburg, So. Africa.

A certified "BoyMom" Alana's two school-aged sons keep her academically engaged and full of story ideas.

You can find Alana online at:

https://booksbyalana.com/home

Instagram I Twitter /X I Reading With Your Kids

Alana’s strengths are…

-Committed to providing honest, timely, and actionable feedback.

-As a mom of two school-age boys (ages 17 & 7) understand's what appeals to kids.

-Owns a private collection of roughly 200 picture books, ranging from classics to current, all of which serve as immediate access for comps and research.

-Knowledge of the publishing industry, including best practice for finding agents, querying, and navigating the submission process.

-Knowledge of niche writing programs, orgs, resources, grants, and unconventional ways to get your writing seen, or to get practice with manuscripts.

-Alana is empathetic and encouraging, having had over 100 rejections before finding an agent and landing a two-book deal. She'll help you stay motivated and be a supportive guide, as you develop your craft.

-While not an Editor, Alana has a Master of Arts in Journalism and once freelanced for a business publication in NY. She can help edit for grammar and sentence structure as well as story balance and character development.

What Alana is looking for…

Alana's ideal mentee is one who's willing to learn, improve, and accept constructive criticism.

She'd like someone who wants a career in children's publishing, vice someone just looking to sell a book. Alana's mentee should have a genuine love for creating stories for young readers, and while they may not know what their voice is just yet...they're open to discovering or developing it with her.

Alana hopes to connect with someone who has multiple manuscripts, and is open to having some fun on the mentorship journey. She wants someone who understands the mentee/mentor relationship is mutually beneficial, meaning she hopes to learn a few things from them too.

A Note from Alana:

“Congratulations on taking this step to improve your craft! This mentorship can be exactly what you make it: easy, hard, a dream opportunity, or a total waste of time - it's entirely up to you. As you create your application, be specific and most of all be honest about what you hope to achieve. Publication is not a perfect science, and no two paths will look alike - so don't compare. All you can do is work on improving and writing stories that are true to YOU! Good luck.”

Alana’s Picture Books

*My Red, White, and Blue,* Written by Alana Tyson, Illustrated by London Ladd

Alana’s Upcoming Picture Book:

DEVIN’S GIFT, written by Alana Tyson, illustrated by Ebony Glenn (Philomel, 2025)

If Alana created a Visual Wish List, it would be made up of…

*Unless otherwise stated, the below serves as a wish list only. Each mentor is excited about the opportunity to find a manuscript they can’t stop thinking about. Please apply if you think you’d be a good fit.