Meet Eugenia Chu | Children’s Book Author

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eugenia Chu and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eugenia, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
I am Chinese American – born and raised in the US (East Coast). Growing up we were the only Asian family in our neighborhood and school. I always felt different from all my friends and even though they were amazing, I still always felt like the “other.” Back then there were no Asian Americans in the media – you never saw any on TV, movies, books, etc. All I wanted was to fit in and be like everyone else. This really affected my confidence and self esteem.

Since then, I have traveled extensively, lived in Taiwan during my gap year between college and law school, and met so many wonderful and impressive Asians. Once my son was born, I wanted to learn even more about my culture, language, and heritage to pass on to him. I was always looking for ways to reinforce the Chinese I was teaching him at home, and searching for media (especially books) where he could see himself in the characters. I didn’t want him growing up feeling like the “other,” like I did.

Today I am a proud Asian America, mom, and award-winning and best-selling author of children’s books which all share Chinese language and culture!

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I never really thought of myself as creative, until I had my son, Brandon. Suddenly I was the master of arts and crafts – haha! I was always thinking of ways to play and make learning fun for him. We spent lots of time reading and telling stories. We spent every night, after reading several bedtime stories, making up our own stories about Brandon’s day and his favorite things. I was always looking for storybooks which included some Chinese language and culture to share with him, but could never find any. I could only find a few translated bilingual books with English on one side and Chinese on the other – not what I was looking for. When he became a toddler, I started writing our stories. Even though I still could not find the type of books I was looking for (tales written in English with some Chinese language and culture intertwined in the story) the thought of publishing never crossed my mind back then.

Fast forward a few years and I still could not find the books I wanted. I had shared my stories with my sisters who have kids around Brandon’s age, and their kids loved them and asked their moms (my sisters) to read them over and over again! My sisters had not been able to find these kinds of books either and suggested I publish. I thought they were crazy! A few more years pass and still no such books on the market. So I thought, “Why not try?”

I initially submitted my first book to several traditional publishing houses. I had no luck, but one editor told me that while she liked the story, she wasn’t sure there would be a wide enough audience because of the Chinese – this book was just too different. But, this was exactly why I wrote the book in the first place – because I couldn’t find anything out there like it! I figured if my sisters and I were looking for books like this, maybe other parents were, too. So, I looked into self-publishing and just went for it! And I’m so glad I did and didn’t just give up after receiving all those rejection letters! I’ve received so much amazing and encouraging feedback from parents like me and also from many non-Chinese parents, teachers, and caregivers – such a nice surprise! It gave me more confidence to continue writing and publishing.

I have now 7 books published (one is co-authored with a friend and another is a collaboration cookbook with a group of friends): 6 self-published and 1 traditionally published, with more on the way! The road has not been easy. I started knowing nothing about the writing and publishing world to now knowing a little tiny more – haha! I am still learning every day and trying new things to better my craft. I am excited to continue to share my culture and language with all the children of the world!

The biggest lesson I learned along the way is that if you can’t find what you want, create it yourself! If you are searching for something, it is likely others are, too. There will definitely be challenges along the way, but if you are passionate about what you are doing and it brings your joy, then it’s worth it. Don’t give up!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Hmmm, well if this was my friend’s first time in LA, I would definitely bring them to Hollywood to see Grauman’s Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Walk of Fame – gotta do the touristy stuff! I would also bring them to Venice Beach, Santa Monica Pier, Griffith Observatory, the Getty, and of course some shopping on Rodeo Drive! If they were up for some exercise, a hike up to the Hollywood sign would be in order. There are too many amazing restaurants to name, but my son’s favorite is Nobu – so we would go there with him!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people, and groups of people, who have helped me along this author journey. I’ll try to keep this short, but I could dedicate pages and pages to them!

First, my family. I have to recognize and give thanks to my parents for instilling the importance of our culture and language, and continuing family traditions which my siblings and I now share with our own kids. It wasn’t always easy! To my sisters and brother for being my first readers and for being the first to suggest I publish. To my husband, for being so supportive. And last and most importantly, to my son, Brandon, the reason I write!

I also have two wonderful and supportive author groups which have supported (and continue to support) me immeasurably: one is a Chinese bilingual children’s author group; and the other is a group made up of children’s book authors from around the world (#AuthorForce). The members of these two groups have become personal friends and we speak daily! We support each other’s book launches, give each other advice (not just about books and publishing, but also about life and kids in general), and keep each other sane during all the trials and tribulations of this literary adventure. I probably would have given up publishing a long time ago if I didn’t have them helping and cheering me on! Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Finally, a huge thank you to my amazing illustrator, Eliza Hsu Chen, my editors, beta readers, launch team members, and to everyone who has read, shared, reviewed, and/or recommended any of my books. I am so grateful and so lucky to have you all.

Website: https://eugeniachu.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eugeniachuauthor/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eugenia-chu-a5a15113/

Twitter: https://x.com/chu_eugenia

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eugeniachuauthor

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDwJyTqHnB5Gr07HaIlF7lA

Other: https://linktr.ee/eugeniachu