This week, we interview Stephanie Watterson about writing and publishing her children’s book, Septopus. Want to be interviewed about your editing work? Contact us.
What is your editing background?
Back in 2020, during the pandemic, I took a digital and print publications program and from there I did some freelancing. My hopes were to get into children’s literature. When the pandemic finally ended, I decided to get my editing certificate. From there, I was at The Walrus as their 2024–2025 Disability and Inclusion fellow. That’s all to say, I do a lot of things, but it’s all focused around stories.
Why did you decide to write a children’s picture book?
Children’s book writers are creative; they think outside of the box. That fits my modality — children’s literature is so much fun and such a nice space! You can do so many things with it. My book is called Septopus. It came out July 2024, so it’s been on shelves for over a year. It’s about an octopus with seven tentacles who finds a treasure chest. I wrote this story because, as a person with a disability, a lot of people in my community don’t have the luxury of writing. I felt that needed to change. I do lots of interviews about it because I feel like a lot of adoptee biracial children (especially with a disability like me) need this kind of representation.
What was it like working in a hybrid publishing model?
When I was shopping around, I pitched my story to a local traditional publisher, but they said no. I didn’t want to self-publish because I felt like it was taking the easy way out, but then I realized hybrid publishing would give me autonomy and independence while providing the support I was missing. My father was supposed to illustrate Septopus, but when he ended up not doing it, it was nice to go back to the publisher and ask, “How do I navigate this?”
What was it like to be on the other side of the editing equation?
That’s a really juicy question! I worked with three different editors. My mentor through the Editors Canada mentorship program put me in touch with a children’s book editor. She was the first to look at my work and tell me, “Stephanie, this is great. Stephanie, this is garbage. Stephanie, this is not where a preposition goes.” It felt really humbling.
The second editor was my copy editor, a close friend who I trusted to carry the story with integrity and love; I was coming out with my disability, and this was a big deal for me.
The last editor was the publisher’s proofreader. When I got my edits back, I had a weird panic! I was in a grocery store parking lot scrolling through thinking, “I didn’t even put the commas in the right place.” Then I got home and opened the PDF and they were actually commenting that the commas looked funny because of the typeface.
So did your experience change how you work with authors?
I’ve always had a gentle way of treating authors, but now I get it. Sometimes authors need to be told, “Hey, it’s okay, you’re human, we’re human. We’re going to get through this.” It’s an editor’s job to empower and encourage. Even editors get things wrong: we’re human.
What advice would you give editors considering becoming authors?
If you can’t do it intuitively, be kind to yourself. It’s okay to recognize that you can’t do something. Take on the projects that fill you up.
Beyond that, find out your “why.” As in, why are you telling your story? If you find out the reason you’re doing something, that will tell you what you need to do.
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The Editors’ Weekly is the official blog of Editors Canada. Contact us.
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Stephanie Watterson
Originally a shy and awkward biracial adoptee, Stephanie is now one of those people who, as soon as you meet her, you’ll feel joy around. She graduated from Langara College (Digital & Print Publications, Dean’s Honour Roll) and recently from Simon Fraser University (Editing Certificate). Last summer, she published her first children’s book — Septopus. Stephanie’s love for literature has lingered and will always be a labour of love. Try saying that ten times fast! Today, she writes, edits and creates in Victoria, B.C. Never boring, often unconventional, but always engaging, Stephanie enjoys empowering other creatives in various capacities.