Asian Authors Directory
Karen Yin
An American writer of Chinese descent, Karen Yin is the author of The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers, from Little, Brown Spark. She has also written several stories for children, including Whole Whale (Barefoot Books), So Not Ghoul (Page Street Kids), Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew (Scholastic), and “My Kinda Sorta Badass Move” (Boundless: Twenty Voices Celebrating Multicultural and Multiracial Identities, Inkyard Press).
Acclaim for her writing includes a 2021 California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship, a 2020 SCBWI/Smithsonian Nonfiction Grant, selection of her flash fiction by the Los Angeles Public Library for its permanent collection in 2020, and a 2015 Lambda Literary Fellowship.
Winner of the 2017 ACES Robinson Prize (Editor of the Year), Karen founded several acclaimed digital resources, including Conscious Style Guide, The Conscious Language Newsletter, and the Editors of Color Database. Conscious Style Guide was named by Poynter as one of the top tools for journalists in 2018 and is recommended by Poets & Writers, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and countless others, including NASA. The Editors of Color Database was one of Writer’s Digest’s Best Websites for Writers in 2023. Karen serves on the advisory board of The Chicago Manual of Style. Find her online at KarenYin.com and her book recommendations at DiversePictureBooks.com.
Book Title(s):
Nice to Eat You (Scholastic, 2025)
The Conscious Style Guide: A Flexible Approach to Language That Includes, Respects, and Empowers (Little, Brown Spark; 2024)
Doug the Pug and the Kindness Crew (Scholastic, 2022)
So Not Ghoul (Page Street Kids, 2022)
Whole Whale (Barefoot Books, 2021)
Award(s) and Accolade(s):
- $10,000 Individual Artist Fellowship Grant (2021) | California Arts Council
- New Voices in Nonfiction Grant for the SCBWI/Smithsonian Institution Nonfiction Workshop (2020) | SCBWI
- Selection of flash fiction for L.A. Public Library’s permanent collection and Short Story Portal
- 12 x 12 Diversity Scholarship (2020) | 12 x 12
- Eight-Time Golden Ticket Winner (record holder) | The Craft and Business of Writing Children’s Picture Books (2019) | The Children’s Book Academy
- Robinson Prize (2017) | ACES: The Society for Editing
- Tending Space Fellowship (2017) | Hemera Foundation
- Official Selection (2017) for Friend Request | Stockholm Independent Film Festival
- Rafael Lopez and Pat Cummings Merit Scholarship (2016) | The Children’s Book Academy
- Writers Retreat for Emerging LGBTQ Voices Fellowship (2015 and 2016) | Lambda Literary Foundation
- $2,500 Writing Grant (2014) | Table 4 Writers Foundation
- Flash Fiction Challenge (2014) | first runner-up | NYC Midnight
- Best Comedy for Wait for It (2013) | semifinalist | Screenplay Festival
Identity:
agender, Chinese American, LGBTQ+
Age Categories:
Graphic Novel, Middle Grade, Picture Book, Young Adult
Genres:
Contemporary, Fantasy, Historical, Horror, Science Fiction, Speculative Publicity Information:
consult@karenyin.com