August has been a very busy month for me. I have traveled far and wide to book fairs, vendor expos and the like getting the word out about my authorship venture. To-date, I have ten published works that can be found on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords and my catalog continues to grow. I have dabbled in a few genres. My audience is receptive. I am picking up new readers every day. My latest travel had me at a symposium in Norfolk, VA with The Sankofa Business Network a couple of weeks ago where I continue to spread the word about authorship. I have come up with a simple realistic methodology, the road to authorship will take you about 120 days. The Sankofa Business Network is a grassroots organization. They go out to promote black businesses in the community sponsored by Whereblackbiz. The proprietor of the business is Bert Bergan. The group has a high concentration of followers in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia. The audience was very warm and receptive to what I have to offer. I got invited to do a radio interview on WPGL 1350 by Kimberly Adams who is a budding author in her own right. I was humbled by the invitation. It was a great experience. She gave me some valuable advice about advertising my products and services going forward.
Results from the Speaking Engagement
Many of the people who I spoke to after the speaking engagement lamented about not having the time to commit to getting their stories down. Some of the audience members lamented about having a finished product, Yet need direction on what the next steps should be. Other audience members stated that they are confident in their work. Yet scared about the acceptance of the reading public. These are all real factors when trying to become a published author. I told each one of them that if they truly want to share their stories with the world, they should forge ahead because there is an audience for it. Also, they should trust themselves to rise to the occasion because that is the only way they will know what they are capable of. When I started this venture, I hoped that people would like what I have to say. Nearly two years in and I have dedicated readers who wait for my next book release. I returned home with a 72-hour deadline to submit my latest work for review and approval for release. I am happy to say that by sticking to my methodology, I finished ahead of schedule. Even with the long travel schedule. It just proves that you can find time to write wherever you are. At a vending event, I managed to jot down on my tablet about three pages of written material that I used for my book. Today, I have the ability to coach people through the process and get them independently published.
New Book Release
My latest book release will be this weekend. The title is How I Wish I Had My Mother. It is available now everywhere e-books are sold. It is the story of love and loss between a daughter and her mother. As the author, the journey was one of cleansing and rejuvenation. It will resonate with others who have lost a parent. Everyone has different circumstances, the feeling of longing is the same for all who go through it. The story takes on a conversational tone, come chat with me, the story surprise you.