Writing a book can be scary, but not if you have help! Welcome to the Book Party!

BY SIMONE J. SMITH

On Saturday, September 5th, 2020, I was invited to an event that author, and community leader Kofi Sankofa had sent me via Facebook. My interest was peaked because as a writer, publishing a book is a goal of mine.

Let’s be real; saying you are going to write a book, and actually writing a book are two different things. It means that you have to dig into your brain, identify ideas you feel passionate about, and then share these ideas with the world. Getting inside your own brain in an authentic way can be difficult, and then there is the FEAR!
There is the fear of:

· Not being able to write the book you envision
· Not having enough time to write
· Not meeting a deadline
· Not finishing
· The book not being liked
· Being criticized.
· No one is buying your book
· Not getting the respect and credibility you want as a published author
· Failure

Facing these fears alone can be challenging, and it is why the Book Party was such a great idea. Writers had a chance to come together, share these fears, and learn from those who have already done it.

The four authors highlighted were: Janet Lewis, Joan Nwosu, Kofi Sankofa, and Louisa Ibhaze.

The beautiful host Janet Lewis, spoke to the attendees about knowing your audience. She reminded writers that it was important to understand the topics that are important to your audience. She went through her writing process with us and taught us about the acronym QTIP – Quit Taking It Personal. When writing her book, “Lost and Found,” she found that she had to be mentally available during the writing process, and she included stories and dialogue to keep the readers interested.

She passed it on to Sankofa, who explained why he decided to go the self-publishing route. His book, “Sankofa – Ancestral Calling” is something that spoke to him. It was a very spiritual experience, as he felt the ancestors speaking to him during his process. He told us the significance of his book cover, which was designed by a young woman who recently passed away. He used this book cover to pay homage to her work.

He chooses to self-publish because he wanted to learn the process, so that in the future, he can remain an independent writer. He took on Bro. Sean, owner of The Knowledge Bookstore, as his writing coach, got his ISPN number online, and utilized Amazon to print the book. He started selling the book on Amazon, and then sent it to his own printer. “This way we could control the sales,” Sankofa told attendees. “As a Pan-Africanist, I try to keep everything within the community. Whenever you support Black Businesses, you support my book.” You can find his book at Nile Valley Books, and the Knowledge Bookstore.

Next, we were introduced to the high-spirited Louisa Ibhaze. I like the fact that she reminded writers that writing is not something you do and get rich overnight. As a writer, Louisa likes to delve into topics surrounding women’s issues in West Africa. Her book, “Authentic Momma,” talks about the life of a mistress. Topics like these people sometimes avoid, but she chooses to take them on.

She shared information about traditional publishing, and the difficulties of getting into it. Getting traditionally published is what people strive for. They handle editing, and cover design, which at times can be difficult if you are self published.

Finally, we had a chance to hear from the co-host Joan Nwosu. She discussed the fine-tuning and aftermath of writing a book. Once your book has been edited, formatted, and printed, now comes the nerve-racking part, launching the book to the world.

“Utilize social media as much as you can, and go to your network,” Joan told attendees. “Let them purchase your book first. You can do a press release, and you can do a media kit as well, then blast them to the media houses. Reviews are very powerful, so be sure to get as many as you can. If you can’t find anyone to review you, you can actually pay people to review your book. Mind you, this does not mean that they are going to give you a good review, but they will review it.”

Her book, “iRise; The 10 Steps to Getting Up when life gets you down,” speaks to some of her personal challenges, and is a book of inspiration and motivation.

I thank this team for putting together this book party. It was helpful, and informative. Now, I just have to get my book published, but at least I know I will have some help.