General Topics – Page 8

We Get Better at Writing by Writing

When I was a child, I always carried a diary, journal, or notebook, and I would write about what was happening in my life each day, with dates and everything.

When my cousin got jumped so badly that one side of his face was swollen, I wrote about how terrifying it was to see him like that.

When I graduated eighth grade, but my twin sister didn’t, I wrote about the guilt I felt for having to leave her behind and how nervous I was to start High School by myself.

I wrote everything down, from the boys I had a crush on to the ways my mom and aunts pissed me off. (I was an angry kid.)

It is why I can tell you what my thought process was like on Tuesday, September 11, 2001, because I wrote it down.

I can still feel what it was like watching the Twin Towers collapse like a dissolving palace of snow and what 14-year-old me was thinking at that moment.

I can tell you I was dumbfounded and full of nerves. I had never seen anything like this before that was not in a movie. And they were saying now we are going to war.

War? Will large army tanks cover the streets? Will soldiers greet me at the door? Will I ever go back to school? What does war look like on the soil of the United States? The only wars I knew were my own.

“God bless America,” I scribbled.*

*I laugh at that now, but I was so serious back then, lol.

I didn’t know it then, but I was doing something powerful.

It didn’t really sink in until I was an adult, but writing regularly allowed me to develop writing abilities and maintain my goal of being a writer by keeping it at the forefront of my mind. And even if my friends and siblings dabbled with other careers and hobbies as I grew older, my objective remained constant.

I was to be an author.

We can read all the books and blogs…

Follow all the writing tips and advice…

Listen to all the podcasts…

But the only way to improve at writing is through practice, and the only way to practice writing is to write.

The Amazon Bestseller Approach: A Warning

In the words of James Baldwin, “If I love you, I have to make you conscious of what you don’t see.”

Here’s the Game:

Once upon a time, when print-on-demand publishing became more popular thanks to companies like Amazon and Lulu, self-published authors discovered a powerful manipulation tactic: they could reach a higher ranking by reducing their ebooks to 99 cents and getting all their friends to buy them, skyrocketing their books to the #1 spot.

And before you knew it, tons of Self-Published books, both excellently written and mediocre alike, hit the Amazon Best Sellers List. Some authors even put the sticker on their covers.

It was an exciting time…

…for a few minutes.

Most of these authors stayed at #1 for a maximum of a few hours.

Over time, their book sales continued to plummet until the next book, where they repeated this strategy: setting the price to 99 cents and telling all their friends to buy it.

The problem with this is it caused many Self-Published authors to lust after that pretty orange tag, even if it only lasted for a few minutes.

They’d refresh their browsers repeatedly to see where the numbers are.

When I first put I am Soul on preorder at 99 cents in 2017, it was #7 on Amazon’s Best Sellers list.

But I had only sold five preorders!

Chile, my bank account was dryer than a Popeye’s biscuit.

It looked good on the outside, though, and I was technically a bestseller on paper, but I wasn’t making any money.

By focusing on more organic ways to sell my book, I became a bestseller on and offline.

It wasn’t until I started to shop my books offline and talked to the owners of bookstores that I truly understood how little being an Amazon Best Seller meant to the outside world. I focused my efforts on getting my name out there and increasing my reviews, and this helped me to become an Amazon Best Seller the organic way.

I was also selling out of brick and mortar bookstores and I didn’t have to beg my family and friends to make it happen.

Back to the Story…

The problem with getting all your friends to buy your book is once they’ve bought their copies, the book stops selling.

And that’s what happened to these authors. Unlike traditionally published authors or Indie Authors who focused on other methods and reached the bestsellers through sales, the self-publishers who used the tactic couldn’t maintain the momentum. In a matter of hours, their orange tags were gone.

It’s exciting and praise-worthy to make it onto the best sellers list, whether it’s Amazon or USA Today. However, it is not something Self-Published authors should stress themselves over or allow to consume their writing career.

If the bestsellers list is a goal, authors should strive to do it more authentically. Instead of trying to manipulate the algorithm, focus on selling the book to your target audience, getting early reviews, offering sneak peeks, running Ads, book signings, book tours (virtual or in-person), speaking, and a host of other creative ways to get the word out about your book.

Click here for More Indie Author Basics

Joy Lived Here Too

My husband’s cousins came over to get some Italian Beef meat we brought back from Chicago. We had frozen it for them. They stayed for hours, most of the time comprised of us sitting around the table catching up. Although we have been married for almost 14 years, there are still family members of his I am meeting for the first time.

“So you’re from Chicago too?”

“Yes. I grew up in Robert Taylor…”

His wife, the cousin, tilted her head, her eyes widening, “Really?”

“You know how to fight then huh?” The husband says, shaking up with my husband, “You gotta know how to fight growing up in Robert Taylor!”

I laugh with them, but my spirit settles into uneasiness. I don’t want to talk about me anymore. We changed the subject.

Lil R’s Bday Party. Can you find me in this pic??

People are baffled to discover I grew up in Robert Taylor, and they don’t know what to say. Even those who try to form words still end up saying something that sounds like “sorry.” They look into my eyes as if they can see what I see. They want to know how someone as educated and “put together” as myself grew up in the place their mothers have warned them to stay away from.

But, we were not aliens living on a different planet. We were people, Black people, and where there are Black people, there is joy to be found somewhere. When the first of the month hit, we took advantage of the glints of light that seeped in to offer a reprieve to our distress.

Women sat on the porch laughing and gossiping as their sheets dried on the gates, and children ran back and forth, bellies full of food and hope.

The men and hustlers brought out tables and chairs they carried downstairs to play spades in front of the building. You couldn’t tell them they weren’t sitting on their own front porch instead of in front of a 16-story government building. They talked smack and poured out liquor for the homies they lost.

As for music, it was our salve and savior.

We left our doors and windows open so that the music from the stereo could scream and echo throughout the building. Nobody protested when someone’s entire door was open, and music was blasting. We sang along to Whitney Houston, Mary J Blige, Tupac, Biggie, Queen Latifah, MC Lyte, and many more, grateful for the opportunity to hear these songs while they were young.

Music transformed our pain into power. It didn’t feel like we lived in the ghetto when cousin Rachel blasted The Fugees from her speakers. It simply felt like home.

Where despair tried to rob us of joy, creativity flourished, and we created our own fun, and I think it’s important to talk about this light, too. It wasn’t all gangs, crack addicts, and shootouts.

Joy lived here too.

Why The Tree Does Not Complain About Losing Its Leaves

I love the beauty of nature and how paying attention to it helps me to understand life better. I mean, we are of the earth, after all. It amazes me how we can come from the dirt and assume no connection to it.

So, anywho, as I sat here reminiscing about everyone I’ve lost over the years, a thought struck me: You will never hear a tree complaining about losing its leaves.

Trees lose their leaves for various reasons, except for the evergreen, which retains its green foliage all year. Otherwise, deciduous trees (from a Latin word meaning “that which falls down”) drop their leaves primarily to conserve energy in preparation for upcoming harsh weather conditions by using less energy.

Losing its leaves also conserves moisture within the trunk and keeps it from drying out. The tree can now focus its energy on root growth.

Losing leaves allows wind to blow through the branches, reducing strain on the tree, which is especially important during winter storms.

Losing leaves also gives room for new leaves to grow in its place.

Although the tree appears inactive and desolate without leaves, it is still active, utilizing its energy and resources to develop its root system. A healthy root system will help the tree thrive in the spring.

Much like a tree that must shed its leaves for continual growth, so we must shed some things, too. It helps us to be better equipped to thrive in the conditions the next level requires.

One More Game

From my eighth-floor window
I could hear hope bounce back and forth
on concrete loitered with crack vials.

Dirt-caked Nikes were like hands
reaching for revolution
in the air.

It didn’t get them out of the projects,
but Jordan would have been proud
the way these boys balled.

It kept their bodies distracted from the hunger
of not eating for three days.
Here, many children raised themselves.
Forced to grow up without grownups.

It’s a strange thing not to have parents
strange the way these kids parented
themselves.

Adults in small bodies
swallowing their pride for one more game.

They might not eat today,
but boy, how they balled.

This was inspired by the real events of growing up in The Robert Taylor Projects as a kid in early 90s Chicago. Head over to my TikTok @yecheilyah to listen to the poem.

Our 6th Annual Poetry Contest is on the Way!

Stay Glued.

The Power and Necessity of Community

I enjoy the changing seasons the most. Summer is alright, but my favorite part of the year is when summer gives way to autumn. Georgia’s temperature is 80 degrees, yet the sun is not intense, and the way this wind blows feels like my skin is drinking a cold glass of water. It is refreshing.

That’s why I’m typing this at the kitchen table with the door open to the back porch.

As I sit here, I cannot help but think about how much of a blessing this blog (which is to say, the people who follow this blog) has been to me.

Despite the fact that I had been writing and publishing books since 2010, it was when I started this blog in 2014 (after my first two attempts had failed) that it became a platform where I could share my work and receive helpful feedback in return. As a result of this feedback, three published books were born, all inspired by blog posts.

This blog put me on by introducing me to a larger audience, and together, we blossomed into a community.

We had so much fun in the early years. I miss it.

With Elon Musk now contemplating charging X (Twitter) users to use its platform, assuming other social media platforms will eventually follow is not too far-fetched.

They do seem to copy each other. Reels were created to compete with TikTok, and Threads is just Instagram’s version of Twitter.

After thinking of this, I began to consider the significance and necessity of creating our own communities, both online and offline. If we take the time to create them, we may soon be forced to seek solace in our own isolated areas of the globe.

Just as this wind is blowing the trees, which will soon let us know how beautiful it is to let go when its leaves fall, I sense a change is coming.

Just my Thursday thoughts.

Thoughtful Thursdays. Hmm. Got a nice ring to it.

Cover Reveal: Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School

It’s been a long time coming!

What started as a profound series on this blog has been transformed into a full-length history book you can carry with you!

Inspired by the Black History Fun Fact Friday series, I am incredibly honored to finally introduce the book version, Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School.

My greatest hope is that after reading this book, you are equipped with enough information to spark conversation and, if necessary, participate in your own activism for the continual education and restoration of Black historical truth.

May it bless the hearts and minds of people outside of yourself.

Share it with your children, spouse, colleagues, co-workers, students, family, friends, and young people.

May it be a reawakening, a restoration, or even a song.

May the stories of our ancestors strengthen and carry us like the Negro spirituals of old.

May this work act as its own redemption song.

Preorder now at blkhistorybook.com.

The Black Bundle

The Black bundle includes the paperback version of the book, the audiobook, and matching companion notebook.

Imagine reading and listening to the book as you take notes!

The Black Paperback

The Black Paperback includes a signed paperback with matching bookmark.

The Black Ebook

The Black ebook is the digital version of the book you can read on your phone, Kindle or any e-device.

	trE on Writers Who Shrink
	Yecheilyah on Writers Who Shrink
	trE on Writers Who Shrink
	Yecheilyah on AI is Watering Down Your …
	trE on AI is Watering Down Your …

Category: General Topics