I don’t know who needs to hear this today, but the world is so much better with you in it. So much more wise and so much more full. So much more flavorful. Has anyone ever told you how tasteless we’d be without you? Without seasoning. No salt. Bland. There is a power in your voice and in your breath that cannot be replicated. Your anointing simply cannot be copied.
I just thought you should know that.
That someone’s life is made better because you exist. I thought you should know how valuable you are and how empty the world would be without your influence. And when I talk about value, I am not talking about the fake social media kind where we post a thousand pictures of ourselves and brag about how personal the year is.
Nah.
I mean real value. The kind that makes you want to elevate your whole life.
I am not talking about a vibe. I am talking about a spiritual frequency.
And when you know your frequency (and I mean really know it), everything that touches you is also full of power. When you know your worth (and I mean really know it), you become fertile ground for precious new seeds to grow. You flourish and expand in every way.
In our Poetry Business Network community, we are challenging ourselves to create and post a writing prompt to engage our audience. Yesterday’s challenge was an MLK writing prompt, but I missed it so I am posting it today!
Writing Prompt / Challenge
Photo by Aukid phumsirichat
Yesterday, people worldwide paid homage to the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, the only non-president whose birthday is a national holiday.
Today, write your own “I Have a Dream” speech as a poem!
If you were to leave something behind for the next generation to learn from and to be inspired by, what would you say? What is the most important thing the world needs right now in 2024 America?
It doesn’t have to be a speech about race. It can be anything you think is important for this generation.
What words would you want immortalized as part of your legacy?
You may share a snippet in the comments, on your own blog, or scribble it in your own personal journal.
If you post it to Instagram, tag me so I’ll know!
I am going to do the challenge as well. I hope you’ll join me!
In 2020, I thought TikTok was an app for children doing dances to go viral. That is until I went mini-viral myself.
Only I wasn’t dancing, singing, or participating in trends.
I was talking about books, poetry, and Black history.
The impact of people tuning in for these topics in a world where people read comments and captions on social media more than they read full-length books is not lost on me and quite humbling.
I posted a video at the end of 2023 showing the books I read that year, and it currently has over 9K views, over 800 likes, and 453 saves…
…and I’m only showing books!
No words. No explanations. Just a showcase of about six books I enjoyed this year and a dope song to go with it.
Photo by Kishan Rahul Jose
If you are a creative in any field and want to advance this year in a certain area, I hope this inspires you to tap into the power of your authentic self.
You don’t have to be on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube if you do not feel drawn to those platforms. The one calling out to you won’t feel forced, and you will never have to act out of character to succeed.
You can discern this is not just about TikTok and social media platforms.
When we open ourselves up to being the most authentic versions of ourselves, no matter where we are, doors open that we don’t even have to knock on. We won’t have to chase opportunities; they come to us.
Here I am, getting viral-like numbers for discussing topics the average young person would typically find boring in a traditional classroom.
And I’m not even posting every day.
It’s spiritual, how things align when we show up as who we are.
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s poetry contest. We crown you, poetic scholars, for your commitment and dedication to poetic excellence on this 28th day of December 2023.
#1: Chandra T. Mountain
“I’m Living”
@musings.from.my.younger.self
#2: S.R. Graham
“What I Lack”
@thesensualgenius
#3: Samuel Olopade
“Grace”
@ _olops_
#4: Adariyah Ysrayl
“Grace”
@adariyahysrayl
Congratulations!!
And congratulations to everyone who participated! There would be no contest without your support. Keep an eye out for the individual spotlight interviews of each poet and details on Yecheilyah’s Annual Poetry Contest, 2024!
But what’s the difference between a retailer and an aggregator?
Book retailers are platforms where you can upload your book directly to their site and sell on their market. These are your Amazons, B&Ns, Kobo’s and more.
Book aggregators are third-party platforms where you may submit your book, and it will be distributed to book merchants all over the world. It is one of the simplest ways to get your book on practically every online retailer’s website without much effort. Draft2Digital and PublishDrive are two of the most prominent book aggregators.
What I Use
Amazon has an 85% market share over all these platforms, so I will start with Kindle Direct Publishing to get my books on Amazon.
While other platforms, such as Bookbaby and IngramSpark, can send your book to Amazon, I have found it best to use Amazon for Amazon to decrease the chances of my book not showing up or being out of stock.
However, I opt-out of expanded distribution while on Amazon, which will put my book into Ingram’s database under Amazon. I want it under my own company.
After I upload my files to KDP, I head over to Ingram.
Under my own Ingram account, I publish my book to IngramSpark. I have not done this with every book, but I have done it with my last two and in the future. I do this for easier distribution to bookstores and libraries but under my own company name (Literary Korner Publishing), not Amazon.
This is where having bulk ISBNs comes in handy, as you will need one for Ingram different from what you used on Amazon. Ya’ll know I don’t do free ISBNs except for with ebooks.
Then, I log into my account on Draft2Digital and upload my files there to get my ebook on all major online retailers—however, I opt-out of Amazon since I have already uploaded my book there separately.
I also have yet to use their print book version, now available for authors who want to use the feature. I only use them for the digital version of my book so if you’ve tried their paperbacks let me know how it turned out! How’s the quality compared to KDP?
When it’s said and done, I’ll have my book available on Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Kobo, and everywhere books are sold online with the option to get it into bookstores, libraries, and schools.
Save this post if you plan to self-publish in 2024 and let me know what has worked or not worked for you!
2020 was very challenging for me for reasons unrelated to the pandemic. As I reflect, it was difficult not only because of the tragedies themselves but also because of their proximity to one another.
I remember when I got jumped on as a teen by a group of girls in Chicago. Another quickly followed each blow until I could do nothing but allow myself to fall to the slippery floor of Nicky’s Restaurant and cover my head. They were too fast. The least I could do if I didn’t have the time to throw a punch was protect my face.
I walked away from that fight, blood trickling from my scalp. When I arrived at the hospital, it was so crowded that the blood had dried by the time I saw the doctor. I sat on the edge of a bed in the hallway while the doctor pierced me with the surgical stapler. I was not under anesthesia, but it didn’t hurt. It simply felt like pressure.
The staples dissolved and I healed nicely. I finished school and went on with my life like nothing happened. The scars from that night are invisible.
That’s how it feels to grieve the events of 2020 when I lost my mother and suffered multiple miscarriages in the span of a few months, each blow coming too fast for me to recover fully.
And I wonder if I am just balled up on the floor, covering my head to protect my face.
The PBS Blog 