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To Be, Or Not to Be, a Historian

As I read the latest review of my new book, I stumbled across the word historian and paused. “Historian? Me? Nah.”

“Yecheilyah Ysrayl is a renowned author and historian known for her commitment to uncovering and sharing the untold stories of Black history. Her expertise and passion for the subject matter are evident throughout the book, making it a credible and authoritative source of information.”

-Vigil Honor, Amazon Review

“Wow,” I thought, an eyebrow raised. Really? Me? He can’t be talking about me. I am no one’s historian.”

When I think of a historian, I think of a person with a wall crammed with degrees from every university on the planet and a vocabulary that would terrify the most seasoned thesaurus. I see an elderly person who is wise and perceptive about how the world came to be. They sit down to write 500-page books and devour scholarly articles for breakfast.

And let’s not talk about memory.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, aka the smartest man in the world, lol.

Historians, I suppose, have perfect recall and spiritual compasses that allow them to travel from portal to portal and retrieve relics from the past. These folks recite information like a machine. When I think of a historian, I think Neil deGrasse Tyson.

But me?

I can’t even remember where I left the remote half of the time.

While I did well in history class, I wasn’t too interested in it. It was just a class to get through, but nothing I thirsted for outside school. I didn’t seek it out like I did books. I didn’t eat it up like I did poetry. I didn’t love it like I did literature.

Ahh. There it is. Books. It always comes back to books.

My love for reading, particularly about my people’s history, has led me to write about it. Writing about it has led me to research it. Researching it has led me to document it. Documenting it has created in me a fascination to share it.

I got a revelation while watching a podcast episode with Donni Wiggins and Jessica Dupart, and I found myself laughing at Dupart’s candor. She dropped a few F-Bombs and talked about her life growing up as if she and Wiggins were sitting in their own living room. She doesn’t speak corporate or exhibit the characteristics that someone might consider appropriate to be a CEO, yet she runs an 80 million-dollar business.

While I didn’t finish the entire episode, watching it made me think about how dope it is that in today’s world, people are redefining what success looks like just by being themselves. I realized I never considered myself a historian because I didn’t think I knew enough. (I also dislike titles)

I was also clinging to an aged stereotype.

I learned I don’t have to look like that old-school, white male version of what a historian was once thought to be to qualify as such.

It didn’t occur to me that writers are historians, too, documenting history and archiving them into books that live forever.

According to Google, “a historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it.”

“Her expertise and passion for the subject matter are evident throughout the book, making it a credible and authoritative source of information…”

Well now. I suppose historian doesn’t sound too bad after all.

“The book’s storytelling approach brings history to life, making it accessible and engaging for readers of all ages. Ysrayl’s narrative style ensures that the experiences and contributions of Black Americans are not just facts to be remembered but stories to be felt and understood.”

-Vigil Honor, on Black History Facts You Didn’t Learn in School by Yecheilyah Ysrayl


Don’t Give Up on Your Book Too Soon

Sneaking out of the house to ship books during Covid 2020.

Time is one of the numerous advantages of self-publishing. Self-publishers set their own schedules, in contrast to traditional publishing, which enables them to release books fast and often.

And the better an author gets at publishing high-quality books, the more they publish in a shorter time. 

However, I caution authors not to rush their current book on the way to the next one.

Some authors only have one book out, but what they’ve been able to do with that book is more than some authors with ten or twenty.

From consulting and coaching to classes and workshops, these authors have turned that one book into a powerhouse of expertise and services, multiplying their income.

But they would not have been able to do this if they had given up too quickly.

They would not have been able to do this if they published the book on Amazon and then forgot about it on the road to the next one.

They would not have been able to do this if they worried about making the best sellers list. (Some authors are making good money selling their books consistently and have never been a Best Seller.)

They would not have been able to do this if they focused on what’s next instead of what already exists.

When we give in to shiny object syndrome, the continual distraction brought on by an ongoing belief that something new is worth pursuing, we miss the blessing right in front of us. 

The grass is not greener on the other side. It is greener where you water it. It is greener where you cut it. It is greener where you pluck out the weeds.

It is greener when you give it the time and attention it needs to thrive.

Sometimes, new ideas are not intended for us to act on immediately. Some thoughts need to be written and executed later. 

Give that book you worked so hard to produce the time and attention it deserves to grow and develop before moving on to the next best thing.

We believe publishing success is about quantity and hustle. That might work short-term, but the long-term victory is about quality and strategy.

You can spend a lot of time and energy hustling to break the Guinness World Record for the most published books, or you can be more strategic about turning that one book into a full-blown brand. This may require a long-term plan where you might not immediately see results.

Click here for more Indie Author Basics aimed at encouraging you through the Self-Publishing / Indie Author Process!

Help People Understand WHY They Should Buy Your Book

Supporting a fellow poetess at the Atlanta African American Book Festival, 2019.

In my years of consulting with authors and working with them on their books, I’ve discovered that the most difficult challenge for many is not writing the book (many of them have been writing their entire lives) but finding innovative ways to market and promote it.

With so many hats to wear, the last thing an Indie Author wants to do is strategize about how to promote their book day in and day out.

And you know what? We don’t have to!

Everything does not have to be part of some grand strategy that only a rocket scientist could understand. The secret to wisdom is often in its simplicity.

Considering it as relationship-building and connection-making rather than marketing and promotion could help you focus on the reasons behind your book. It involves thinking up creative ways to draw in and hold the interest of those who are already searching for solutions to the problems your books address. 

Not only can these connections help you meet new people who buy books, but you might also find a business partner or lifelong friend.

Since your identity as an author is heavily influenced by who you are personally, it might be beneficial to present your individuality and draw on real-world experiences to engage readers on a deeper level.

Dr. Jackie Walters does this well. 

Award-winning OB/GYN and star of the hit TV show Married to Medicine on Bravo, I reviewed her book a few years ago. The Queen V: Everything You Need to Know About Sex, Intimacy, and Down There Health Care goes into detail about our precious lady parts and all the ways to stay healthy. She has these videos where she reveals something informative about the vulva, sex, and intimacy. 

Here’s the important part: She only sometimes mentions her book in these videos! Sometimes, she’ll just have it sitting to the side, or it won’t be in the shot at all.

Dr. Jackie understands her expertise, and by educating her people and entertaining them with her props (she uses fruits and everything, chile), people are increasingly interested in her topic and her book without her mentioning it in every post.

She just shows up as herself.

In the end, we must show people why they should buy our book, not just that they should. This builds genuine connections and strong relationships that help our books to sell without stressing us out.

Click here for more Indie Author Basics aimed at encouraging you through the Self-Publishing / Indie Author Process!

People Don’t Buy Books

Photo by Pixabay

I was listening to a podcast with Myron Golden (he’s brilliant) about high-ticket coaching and sales, and I realized something: It’s hard to sell books because people don’t buy books.

They buy into the message behind the book, and its perceived value.

It’s not even about the book’s quality because people don’t buy quality either. They expect it.

I call this series Indie Author Basics because it focuses on the fundamentals of creating high-quality books. Every reader wants the book they buy to be well-produced. At the most basic level, we want to produce a high-quality book that meets that expectation.

But to go deeper, even more than quality, is what people feel. People will pay you when something is worth more than the money to them, and that’s the perceived value and the message.

This is why, as authors, we do interviews and podcasts, book signings, and meet and greets. It is why we write blog posts, post to social media, collaborate with other authors, and build relationships: to create an environment that helps us amplify our voices.

“Dig your well before you’re thirsty.”

– Harvey MacKay

Before I published Black History Facts, I published over fifty articles on Black History Fun Fact Friday. I then headed to IG and TikTok, turning those fun facts into posts and videos. It did better than I expected. In fact, it did so well that people asked me about the book, which wasn’t published yet.

I created an appetite for the book before I wrote the book.

I also set my preorder price for the ebook to $9.99 on Amazon and sold the hardcovers for $34. I also offered a bundle package which I sold for $97. From this, I learned two things:

  1. To quote Golden, “Your price is part of your branding.” It tells people how valuable you are.

I knew I needed to upgrade my mindset and prices for this kind of book. People who buy premium-value products will buy something just because it’s expensive. Their own sense of intrinsic value will cause them to pay more because it reminds them that they are worth it.

A person who purchases a Rolex probably didn’t do it because they wanted to wear a watch. They could buy any watch if they just wanted to tell time. But what they want is the prestige that comes with wearing an expensive watch.

This means that people also buy status.

SN: This does not mean throwing something together and then charging people up the ass for it. Remember, a good quality product is basic.

  1. People will pay you when the perceived value is worth more than their money.

People buy belonging, confidence, safety, knowledge, and solutions to their problems.

They buy reassurance and peace of mind.

So, I will not try to sell books because I now know that people don’t buy books.

Instead, I will continue to share my message (restoring black historical truth) and create an appetite for it by delivering value!

Drop a comment if you’re with me!

Black Joy

Nobody talks about society’s addiction
to black trauma.
How much more profitable
it is to talk about pain
than poems,
depression
than joy.

Like we don’t have feelings
just bad experiences
turned into songs
of sorrows
and spirituals
of reaching heaven
cause there can’t be no freedom
here on Earth for Black people.

Maybe this world still doesn’t consider us
human enough
to be happy
someone hand society a roadmap
for getting to know black people.

Tell them they can find us laughing
even when life is lifeing
cracking jokes and turning sadness into praise.
Tell them we are not just guns and gangs.

Our hope does not hang on by string
on some cracked-out corner
or trap house
Tell them how we dream.
Big Mama musta had mustard seeds
underneath the mattress
cause she moved mountains.
Food and faith ain’t never been hard to find.
We gone eat.

Talk about our love
our sense of community
our building
our builders
our beauty.

We’ve had a wild ride here
in this country
But it was not all bad.

Together, we forged a world of our own
found solace in the cracks
made meals from scraps
and carved out our own sense of enjoyment and purpose.

Tell them about how the cells of a black woman
saved the world
and the genius of a Black man lit it up.
Talk about how we bless everything we touch.

Tell the whole truth
that we are not made up only of pain.

Joy lives here, too.

You can listen to this poem on TikTok and YouTube! I’m @yecheilyah on both.

Black History Facts is back! If you’ve been waiting for a signed copy, this is your chance to get your hands on it. We are back in stock. Go now to: https://www.blkhistorybook.com/.

This Precious Life

Photo by David Alberto Carmona Coto

The preciousness of this life has been on my mind heavily.

It could be because a sister I’ve known for years lost her oldest son to a senseless murder last week. Gianni was only 20 years old.

Then, I woke up this morning to see that O.J. Simpson had died.

Or, it could be that this September will mark four years since my mother’s death.

As generations pass, I reflect on the fragility of this life and wonder if I am making the most of it.

No, not I. We. I wonder if we are making the most of it.

When we say that life is short and that every day isn’t promised, do we understand the power of that revelation?

It humbles me to think that every day we are getting closer to our deaths and have no idea. That, when we were born, it also came with a death date that we will only know when the it comes knocking on our door.

What will history say about the lives we’ve lived?

What are we writing in the spaces?

Photo Cred: Tehilayah

I want to express my gratitude for your support in this work. If you’ve ever supported me in any way, I appreciate you and what you have contributed to this blog, my books, or me personally.

I do not take any of it for granted.

You are supporting not only me but also the community and a movement by bringing to life the stories of those who have been silent and resurrecting the voices of the voiceless.

Black History Facts returns! If you’ve been waiting for a signed copy, this is your chance to get your hands on it. We are back in stock starting Friday, 4/12 at https://www.blkhistorybook.com/.