Tag: writers

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Everyday I’m Hustling by Vivica A. Fox

Title: Everyday I’m Hustling

Author: Vivica A. Fox

Publisher: ‎ St. Martin’s Press

Published: April 3, 2018

Pages: 264

There are a few books I come back to a few times a year to savor their wisdom and life lessons. Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, Tabitha Brown’s Feeding the Soul, and Vivica A. Fox’s Everyday I’m Hustling are a few.

I met Miss Fox at her 2018 book signing. I am Soul had passed the review board the same year and was approved to be in the same store. We were in the same space, our books on the shelves of Nia Damali’s (aka Mama Nia’s) Medu Bookstore at the Greenbriar Mall in Atlanta.

With Soul Food and Set It Off being two of my favorite movies, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to say hi. What I enjoyed most is Fox personality is the same as you see in public and the same voice you read about in her book. She is down to earth, funny, and wants to know how a girl from Chicago ended up with a name like Yecheilyah.

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Everyday I’m Hustling is part memoir, part self-help, and part recipe book. It is filled with life experiences of Fox’s upbringing in Indiana, her acting career, strategies and business advice, and some tea on her relationship with Curtis “50 Cent,” Jackson.

Reading this book feels like sitting down with your Aunt and listening to her tell you life stories while giving advice. “Success does not guarantee the absence of getting your ass kicked,” she says while stirring a pot of Sug’s Crock-Pot Black-Eyed Peas. In true elder fashion, she deviates from the story to give cooking lessons.

You’ll roll your eyes in your head, wanting her to come back to the story. Her recipe pauses are your least favorite part, but then she’ll start talking about bonding with Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett-Smith, and Kimberly Elise off-camera during the Set It Off filming and bring you back. You’ll learn fun tidbits, such as how the line “You didn’t even bother to ask me if I was thirsty, sister,” was an adlib Fox asked to be in the film. She says she wanted there to be at least one sister-to-sister moment.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book:

“Don’t let anybody dim the shine of your accomplishments. If they’re not paying your bills, why in the hell would they validate your worth?”

“Don’t overpay to play.”

“You can’t get typecast in life. There is a shelf life for certain chapters in your life. If you learn how to go into each chapter gracefully, then you can extend the longevity of your career.”

“Don’t point out the slips that only you know you made.”

I love this one! It reminds me of what Mr. Tolson (Denzel Washington) said in the movie The Great Debaters (another one of my favorites) when one of his students talked badly about himself. “Would you punch yourself in a street fight” The boy frowns, “No.” Then don’t punch yourself in a word fight,” says Denzel.

You don’t have to constantly bring up your flaws to be seen as valuable. You were born worthy. Stop pointing out slips (flaws) no one knows exist but you.

“I always tell people to educate themselves with real experience.”

“When you are working with someone, you are cobranding, so you have to look at the visibility of that brand.”

This is a good gem since collaboration is a popular word today. It is not wise to collaborate with just anyone. There must be something in it for you too. Does the person or company share your mission, purpose, and goal? Do they have the visibility and connections to help you like you are helping them? It’s a lot of people who just want to look important, but when you investigate further you see they can’t really do anything for you.

“Pitch your niche. It’s not bragging, it’s establishing your credibility.”

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Ratings:

  • Strong Introduction: 4/5
  • Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
  • Organization: 4/5
  • Thought Provoking: 5/5
  • Solid Conclusion: 4/5

Overall: 4/5

Grab Your Copy of Everyday I’m Hustling Today

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To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. TOMORROW (7/31) IS THE LAST DAY TO REGISTER FOR A BOOK REVIEW!

All books reviewed from this point forward are books I’ve read on my own time or books registered before the deadline!

Stay tuned for our next dope read!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Why You Shouldn’t Worry about Family Not Supporting Your Books

When the Power series was first hot, my cousin said to me: “You should write books like on Power! The way we grew up, I know you can put some stuff together.”

That bothered me for two reasons:

  • I am not that kind of writer. Yes, I grew up around drug dealers and addicts, but I don’t write those kinds of books. (TWWBE was the closest book I’ve written with those themes.)
  • I interpreted it to mean the kinds of books I write already aren’t good enough for my Black audiences. In my mind she may as well have said: “We Black people wanna read books like the Power TV series.”

Self-Publishing is a lot of work, and not feeling supported by our family and friends can be crushing.

However, consider these facts, with a focus on point two:

  • Family and long-time friends don’t know the author you. They are only focused on who you’ve been to them growing up and will probably only jump on the bandwagon if you make the New York Times Best Seller and are introduced by Oprah.
  • More seriously, family, relatives, and long-time friends who don’t read the kind of books you write are not your targeted audience anyway.

Meaning you didn’t write this urban romance novel for your auntie.

You wrote it for the 34-to-44-year-old single Black woman who spends her time sharing relationship memes on Facebook, analyzing the breakups of celebrities in the Shaderoom, and devouring novels by Ashley Antoinette Coleman.

This is called appealing to your target audience, or the specific group of people within your market that your marketing is trying to reach.

Put simply: the strangers most interested in the kind of book you write who will likely go from strangers to book besties.

This is why worrying about why your relatives aren’t supporting your writing career is a waste of time.

Because you didn’t write the book for them in the first place.

Not unless they are part of your intended group.

So if auntie is within that wheelhouse, she will be a fan of your books.

But if she is more interested in the Power TV series, she should probably find an author who writes books like that.

Be encouraged.

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – No Idle Word by Tehilayah Ysrayl

Title: No Idle Word: Poetry and Prose

Author: Tehilayah Ysrayl

Publisher: ‎ Tehilayah Ysrayl

Published: May 7, 2019

Pages: 98

Her name means “A song of praise to Yah,” and Tehilayah’s anthology of poetry and prose sings just like the book of Psalms. We can tell the author thought through each piece before she penned it, as each poem is focused and intentional. There are no idle words in this anthology, as the title implies. Each stanza seeks to emphasize the significance of the use of language.

This is a short and quick read, but you will want to take your time with this one. The poems force us to pause and savor the meanings between the lines. Tehilayah speaks with gentleness and wisdom. I can hear the poetry being read aloud, and she makes excellent use of metaphor and imagery.

This author is also a great singer, which is also a testament to her name and why this book reads like a collection of hymns.

Finally, I enjoyed how the author stayed close to the book’s theme. We are reminded that there are no idle words from the opening to the end.

Ratings:

  • Presentation: 4/5
  • Authenticity /Authentic Voice: 5/5
  • Creativity/Lyrical Content: 5/5
  • Thought Provoking: 5/5

Overall: 5/5

Grab Your Copy of No Idle Word Here

https://nolineleftbehind.wordpress.com/

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open UNTIL AUGUST 1ST!

Be sure to apply BEFORE August even if your book releases after if you want a review on this blog.

Stay tuned for our next dope read!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Preparing Your Self-Published Book for Bookstores (Part 1)

Contrary to popular belief, self-published books can get into brick-and-mortar bookstores.

Ask me how I know…

Here Are Three Easy Ways to Prepare Your Self-Published / Indie Book for a Store:

1. Have a professionally designed cover with your name and title on the spine.

Usually, I will tell you to ensure it’s edited first (do that, please), but I want to highlight book covers here because they become even more important offline.

Imagine you are in Barnes and Noble (or anywhere) looking for your next read. The cover is going to attract you first.

Also, because you see it from that point of view, the book becomes easier to notice if the name and title are on the spine.

Some bookstores also take your book through a review process, where their team has to vote on the book. If the cover is poor and the editing is not up to standard, they’ll reject stocking your book.

2. Buy Your ISBN from Bowker

You can get your book into Independent stores with a free ISBN on consignment. However, having your book registered under your or your company’s name is a plus if your target is larger chains.

It’s a plus because bookstores hate Amazon’s guts. As soon as they see you are published with Amazon, they are judging you and already trying to come up with a way to let you down easy. It’s almost an instant no.

There are also tons of benefits to having your own ISBN. I go into depth about that here.

3. Use both Amazon and Ingram Spark.

Publish with Kindle Direct Publishing for Amazon only. Do not choose the expanded distribution. This option puts your book into Ingram Spark’s system but under Amazon.

Instead, you will opt out of this and create your own Ingram account.

Then, you are going to publish your book there as well.

This will allow bookstores to order your book directly from Ingram Spark through you instead of Amazon should they decide to carry your title. It also prevents you from bringing copies in yourself, which you would do under consignment.

More on this in part two…

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – Black Coffee by Bree Gordon

Title: Black Coffee: From Empty to Overflowing with Peace, Healing, and Purpose

Author: Bree Gordon

Publisher: ‎ Bree Gordon

Published: February 18, 2020

Pages: 122

Bree Gordon begins her book with frank sincerity and unabashed vulnerability. We learn about her trials and tribulations as her marriage unraveled and her mental health suffered. Gordon utilizes her therapy sessions as the basis for telling the stories of the women who made a difference in her life, and the revelation about who these women are will leave you speechless.

In this book, we meet not just Bree but also Linda, Gia, Reena, and Trina. It’s got that How Stella Got Her Groove Back and Waiting to Exhale vibe.

This book’s layout and packaging are both excellent. Gordon welcomes us with a stunning cover of her enjoying a cup of coffee and then weaves this motif across her chapters. From “Brewing” to “Spilling the Beans,” I like how imaginatively she titled the chapters to enhance the story. It brought the narrative and the title together well.

What truly sets this book apart is the inclusion of therapist notes. It will surely help other women who have had to walk in Gordon’s shoes.

Ratings:

  • Authenticity / Believable: 5/5
  • Organization: 5/5
  • Thought Provoking: 5/5
  • Solid Conclusion: 4/5
  • Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Grab Your Copy of Black Coffee Here

bree

https://www.breejgordon.com/

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open UNTIL AUGUST 1ST!

Be sure to apply BEFORE August even if your book releases after if you want a review on this blog.

Stay tuned for our next dope read!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews – The Weight of Salt by Sandra Montanino

Title: The Weight of Salt: A Gripping Story of Love and Courage (Angelina Pirrello Saga Book 1)

Author: Sandra Montanino

Publisher: ‎ Edwards Publishing; 1st edition

Published: January 13, 2021

Pages: 358

The Weight of Salt follows a Sicilian Italian family as they make their way through early 1900s America via the perspective of fifteen-year-old Angelina Pirello. In detail and filled with such emotion you’d think you were in the room, the author opens with Angelina watching her mother give birth for the seventh time. We are in Ybor, Florida, and the year is 1906.

The midwife is not very helpful, the baby is breached, and the doctor is delayed because of other patients since his wife won’t tell him that the Pirellos need assistance.

The reader’s exploration of Sicilian culture, religion, and family life begins with this event. Since the family is deeply Catholic, I sensed from the beginning that Angelina would be unique. She first rejects the idea that her infant brother (the one who passed away during birth) cannot enter paradise and will remain in limbo. The doctrine holds that everyone has Adam and Eve’s original sin, which must be washed away via baptism. However, unbaptized infants who pass away live in limbo and are not entitled to the gates of heaven.

Angelina is floored, and we see glimpses of her impending rebellion against tradition.

As fate would have it, she falls in love with someone her father, Domenico disapproves of. He then tries to give her an arranged marriage. Meanwhile, he is hiding college letters.

A lot is going on here, and there’s something in this book for everyone.

In the beginning, Angelina getting into a fight with the doctor’s wife (yes!) had me dying laughing. (Like, ma’am, why are you fighting this little girl?) For romance lovers, Angelina and Fabian will scratch that itch. For history buffs, there’s something in it for us too. Angelina learns the story of her parents and neighbors’ arrival at Ellis Island and how her neighbor’s family (not being wealthy) endured long lines and cruel examinations.

This book is lengthy, and you would want to savor it slowly. I enjoyed it mainly because it gave me a break from nonfiction, which I’ve been writing and reading a lot lately. (I’ve missed fiction!) It is complex, with numerous facets, themes, fully realized characters, and a masterfully structured narrative. Readers who prefer historical romance should definitely check it out, but historical fiction fans will also love it.

Ratings:

  • Plot Movement / Strength: 5/5
  • Entertainment Factor: 4/5
  • Characterization: 5/5
  • Authenticity / Believable: 4/5
  • Thought Provoking: 5/5
    Overall Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Grab Your Copy of The Weight of Salt Here

Salt

To have your book reviewed on this blog apply here. The registry is open UNTIL AUGUST 1ST!

Be sure to apply BEFORE August even if your book releases after if you want a review on this blog.

Stay tuned for our next dope read!

Yecheilyah’s Book Reviews is a reputable review service that features writers from all over the world, both traditionally and independently published. We are listed on Kindlepreneur as a top-tier book review blog and Reedsy as one of their vetted active book blogs that provide insightful, excellent book reviews.

*Books are read in the order they are received.

 

Do More with Your Self-Published Book

High achieving authors (Indie, Trad, or otherwise) tend to fall into a few categories:

  • They publish high-quality books (well-edited, dope cover art, and well-formatted, to name a few).

  • They collaborate with other authors and business people. 

  • They use their book to create additional income streams through businesses and services.

Today, I want to focus on that last one, although all these are important.

No matter the route, book publishing is hard work, and most of the work happens after the book is written and published. Most of us find ourselves saying, “Dang, now what?”

Depending on what your book is about, there are so many creative things you can do to leverage your self-publishing career.

Here are a few things I do based on the kinds of books I write:

  • From writing black historical fiction, I lecture at schools.

and so on…

Some authors even have high-ticket courses based on the chapters in their books. Podcasts and workshops based on the book are also ways people leverage their books.

The key point is to look at the book not as the end but as the beginning. Let it (the book) stretch you to new heights!

Check out more Indie Author Basics articles here.