People who move on from projects without looking back can learn a thing or two from educator and author Latoya B. McPherson. Her zest for her book Scars That Never Heal, which celebrates seven years in print, only grows with time. “Scars That Never Heal is my assignment,” the Connecticut native tells So Booking Cool. “It is my passion. It was given to me by the inspiration of … Read the rest
Whether people are in love, looking for it, or none of the above, they have many opinions about it. Entrepreneur and debut author Karla Davis-Luster recently chatted with SBC about romance and writing in support of her new book The Woman Tells, which released earlier this year. The Chicago native, who respects the likes of Terry McMillan, Zane, and Tyler Perry, shared her thoughts on why she is drawn to … Read the rest
There is not a lot of modern-day fiction that centers Black Love and Black college life, something Howard University senior and Greater Love (Ingram Publisher, December 11, 2020) author Devyn Bakewell wants to help change. In the debut of her series, Greater Love, readers get to know aspiring screenwriter Ryan and football player Devyn, both of whom attend the historical Black college, Truth University. Like supporting characters in the … Read the rest
How does one know when a draft is written to its full potential? Writer, creator, and author of the science fiction and fantasy anthology Chimera Revolution: The Nue-Gaea Chronicles (June 19, 2020) Marcus E.T. shares his thoughts on the topic. “I think, for me, since I’m writing a lot of short stories, it easily just comes down to what seems to be the most satisfying conclusion that kind of leads … Read the rest
A lifechanging moment for New York Times bestselling and award-winning author Sajidah “S. K.” Ali was when her middle school teacher told her she had a talent for writing. “I just remember a lot feeling like I wasn’t anything special or spectacular when I went out into the world,” she tells So Booking Cool. Although she grew up in a loving home (and one that encouraged her as a book … Read the rest
2020 Creative Emmy-winner Nena Erb, ACE (Insecure, Little America, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) has embraced mentorship and networking during quarantine and recommends that creatives do the same. “I would take advantage of this time,” she tells So Booking Cool. “Reach out to anybody whose work you admire and see if they’ll have a little Zoom coffee with you. We’re all kind of hanging out. It’s a really good time … Read the rest
Among the first things award-winning author and founding member of the The Brown Bookshelf Kelly Starling Lyons did when she knew she wanted to write children’s books was study the craft, especially after realizing her seasoned background in print journalism was a different style of writing compared to children’s literature. “Though I was trained as a feature writer, and, though I had written poetry for fun and other kinds of … Read the rest
When asked for advice about what authors should look for in agents, editors, and publishers, award-winning and Charming As A Verb (Balzer + Bray, October 13, 2020) author Ben Philippe, encourages finding industry professionals whose emails they are unafraid to receive. “I have friends who are also writers, they have that fear of their own editors and publishers,” he tells So Booking Cool. “They’re like ‘Oh, I made too … Read the rest
How does an author determine whether she wants to write a novel in first or third person? For award-winning and New York Times bestselling author, Sajidah “S. K.” Ali, who mostly writes about Muslim protagonists, it’s about humanization, especially if the books are about identity. “What I find is that when I’m writing a character that’s not been seen often in publishing and on shelves… I choose first-person a … Read the rest
The advice Booki Vivat, author and illustrator of the New York Times bestselling series, Frazzled, has for other authors and illustrators is to not discredit their creative work. “… Doodling, I totally dismissed it as not being creative,” she tells So Booking Cool. “I grew up writing fanfiction, and I thought, ‘Oh, that’s not writing, that’s not really writing.’ But it is. And all of these things people … Read the rest
