Dear Pennies & Pens,
As you all know, I am an Author with three published books, #MakeUrPenLoud: How to be a Lifestyle Blogger, The Loudest Pen Ever and The Pen Planner.
Therefore, today, I just wanted to share my story with you. It recently dawned on me that I have really talked about why I became an Author.
I have always loved reading
Ever since, I was a child I have loved reading. It makes me so happy. I find reading to be relaxing. It also helps me gain more knowledge on a variety of topics.
When I was a child, I was only allowed to watch one hour of TV per day. My parents were pretty strict hence why I spent so much time reading.
I always wrote as a child
As a kid, I was always writing and telling stories. I also used to love to write in my diary. It was my favorite place to share my inner thoughts.
I was apparently really good at writing because I got good grades in English. Also, my teachers would always let my parents know that I was a talented writer. My parents also noticed my talent and so it goes without saying that being an Author was my destiny.
Started Blogging after graduating from Hampton University
After I graduated from Hampton University (a historically Black college in Virginia) with a Bachelor’s in English, I started blogging. As a Fashion & Lifestyle Blogger, I started collaborating with brands and traveling to create content.
Over the years, I have traveled to Uzbekistan, Copenhagen, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Napa Valley, Oklahoma City, Austin, Birmingham, Portland, Denver, Chicago and more. I have worked with restaurants, hotels, fashion and beauty brands.
Publishing my first book
In essence, I have gained tons of experience which is why I published my first book, #MakeUrPenLoud: How to be a Lifestyle Blogger. #MakeUrPenLoud: How to be a Lifestyle Blogger teaches you how to create content and work with brands.
I published #MakeUrPenLoud: How to be a Lifestyle Blogger in 2015 via my business, The InkSpot. Writing the book was actually the easiest part. Especially since it’s a topic that I am already knowledgeable about. I just wrote the outlines of each chapter and then went from there.
Once I was done writing, I edited the book multiple times. From there, the actual publishing process began. That entails formatting the interior, designing the cover, purchasing an ISBN and getting the book printed.
Starting The InkSpot
As I mentioned, I self-published, #MakeUrPenLoud: How to be a Lifestyle Blogger via my business, The InkSpot. The InkSpot is a creative production company and multicultural creative agency.
I started The InkSpot because I wanted one business that would house all of my creative projects as well as allow me to provide different services to clients. I launched The InkSpot in 2015 and then we relaunched in 2020 with the release of Pennies & Pens. Shop the ink here: www.islpdtx.com
Publishing Books 2 + 3
As I stated, I am also Author of The Loudest Pen Ever and The Pen Planner. The Loudest Pen Ever is a collection of original stories and poems about life, love, relationships and pop culture. It talks about what it’s like to be a Black woman and creative entrepreneur. Shop the ink: The Loudest Pen Ever
The Pen Planner is a blog and social media workbook that helps you plan and create content. There’s several different workbooks that help you create content for your blog, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Tik Tok and Email Newsletters. Shop the ink: The Pen Planner
What’s Next
I plan to publish more books in the future. I am not working on anything yet but will keep you posted. Until then, I plan to continue my #Readmoreink campaign.
#Readmoreink is about encouraging people to read more books. Reading is becoming a lost art and it’s not okay because lack of reading is dumbing down society. This is why people have short attention spans and are less knowledgeable. So I’ll be sharing reviews of books I’m reading and tips on how you can read more books.
And there it is. de la Pen…All Pen Everything. With us, keeping it real never goes wrong.
