“Self-Determination”
Guest Writer: W.D. Foster-Graham
In my first column, this Old School New Kid mentioned the learning curve as an independent author. When it comes to writing, some see it as a hobby, others their passion, still others a business, and a very few regard it as all of the above. I am one of those few individuals, and I give thanks for this ongoing process.
Back in the day, before I even considered having my work published, there was only one game in town, and it loomed large: traditional publishing. For those who choose that route, I wish you good success; over time I learned, as a Black gay author, that it simply wasn’t for me. These days, there are so many options for a writer/author to achieve publication, as well as readers who are waiting to read your stories.
I’m my own boss, and I love it. I remember well the second principle of Kwanzaa, Kujichagulia (Self-Determination), and the call of my community to build our own businesses and support other minority-owned businesses in the fourth principle,Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics). Of course, my writing also embraces the sixth principle, Kuumba (Creativity). I applaud such men as E. Lynn Harris, Essex Hemphill, Mike Warren, and Wyatt O’Brian Evans, who refused to sit around waiting for publishers to come around. They chose instead to build their own businesses and publish their own work, to their good success. Romance novelist Brenda Jackson, ignoring the naysayers in the publishing world who claimed there was no market for romance novels featuring Black couples, proved them wrong with the incredible response she received when she self-published her first nine novels.
Granted, it’s work. It’s not for everyone. And it doesn’t happen overnight. I’ve learned the necessity of developing a marketing plan and stepping out there. I soon found that if my father could teach himself how to program a computer and implement that system in his place of work, I could learn new skills like creating my own website, designing my own covers, etc. I also am responsible for budgeting the costs of editing, advertising, publishing the hard copies, tracking royalties, etc., contrary to the naïve notions I had years ago of just putting my book out there and waiting for the sales to come in.
Rewards? Creative control. Shorter turnaround time to publish my books. Meeting and engaging with amazing authors, poets, and readers. The joy and freedom of writing the books I want to read. Learning and developing new skills, something it’s never too late to do. In the present day, there is no one-size-fits-all for authors. It’s about doing the research to determine what is a good fit for you, and above all, to never give up.
One of the components of a marketing plan for today is (gasp!) social media presence. The old-school part of me moans, “How did we survive without it?” It has, however, yielded some unexpected benefits—a connection with a wonderful writer’s community, and a fun writing exercise called “Very Short Stories 365,” where one creates a story/poem within the confines of a tweet, using a daily prompt word. That being said, here are some of my very short stories, seasoned with my own brand of romance:
Demetrius’ deep brown skin burned from a molten heart when he beheld Tevin by the pool. Tevin was the personification of the take-charge, take-no-prisoners, hyper-masculine brotha. Nothing prepared Demetrius for his dreams to manifest and his world to be rocked when Tevin kissed him softly and whispered unexpectedly, “Please take me.”
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There was no mistaking the set in Shauntik’s 9-year-old shoulders as we left the community center. When he made up his mind on something, he’d stick to it. With a conspiratorial glint, he told me, “Daddy, I’m going to find you a husband.”
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Jalen has the build of The Rock. He can twerk like Beyonce. Man, how he makes me laugh when he reads his critics. I was grinning, watching him strut onstage to receive his Ph.D. Of course, I already put a ring on it.
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I heard the Isley Brothers, and read on his face what he was telling me—he needed it again. My Kwasi, Fortune 500 CEO, took my hand, placed it on the phatness of his 3-piece, suit-clad backside. Yeah Kwasi, I’ll take you to the next phase.
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When the Motown revue came to town in the ‘60s its male vocalists sending screaming sistahs into orgasm with their voices
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Did anyone notice a brotha like me heart throbbing just as bad for those phyne men? Laron deliberately did Something about him made me keep lovin’ him ever since
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I wish you an excellent day and good success!
W.D. Foster-Graham is an independent novelist from Minneapolis, Minnesota. He received a B.A. in psychology from Luther College, and he was an original member of the multi-Grammy Award-winning ensemble, Sounds of Blackness. He has also been recognized by the International Society of Poets as one of its “Best Poets of 2003.”
His tastes in writing run to family sagas and M/M romance, seasoned with his own brand of African-American flavor—at the end of the day, it’s all about the love. He shamelessly admits to a love of romance novels, whodunits and classic movies of old Hollywood. He was also inspired by the late novelist E. Lynn Harris, who believed that an author should write the books he/she wants to read.
Current works in development are a continuation of his Christopher Family Novel series: Never Give Up, a blend of historical novel/family saga /whodunit, and two M/M romance novels, The Right to Be and To Thine Own Self.
You may visit W. D. at his online home, wfostergrahamauthor.com; and on Twitter, @WDFosterGraham1. And, email W. D. at wfostergraham@wfostergrahamauthor.com.
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