 ReShonda
Tate Billingsley, is
a freshman author with a great novel, My Brother's Keeper. She took time out to give the SCBC some information about
herself.
Thanks for your participation, ReShonda!
-SCBC, Inc.
Tell us your
latest news.
My Brother's Keeper is doing great! We recently reached 4,000 on
the Amazon.com sales ranking list. That's a long way from the 2,000,000
we started at three months ago. I'm struggling to keep up with the
demand for the book (I'm not complaining though:-). It's been picked as
a book club selection for at least 14 book clubs and is receiving great
reviews, both on-line and in print.
Where are you from?
I'm from Houston, Texas, but currently living in Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin.
How has your environment/upbringing colored
your writing?
I come from a big family, complete with drama. Although half the stuff
that goes on in my family, no one would believe if I ever put it in a
book. But I draw upon the colorful characters I've encountered in my
family to create some of my characters. By the way, my mother wants me
to make sure I point out that My Brother's Keeper is NOT based on
my family life.
When and why did you begin writing?
I have been writing for as long as I can remember. Even my pictures as a
toddler show me with a book in one hand and a pencil in the other. I
just have always had a passion for writing. As a teenager, I wrote for
everything. If my Mom got mad at me, I'd write a letter of apology and
leave it for her to find.
What do you do to set the mood for writing?
I have to turn everything off. No TV, no phone. And I always write late
at night. It's 3:49 am as I type this now. But that's when my creative
juices get to flowing.
What are you reading now?
Surprisingly, I find time, or shall I say I make time, to read at least
a book a week. I think it's crucial to my craft to read other authors.
Right now, I just finished Any Way the Wind Blows by E. Lynn
Harris, Shades of Jade by Gloria Mallette.
What new author has grasped your interest?
Karen Quinones Miller. I picked up her book Satin Doll at a
half-price bookstore. When I finished reading, I felt like I should go
back and pay the other half for the book because it was just that good.
How do you
feel overall about self-publishing?
I think it's a wonderful avenue for authors to determine their own
destiny. Most of us don't know someone to make the connections to get
our manuscripts in front of a publishing house. Self-publishing keeps
talent from going to waste. I did the query letter thing, trying to find
an agent, with no luck. Then last October, I was attending this
conference where my manuscript won an award. This agent came up to me and said he'd really like to read my
manuscript as it sounded really good. The thing is, I had just gotten a
rejection letter with a "not for me" stamp on it the week
before. I told him that, and he laughed and said. "I didn't even
see your manuscript. We get so many and I don't read half of them.
That's just a standard rejection." That's when I decided to self-publish.
Now, I do get upset when I see people haphazardly jump into
self-publishing. Those that don't do any research, or put any serious effort into the production of their book. It's those bad
apples that spoil the bunch.
What are the strengths and weaknesses of
promotion for self-published authors?
It is a nonstop job. You have to be everything. Writer, promoter,
accountant, distributor. And for someone like me who hates the business
side, that can be pretty tedious. And reaching readers all across the
country can be tough. All I have to say is thank goodness for the
Internet. But if you can get organized, and are willing to work hard,
then it pays off when someone buys a book and you know you get to keep every penny they paid. Promoting can
also be tough when you still have a full-time job. Especially, when
you're like me and work on the weekend. But where there's a will,
there's a way.
What are your current projects?
Working on my second novel, called Let the Church say Amen. It's
about a minister who becomes so consumed with having a super church,
that he doesn't see his family falling apart. I'm also working on a
non-fiction book.
Do you feel more African Americans are reading?
Absolutely. And that surge is because there is more out there for us to
read.
|
Name one
entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.
That would definitely have to be the Black Writer's Alliance. For a group
of people I never met before, they were the most helpful, encouraging
people I could ever want to know. They gave me advice, feedback and
inspired me to fulfill my dream.
How does your family and/or friends feel about
your book or writing venture in general?
They are very supportive. My husband especially. We have a baby daughter
and he would take her so I could write. This, after spending all evening
with her while I worked. Many men would be like, "here, your
turn," as soon as I walked in the door, but he knew I needed to get
my book done. My friends and other family members also encouraged me and
gave me feedback along the way.
If you had to do it all over again, would you
change anything?
I think I would get a little bit more organized from the business end. I
didn't track my books as they came in and went out like I would've liked.
And I didn't handle the finances very well. I would sell a few books, then
run through Wendy's and use some of the money to buy a burger. I would
definitely keep that money separate. But I guess that goes down to not
being good with the business end. (Of course, I'm working on that now.)
Do you see
writing as a long-or short term career?
Long-term. It used to be my dream was to be the next Oprah, while writing
at the same time. But I know writing is my true passion, because long
after that desire to be the next Oprah or network news anchor died down, I
still wanted to write.
Would you encourage or mentor someone to
become self-published?
Absolutely. I encountered several authors who wouldn't give me the time of
day as I sought out advice. I don't care how many books I sell, I'll never
reach that point. Success means nothing if you don't reach back and take someone along with you.
How did you come up with the title for your book?
My book was called "Untitled" for the longest. Then I was
watching, what else, "New Jack City," and Nino asked his
brother, "Am I my Brother's Keeper." Okay, I know EVERYBODY
knows that infamous line I'm talking about. Well, when I heard that it dawned on me, that's what my main character was
trying to do, be her brother's keeper. Hence, the title.
Is there a message in your novel that you want
readers to grasp?
There are a couple of things I hope the reader walks away with. One is;
whether it's a parent working too hard and neglecting their children, or
just out-and-out abusing them, the foundation you lay for your children
has long-term effects. The other is how important it is to forgive. I'm
not talking about becoming best friends with someone who has wronged you,
but harboring hatred can only do more harm than good.
How much of the novel is realistic?
I think all of it is. I try to make my characters very real. I had some
people from my church ask me about the cursing in my book. It's not that
bad, but they thought the story could've been told without it. I didn't. I
don't think you'll have a drunk, abusive man, beating his wife, talking
about "Open the cotton-picking door." And the way the characters
acted. I wanted to make them true to form. (Although I have had a lot of
women ask me if a brother like Charles really exists:-)
Are experiences based on someone you know, or
events in your life?
Most writers take a little of someone they know or meet and incorporate
them into characters. The storyline is fictional, but my friends can see
bits and pieces of them in the various characters.
Anything additional?
For any aspiring writers, I would advise you to just write. If you allow
outside activities to consume you, you will never have time to write. You
have to make time. I committed to writing three pages a night, five nights
a week, no matter what. Well, three pages turned to 30 and before I knew
it my manuscript was complete. As long as you allow excuses to keep you
from writing, your writing will always be just a dream. When you decided
to stop talking about writing and just write, then your dream will become
a reality.
Thanks for stepping into my world.....Be blessed
 ReShonda
Tate Billingsley
Author of My Brother's Keeper
ISBN #0-9708620-3-2
Order your copy today! www.ReshondaTateBillingsley.com
|
