t seems like Elissa Gabrielle came out of nowhere and made a name for herself very fast in the literary industry. Now everyone in the industry not only know who she is but also know her very successful publishing company, Peace in the Storm Publishing. Their books are available in your favorite independent owned book stores to the mainstream stores all over the country. Their books are also available on Amazon and Barnes&Noble. She’s increased her sales tremendously by making her books available through the wildly popular Black Expressions Book Club. Gabrielle knows her target audience because she’s won Best Independent Publisher of the Year in 2009 & 2010 at the African American Literary Awards Show. She has no problem telling her secret of how she was able to take her dream and turn it into a reality “ On the wings of perseverance and prayer. While the success of the company has come about rather quickly since its conception, a lot of research, prayer and hard work were put in before the foundation of the company was even laid. In the same manner that a writer has to prepare themselves to write the great American novel, I had to do the same things to establish a good company. I did not take the journey from writer to publisher lightly. I knew what I wanted if I was going to put my name behind a publishing company, so I made sure I prepared myself and directed my actions in a manner that would bring about the desired results. I did my homework, prayed about it and made sure that I continued to push for success from the first book and author through to my anticipated future publications. I treat each book and author as if they are my only one and I think that shows in the quality of the books and thank God, readers seem to appreciate the effort. I know and understand human nature, and I take nothing for granted, so I use that same gratefulness in everything I do.” The name Peace in the Storm is not the traditional name of a publishing company. It’s often said that when a person names something it almost always has some sentimental reason why that particular name was chosen. In Gabrielle’s case nothing hold more true “ Peace In The Storm Publishing has to be attributed to my jazz musician father, Joe Thomas, who wrote a song titled, “Peace in the Storm.” When I was ten, I heard the song, and it touched me so much. The words and the melody, just made me feel so good. It lifted my spirits. It resonated with me all of my life. The impact of the song on me was very dramatic and I felt like if these words can do this to people, then words are remarkably powerful. And, as I grew older, I realized that there is always peace in the midst of life’s storms so it all just made sense for me. It was at the age of ten that I decided that I would have a company that carried the name of my Daddy’s song.” One thing that is common to hear publishers say is that new authors have no clue about the industry that are trying to break into to. Over the years I’ve heard several authors complain about their publisher. It seems that often times the two sides aren’t communicating. Many publishers feel that authors are unrealistic in their thoughts about how the book should be promoted and how many sells they should generate. I’ve even heard of story of authors complaining to their publisher about why they are not on mainstream late night television shows such as Letterman, Leno or Lopez when their book was just released and they have not really sold any significant amount of books yet. This does not seem to be a problem for Gabrielle “First, being published is not a right, it’s a privilege, so we start there. Most importantly, by keeping my authors informed. It is important that authors know exactly what to expect when signing on with a publishing company. There should be no misunderstandings between the author and the publisher as to what is expected and what can reasonably be attained. For me, it is very important to have a meeting of the mind between author and publisher, and the way to ensure that is through communication. Peace in the Storm prides itself on delivering high-quality books. Readers want it, I expect to deliver. I want readers to not only have a sense of enjoyment while reading the books I publish, but I want them to feel extreme satisfaction in dealing with my company as a whole. To me that starts with the Authors. I expect them to put their heart and soul into their books so that their commitment to their readers is shown in every word. I also expect them to be an active part of promoting and building an audience for their work. There is a lot that goes into successfully wearing the title of Author, I try and emphasis that to everyone I publish by giving them the tools to be able to be the best they can be. A Publisher can only do so much for the success of a book, the rest lies on the shoulders of the Author.” The process of finding the right publisher can be a difficult one. Authors should find publishers they best fit with. Look at it like going into a relationship with someone. The two have to fit in order to be successful. “Authors should consider Peace In The Storm only if they consider themselves a trailblazer of storytelling, because that is what I am looking for in the authors I publish. If a writer feels that they have the ability, and if they have the desire to be a part of raising the level of guilty literary pleasure, then a guilt by association relationship with Peace In The Storm Publishing should be at the top of their to do list. Also, I believe that an author should ask themselves, “what can I bring to this publisher?” That’s a perspective that’s not too popular these days. We live in a what’s in it for me society.” When asked the very simple question, what’s the best part about being a publisher it took her no time to say “When God calls you to do something, you do it. I feel honored to serve in this capacity. With each book, there will be something that will entertain, encourage, and enlighten. I’m extremely proud of that. I take great pride in each book that I publish. I love being able to hold the final product of each book in my hand and being able to say I was a vessel that allowed the dreams of someone else to come true.” blackliteraturemagazine.net/blackliteraturemagazine/2010/11/01/top-shelf-publishers-peace-in-the-storm-publishing/
Posted on: Sun, 07 Jul 2013 17:11:22 +0000
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