My Life Changed 9 Years Ago When My First Book Dropped

Picture this, August 2014…

I woke up to messages from people who read my work telling me that they read words they KNOW are mine on a media outlet’s website, but it wasn’t quoted as my words. The writer acted like it was theirs.

I went and checked and surely enough, I was plagiarized. So I spent a few hours DRAGGING the journalist. So much so, I took a nap to recharge. 😅 I woke up to an email from that “journalist” saying they didn’t know they weren’t supposed to do that. So I tweeted:

When I tweeted that, I had a LITERAL light bulb moment 💡💡💡. I went “OMG I should write that book!!!”

So I started thinking about it on my own. Jotting down ideas. A few months later, I got an email from a book agent who was a fan of my blog, asking to represent me. I signed with that agent Nov 2014. 😭🥰 (shoutout to my 1st agent Michael H.)

I had no clue how that moment was going to change my life. But looka my smile 🥹

So I got to working on my book proposal over the holidays and I finished it Jan 2015. After some edits, finally in February 2015, my agent started sending the proposal out to editors.

Issa Rae’s book MISADVENTURES OF AWKWARD BLACK GIRL had JUST come out that month. One of the editors who we met with goes “How is your book different from Issa’s?”

Me: Issa’s my friend and her book is amazing! But they aren’t similar in subject but they’re both funny.” My book was a manual. Issa’s more a memoir.

That particular editor was the editor I REALLY wanted to go with. And in the meeting with her, it was obvious that she hadn’t even read my proposal. I think she met with me more out of nosiness than real curiosity. Me and my agent walked out that meeting and I was like “She can’t have this book even if she wants it.” We agreed. I was really disappointed, doe. 😔

We ended up meeting with about 12 publishers/editors. It was my first go-round in publishing so I was just excited to be in the room.

After all the meetings, my agent hit me up told me that the editors passed on my book b/c they thought my book was too risky, and that since I was just a blogger, I didn’t have a big enough audience. 🥺😕 My book was not taken seriously.

But ONE publisher put an offer forward. The advance was lower than I expected, and than my white peers had gotten for their books. But I said YES.

I would use this book to prove folks wrong, use these rejections as a battery. WATCH ME WORK. 😤

So I did.

In May 2015, I signed my first ever book deal in my agent’s office in New York. It was with Henry Holt (MacMillan), for my book I’M JUDGING YOU: The Do-Better Manual. 🥹😭🥰❤️

I called my mom and told her and she said “MacMillan?? They published my college textbooks in Nigeria. That’s A BIG DEAL.” 😭😭😭

I was so grateful, b/c of this YES that I was given. I knew my job was to show that it was a smart YES. And that my YES should make room and open doors for others who look like me to get YESSES too.

So I wrote that book in 5 months, across 5 continents, and turned it into my publishers Oct 2015. 💪🏾

I wrote the book I wanted to read: one that would make people laugh, think, and nod vigorously. The theme: we are all a hot mess, and I’m judging how we judge the wrong things: who we love, what we weigh, who we worship. We SHOULD be judging each other on how we are showing up for each other as human beings.

I wanted the book to feel like your favorite group chat in book form. 😅😏

Anywho, I put that book on my back and promoted my ASS OFF. I tapped on my relationships, tapped in my marketing mind, stepped outside of my comfort zone: this book’s mission was bigger than me. It needed to help publishing see that Black women who aren’t famous can write books that aren’t just about the burden of Blackness. And that we can be profitable. So I said “I have no other choice than to make this SOAR.”

Sep 13, 2016, I’m Judging You dropped into the world! My life changed. 😭

A week later, when the NYT bestselling list was announced, my book was on it! I was at @adcolor when I found out. That same night, I won the ROCKSTAR award there.

BEST. DAY. EVER.

My speaking fees doubled THAT DAY. A month later, I retired my mother cuz I was like “I can pay both your bills and mine. Rest.” ❤️

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From that point on, my career TOOK OFF.

My book got optioned for TV. Started earning royalties after 3 months. Has sold over 100,000 copies. It led to my 2nd book deal, which was for my banner title PROFESSIONAL TROUBLEMAKER.

4 of my books are NYT bestsellers. I’ve written 5 books (every single one has been a national bestseller). I’m working on books 6 & 7 now. I’m a CAREER AUTHOR. 🤯

Now I’m a book coach too, creating The Book Academy to help others find success in publishing.

The lessons are plenty, but here are 3:

➡️ “The stone that the builders rejected becomes the cornerstone.”

➡️ Don’t worry about the 5 year or 10 year plan: just take the FIRST step and that can open the doors to the rest

➡️ Keep going.

So happy 9th birthday to my first book baby 🥳🎂🎊 “I’m Judging You: The Do-Better Manual.” I thank God for the journey. And I’m so proud. THANK YOU to everyone who has supported me along the way.

Y’all are THE BEST! 😭🙏🏾