AIR DATE NOVEMBER 25, 2021
Title: Sharing your Story
In this episode of Emily Tells All, let’s discover together how you can finally tell that story you’ve been dreaming of sharing. We speak with an author and a literary agent.
Guests and Locations
Just Harvest, Author – Greg Francis
Embolden Media Group, CEO and Founder – Jevon Bolden
Sharing Your Personal Story
Stories are incredibly powerful. Through the simple yet universal act of living, we all gather memories, experiences, and lessons over a lifetime.
We may think of the history passed down from our families as anecdotes unrelated to the here and now. But if we’re willing to dig a bit deeper, we may find patterns that enlighten our present, and it can even alter the course of our future.
I sat down to talk with Greg Francis- author of Just Harvest– and Jevon Bolden- CEO of Embolden Media Group. Hear about their personal stories and experiences with diversity.
Just Harvest – Justice and Change
Greg’s book was inspired by a lawsuit surrounding discrimination against Black farmers. White farmers would be given funding and loans that were denied to Black farmers. This led to a massive decline in Black farmers- from 960,000 to 40,000.
Ultimately, Greg wrote his book about the topic to share the story and spread awareness about the discrimination still happening in the early 2000s. “One of the things that I realized they really wanted is to be heard. For people to understand their story, and their plight, and what they’ve been through,” he explains.
All of the proceeds from his book are put toward the Greg Francis Just Harvest Foundation. This foundation aims to promote youth in agriculture.
“I have also endowed a scholarship at the University of Florida College of Law, which is my alma mater, to provide 10 scholarships for graduates of HBCUs, every year, to attend the University of Florida,” he says proudly.
Just Harvest is truly a book based on American history. You can find it on shelves in Target and Amazon, or check bookshop.org to find it at your local bookstore.
Embolden Media Group
Embolden Media Group is a publishing consulting firm and literary agency focused on helping authors and publishers share their thoughtful content with a diverse audience.
“I help consult authors and help them land great book deals, so as a literary agent, also as a ghostwriter, and editor, and consultant, and writing coach,” Jevon explains her role at Embolden.
The process of writing a book and being published starts with having something to say. “If you’re thinking about doing independent or self-publishing, you can do what you want to. That’s the great thing. It’s almost like an entrepreneurial venture. But still, if you’re publishing, you want to understand that it’s something that’s going out to people. So, you want to make sure your work is presentable. And so getting an agent is one of those first steps,” she continues to explain.
She recommends writing a query letter, developing a book proposal, and compiling your writing samples. After you’ve got an agent, they will pitch your book to publishers.
“A publisher who is interested would then extend an offer to publish. And then, your agent would negotiate on your behalf- a good publishing agreement. You know, the details, the events, the rights that you want to exchange for the work, royalty rates, all kinds of things,” says Jevon.
You can search through many databases to find an agent and their contact information. Send your submission and wait to hear back. It’s that simple.
Jevon recommends that new authors read So They Say You Should Write a Book: A New Author’s Guide to Writing a Book People Will Buy and Read. It’s a helpful guide that goes over all the details aspiring authors want to know. You can find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and at many local bookstores.
