Interview with Author & Publisher Valerie J. Lewis Coleman

I'm so excited to have author, publisher, and speaker, Valerie J. Lewis Coleman on the blog today. I have learned so much from her writer boot camps. And later today I will be on her Power Kids show (link at the bottom). Check out this interview to learn more about her work! 


Tell us about your children’s book, Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me.

Having published over 130 authors, Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me is my first children’s book. The theme: encouraging children; especially girls of color, to dream big regarding career aspirations. The target age is easy readers (ages five to ten); however, toddlers and pre-K students love it. #ThingsICanBe debuted as a Kindle Top 50 Bestseller, landed all 5-star reviews and won several awards. A Reader’s Favorite reviewer compared it to Dr. Seuss’ Oh, The Places You’ll Go. Woohoo!

Astronaut. Ballerina. Chef. Doctor. What do you want to be?

Samara and Lyric are cousins who love to visit their grandmother, MeMe. The girls talk about all the wonderful things they want to be. Their self-esteem and confidence grow as they learn about women who have done what they hope to do.
Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me was inspired by a grandmother’s conversations with her granddaughters. Filled with historical pioneers and modern-day trailblazers, this picture book empowers girls of color by providing examples of successful women who look like them.

To Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, every conversation with a child is an opportunity to teach. Whether basic life skills, kindness or career aspirations, she encourages her grandbabies and other children to be the best they can be. ThingsICanBe.com
 
What inspired you to write the book?

My granddaughters, Samara and Lyric! Because they live in different states, I have limited in-person time with them. When we are together, I incorporate fun and learning to create fond memories and traditions. I am left-brain dominate and taught my sons problem solving, critical thinking and reasoning. I want my grandchildren to have similar skills so I am intentional about imparting my wisdom and life experience to reinforce their father’s teachings. These quotes guide my efforts personally and professionally.

“Give a man a fish, feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime.”
—Lao Tzu

“What we do now echoes in eternity.”
—Marcus Aurelius
 
Tell us about your POWER Kids Live on Facebook where you interview children’s lit writers.

All of my live events were canceled or postponed due to COVID-19. I was scheduled to speak in San Antonio, Detroit, Charlotte, Atlanta and throughout Ohio. To offset the effects of the corona virus, and to stay connected with readers, I launched POWER Kids Live (Facebook.com/ValerieJLewisColeman). Once a week, I speak with children’s book authors about their publishing process. Although my intent is to expand everyone’s reach through cross promotion, unexpected benefits like resources, unique marketing strategies and online features (blogs, read alouds and interviews) have been viable byproducts.

“You can have everything you want in life, if you help enough people get what they want.”
—Zig Ziglar
 
You write books, but you also work with authors to help their book publishing dreams come true. Can you tell us about your company, Pen of the Writer?

I serve my clients with years of experience and repeatable, proven results like book sales, paid speaking engagements and media attention through Pen of the Writer. With offerings that span the continuum of do-it-yourself Self-Publishing Made Easy workbooks; to show-me-how-to-do-it mentoring and training; to do-it-for-me publishing with Queen V Publishing, thousands of writers are now published authors.

I also host live events to connect readers with authors. Before the pandemic, I had confirmed book signings at libraries, prisons, churches and schools. Once the world reaches a new normal, I will revisit these opportunities.
 
For years, you hosted the wonderful Dayton Book Expo, which I loved being a part of, by the way! Now you have a new event called, Pen of the Writer (POWER) Book Fest. What are your plans for this new book fest?

Dayton Book Expo ran for ten years. In that time, about 700 authors connected to thousands of readers. Top-selling authors like you, Krysten, won crystal plaques, book medallions and promotions. The venue, Sinclair’s Ponitz Conference Center, was amazing. The family-friendly event included a designated area for children, workshops for aspiring authors and book signings. The last few years, I added a media center of independent show hosts to garner more attention for authors. I received invitations from libraries and other cities to replicate the experience and won the Trailblazer Award for literary excellence. I loved the citywide event; however, it needed a major revamp. Thus, Pen Of the WritER (POWER) Book Fest was born.

One of the invitations came from another small business owner, Valerie McKinney-Walker. She hosts The Indulge Event as a one-stop shopping experience. Venders include artists, caterers and other entrepreneurs. Valerie asked me to collaborate with her by creating a literary experience featuring authors. By sharing space, marketing and expenses, our combined efforts will create the first-of-its-kind event in Dayton. Indulge with POWER (our collective name) was rescheduled from May 2020 to May 2021.

Some aspects of the expo will carry over to POWER BOOK Fest: author signings, workshops and POWER Kids area sponsored by Mobile Mommies. In addition to the new partnership, differences include the addition of a Friday-night experience with live entertainment, wine tasting and exclusive shopping, new venue: Montgomery County Fairgrounds and more shoppers.

To satisfy demand for quality self-published books, my intentions are to make POWER Book Fest a mobile event connecting with readers in multiple cities.
 
What are some of your favorite books?

My sixth grade teacher read The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton to the class. I fell in love with the characters and tried to write my version of a novel. I lost interest when I shifted point of view from third-person to first-person (although I didn’t know the “technical” name).

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is a favorite because his ability to construct imagery was amazing. I still remember the scene of the marlin emerging out of the sea from this required high school read.

The Shack by William P. Young had great imagery and sensory detail. The author propelled me into the story with his page-turning style.
 
What are you working on now?  

The demand on my time is growing, so I am creating online courses to give aspiring authors 24/7 indirect access to me. I have nine work-in-progress books for Queen V Publishing clients. To reduce turnaround time, I am hiring sub-contractors for formatting and editing.

As for my books, I plan to publish the Spanish translation and library edition of Oh, The Things I Can Be When I See Me. Later this year, I will start another illustrated children’s book to honor my grandson and compile an anthology of men of power, prominence and prayer.

I held the first Free Your Mind and the Words will Follow Writers Retreat in a private mountain lodge last year. This year, the retreat will be virtual. I plan to host the three-day event in November using Zoom. Look for details at FreeYourMindWritersRetreat.com.
 
Bio

To Valerie J. Lewis Coleman, every conversation with a child is an opportunity to teach. Whether basic life skills, kindness or career aspirations, she encourages her grandbabies and other children to be the best they can be. ThingsICanBe.com

As a best-selling author and award-winning publisher, Valerie serves professional speakers and experts to magnify and monetize their message by publishing quality books. With over fifteen years of experience in the book business, she has published more than 130 authors and helped thousands of writers navigate the challenges of self-publishing. This expert divulges industry secrets on avoiding the top five mistakes made by 95% of new authors, pricing your book to sell and identifying shady publishers. Her dynamic presentation and knowledge of the business takes writers from pen to paper to published as they master self-publishing to make money! PenOfTheWriter.com

Social Media links
Facebook.com/penofthewriter
Facebook.com/valeriejlewiscoleman (fan page for #ThingsICanBe)
Twitter.com/penofthewriter
Linkedin.com/in/penofthewriter
Instagram.com/penofhewriter
Youtube.com/penofthewriter
Goodreads.com/valeriejlewiscoleman
Amazon.com/author/valeriejlewiscoleman

With Dr. LaTonya Branham and Valerie J. Lewis Coleman at the 2017 Dayton Book Expo

I will be on Valerie's show, Power Kids, on August 18th!
 
#POWERKids encourages children to read by providing beautiful books, stunning stories and amazing authors.

Join us for the Facebook Live Tuesday, August 18 7 PM EST

www.facebook.com/ValerieJLewisColeman/