Get the first four chapters of “The Diary Of Aaliyah Anderson” for only $2.00 today! The money goes to promotionand marketing costs for the novel. Support the youth. Remember, the author of this article is only 17! 
“Don’t EVER let your publishing company be bigger than your name. Rock with your team, but rock with yourself even more.”
– Treasure Blue, Greatest Publishing Advice For Authors Pt. 2
I must admit, I see the publishing industry as a competition. If you’re in my way, I’m like a lion that attacks when it see’s somebody that comes on their turf. I want the best and only aim for the best! Am I wrong for thinking like this? Am I wrong for wanting to be at the top of my field and doing whatever is necessary to make that happen?
One thing that I see that hinders people from success is that they limit themselves. They put a ceiling on what the
y can accomplish. Why is that? Why is it that people shudder at the mere thought of hard work, blood, sweat and tears? That concept has always been foreign to me. When I say that I’m the black James Patterson, the next Michael Baisden or the literary Tyler Perry, it’s not out of premature arrogance or disrespect to the respective legacy’s that those men are building for themselves. It’s because that’s what I envision for myself in the not so distant future.
Here I am, a seventeen-year old young black man striving for more than music, sports or working for someone else’s multi-million, Fortune 500 company and I’ve experienced major opposition in my quest. I never paid my critics or haters any mind as I navigated to my goal on being on top of the literary landscape. T.V., radio, feature films, big time business deals and endorsements are in my future and I refuse to let anyone hold me back.
My main struggle a year ago was how I was going to accomplish these feats. Here I was with the finished manuscript for The Diary of Aaliyah Anderson, a story that I knew would resonate with millions of young people around the world. I looked at other star teenagers doing great for themselves and wondered why that couldn’t be me. Now I’m here with a novella coming in the coming weeks, over thirty-thousand reads and universal love for The Diary Of Aaliyah Anderson on Wattpad and an official release day with a nice, smooth cover to match! The craziest thing about it is that I haven’t even reached my zenith!
I always study stories that I find inspirational and interesting in its nature. One of those legendary stories is that of one of my literary role models James Patterson. He didn’t start off as the number one bestselling giant that he is today. Everything in life has a beginning and ending point. James Patterson started with his first novel The Thomas Berryman Number. It went on to sell ten thousand copies, not stellar numbers but at least it’s noteworthy for a first novel.
Patterson then signed on with the publishing house Little, Brown and released Along Came A Spider, the first novel in the extensive Alex Cross series. He pushed his publishing house to market books in the television space but they wouldn’t listen. They weren’t even traditionally a commercial fiction publisher in the first place. They were the go-to company for historical narratives and biographies. However, James Patterson set out to prove something to his publisher and the whole publishing industry in general.
Refusing to allow his publisher to determine his destiny, he produced his own commercial and put his own money behind it. The folks over at Little, Brown saw the commercial and Patterson’s vision. They decided to help him with the costs for putting the commercials in New York, Chicago and Washington. With that huge push, Along Came A Spider went on to get the number two spot on the New York 
Times best-seller list and become his most successful novel to date with five million copies in print around the world.
One of my favorite scriptures is Philippians 4:13, which states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” I refuse to let anyone limit me in my quest because they aren’t the ones that give me power. Money, love, affection, pleasure, opportunities and support maybe, but not power and strength. God flows though each and every one of us. It’s up to us to unlock our higher calling in our lives.
What stops me from being the black James Patterson? Last year, he brought home $200 million for Hatchette Book Group and took home $80 million. The craziest thing about it is that his most successful series, and one of the more prolific in literature, is about an authentically black detective. Who said that stories with African-American characters don’t cross over and resonate with a worldwide audience?
We all should make the declaration today that we won’t let anything stop us from achieving prosperity in our lives. Today, we’re deciding to leave the haters behind and to throw out every excuse we could possibly come up. We’re starting our tread to success by any means necessary!
The first part of my well anticipated novella “Riverview High” is now available. And it’s free of charge! Get it at the link below:
http://riverviewhightheseries.com/
Do you have any questions, comments or concerns? Was I right or wrong on this issue? I would love to hear from you! Contact me directly at:
Email: [email protected]
Kik: @AuthorRandallB
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Twitter: @AuthorRandallB
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