SO MS AYANA, HOW DID YOU GET INTO WRITING?


I've always been very expressive and protective of my feelings and thoughts so instead of talking to people I'd write it out. My thoughts would often turn to novels. I soon started writing short stories at work out of boredom and sending them to my friends who encouraged me to write professionally.


WHAT DID YOU WRITE FIRST? SHORT STORIES? BLOGS? OR YOU JUST WENT IN WITH A WHOLE BOOK (NOVEL)?


My first short story was featured in Girls From the Hood 4. I didn't have a deal then but got one shortly after that was released. I began to blog afterwards to keep my skills sharp and to remain relevant once I realized I had a following.



WHAT ARE THE TITLES OF YOUR WORK? AND WHAT ARE THEY ABOUT ?


In Girls From the Hood 4, I wrote a short story "Last Woman Standing" and its about a female hustler who had to deal with the jealousy of her best friend as well as her street partner after they fell on hard times and she did not.


Love Changes was actually a story I wrote when I was 19 and just released it as to not waste it. Its about how friends can turn on you when you fall in love and they're bitter.


Full Circle is my baby, my "reasonable doubt" if you will. Its a story set in the golden era of hip hop, the 90's, based on my life as an abused woman and how I came to be it and eventually got out of it. I won awards for that book, I wrote my ass off in that book!


King Me is my first self-published work under my company Purpose Publishing. Its the story of what happens when a King cheats, a Pawn is misled and a Queen won't leg go. All men who cheat especially with out of town chicks should read this book!


King and I is the sequel to King Me


and "Don't Be a Dumb Bitch" is a self help book geared toward the women of this generation. Its written for us by us and every man and woman should read it. Its not the watered down Steve Harvey Think Like A Man bullshit. Its straight raw to the point, what we go through etc. I highly recommend this




NOW HOW DOES THE PUBLISHING GAME WORKS,? SELF PUBLISHING VS WORKING WITH A PUBLISHING HOUSE?

When your under a publishing house you have deadlines, rules and your not 100% in control of your work but they do everything for you, distribution, book covers, they pretty much foot the bill. But when your self published though you have 100% creative control you pay outta pocket for everything its a severe hustle! You have to print out your books, purchased an IBN # a barcode, book covers its very costly so you have to be in it to win it.



SO PEOPLE DON'T GET IT TWISTED....WHERE WERE YOU BORN?


I've been to many places, but I'm Brooklyn's own ;-)



IT SEEMS LIKE IN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, IT SEEMS LIKE 'STREET LIT(ERATURE) OR 'HOOD NOVELS' HAVE BEEN ALL THE RAGE...
.
DO YOU LIKE THE DIRECTION 'STREET LIT' IS GOING?


I'm not sure what those titles mean.... *sarcastic tone*




DO YOU LIKE THE PHRASE, 'STREET LIT?' OR 'HOOD NOVELS'?

I do not like the phrase at all. A story is a story and that's that. You have good stories and wack stories, those are the only categories I see. Your a great write or not. I can't stand the fact that Black people always have to fall into some kind of category whenever we do something...




LETS SAY, I DECIDE, I WANT TO WRITE A BOOK, ABOUT, I DONT KNOW...WHAT POINTERS WOULD YOU GIVE?

I would say write for you. Write like your writing in a journal that nobody is going to read. If your bored writing it chances are people will be bored reading it. Go with your heart always and write about what you know!



WHEN YOU FINISH WRITING A BOOK, DO YOU EVER READ IT?

I read the book so much as I'm writing it and when I'm absolutely done I read thru it once then pass it on to fresh eyes i.e. an editor.



ALOT OF ARTISTS HAVE THEIR MEDIUM THEY USE, SOME PHOTOGRAHPERS USE FILM CAMERAS, SOME USE DIGITAL, SOME ARTISTS USE OIL, SOME USE WATER COLOR, OTHERS USE SPRAY PAINT. WHAT DO YOU USE TO WRITE WITH? A REGULAR LAPTOP, OR A HIGH TECH DOOHICKEY?

A regular lap top.. just me and my bitch... all I need is a working keyboard and monitor... perhaps some patron and peace and quiet.




ALOT OF PEOPLE 'STARVE' FOR THEIR ART. AND SOME TAKE THEIR HOBBY, THEIR TALENT, AND MAKE IT, THEIR SIDE HUSTLE, WHATS UR 'DAY JOB?'




I assist the director at a men's homeless shelter in Brooklyn.




SO HOW DOES THE BOOK SELLING BUSINESS WORK? LIKE YOU WRITE A BOOK, YOU PUBLISH A BOOK, NOW ITS ON THE STANDS, SELLING FOR $15 A POP, HOW MUCH OF THAT DO YOU SEE?



Since I am self-published I put up at least $600 to print out 100 copies at wholesale price of about $6- $7 a pop. I sell it for double that so I can make back the money I put up and some... I take that the money I made back and order more books and I use the "and some" to treat myself...




WHERE ARE YOUR BOOKS BEING SOLD? AND HOW, OR WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO GET A BOOK SOLD IN A LETS SAY, A BARNES & NOBLE?


My first 3 books, Girls From the Hood, Love Changes and Full Circle were under a publisher and you can get them on amazon with the rest of my books but these are on paperback. My last three, King Me, King and I, and Don't Be A Dumb Bitch are self published works and are available on E-books. You need a distributor to get your books into stores such as Barnes & Nobles.




SO IN CLOSING, WHERE CAN WE GET AHOLD OF YOU?





EMAIL: ByAyanaEllis@gmail.com


TWITTER @AyanaEllis


FACEBOOK Facebook.com/AyanaEllis


WEBPAGE ByAyanaEllis.com


All of my work can be found on Amazon and/or BarnesandNoble.com



WELL YOU KNOW, ITS BEEN A PLEASURE, THANKS FOR TAKING TIME OUT TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, I APPRECIATE IT....


AND WHEN IS THE NEXT BOOK?

I am currently working on 2 books. One is an erotic novel its so dirty I cant let my mother or brothers read it. I plan to release that this winter, the other is an Autobiography of an American Gangster. I'm very excited about writing his story or aiding him in writing his story shall I say. Look out for that next summer!