Meet Andre J. Ellington

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andre J. Ellington.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in media and journalism back in 2013. At the time, I didn’t have a byline at all, just a dream of one day being a prominent figure in media. I started writing for my school newspaper (The Eastern Echo), and from there, I garnered three internships in a 6-month time span. These were all remote internships in states in cities such as Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago.

One of the internships was with Urban Lux Magazine in Atlanta, GA. I wrote for Urban Lux throughout 2014 which was my introduction into the Atlanta media and entertainment scene. I had two other internships after Urban Lux, which led me to Rolling Out Magazine in 2015.

Aside from VIBE Magazine, Rolling Out Magazine was a publication that I dreamed of working for one day. I developed my writing skills under Amir Shaw at Rolling Out, and after that, I started to pitch myself and gather my own story ideas for the publication. While at Rolling Out, I had the opportunity to conduct interviews with Nick Cannon, Carlos Boozer, Rico Love and many, many more. While at Rolling Out, I received an opportunity to intern at VIBE Magazine in 2016.

Rolling Out and VIBE Magazine was training ground for me. The copy editors at both outlets pushed me to become the best writer I could be, which is why I haven’t had an internship with any other publication since then. I left Rolling Out in May of 2018.

Outside of those internships, I’ve also contributed to outlets in my hometown such as AOMarkerlove.com and The Uprising Network. Currently, I run my own platform-editorial service, writewithandre.com and I write for Medium.com as an independent writer.

Has it been a smooth road?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. Coming in, I didn’t have someone to co-sign for me. I didn’t have a mentor. I didn’t have anyone or anything. I truly started from the bottom and fought to get where I am today. I’ve sacrificed time away from family and friends to become the best at what I do. I knew this is how it would be, so I never cried or complained. I just kept working, grinding, learning and studying so I could be mentioned with the elite of media and writing. If I could mention one struggle, it would be the adjustment that came with increasing work.

When I got started, no one was calling my phone for gigs at all. Now, I get an average of 3-5 people reaching out to me for work. So for me, I had to raise my expectations, increase my knowledge, and start making money from my craft. Even after six years, I’m still adjusting, but I’m becoming a more refined writer every day.

What do you do? What do you specialize in?
In 2015, I started a blog through Tumblr. I used this blog as an incubator, to see if people would want to read my work outside of the internships I had. In a six-month span, I had hundreds of people reading my work, so I laid out the foundation to create a website-editorial service under my namesake. This is how writewithandre.com was born.

I built writewithandre.com in early 2017. Going back to my earlier point, I didn’t have anyone to help me build my site. I didn’t hire a web designer. I took a pre-set template, stripped it down and rebuilt it through Squarespace.com. At the time, I only focused on interviewing people on writewithandre, but I made the shift to start monetizing my content in late-2017. I started taking the skills I mastered through various positions (press releases, biographies, social media captions, etc.) and built a service around it. I also created my own price list, logo and press kit to accompany my website.

Through the creation of writewithandre, I’m most proud of the fact that:

A. People trust me with their words.
B. I created another stream of income for my family.

With writewithandre, I’ve interviewed representatives from Taco Bell and Finish Line, Daymond John, and most importantly, prominent figures in my city. Individuals such as Killa Ko, MissPhashunta, Auntie Nique, and so many more people.

I consider myself to be a Narrative Expert. I’m an expert at telling the stories of others. People often want to hear about the drama and juicy details of other people, but I tend to focus on the totality of a person which is what makes my stories well-rounded and concise. Also, I’m a life-long learner. I don’t think I know everything, which is why I study more than I write. I also don’t believe I’ve completed my best work yet which is why I work so hard. This is what sets me apart from every other person in my field.

To add, I’m currently writing my debut book, “The Art Of Online Journalism.” This book will change the course of every young media professionals career. It’s filled with information that will take their careers to the next level. Be on the lookout for it on August 5th, 2019.

Pricing:

• Write-Up Or Phone Interview With Media Placement (Online Content,(Editorials, Blogs, Websites) – $150
• Monthly Retainer Fee (Write-Up’s And Phone Consultations Only – $750
• Social Media Management – $500
• Full Book Editing -$500
• Speakers Fee – $250
• Press Releases – $250
• Social Media Captions – $250

Contact Info:

• Website: writewithandre.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrejellington/
• Other: https://medium.com/@ellingtonandre7

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.