Today we’d like to introduce you to Jahquel J.
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 writing as a hobby. I had no clue that you could make money from it, more or less make it a full-time job. What started as short story I wrote out of frustration turned into 60+ books later. I started writing to get out of my own head and escape to another reality. Becoming an author was something I thought was too far fetch and not attainable. My older sister read my first short story, which I later turned into a novel ‘A Woman’s Worth’, and said that it was too good not to share with the world. I continued to write and research publishers until I found a publisher that fit my needs. That was when I published my first book in April of 2014. I decided writing wasn’t enough, and I wanted to help others like me become published authors. In 2015, I started a publishing company called Urban Chapters Publications.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
After being a published author for four years, last year I made the decision to go out on my own and become an indie author and publisher. The road hasn’t been easy, and I never wanted it to be easy. Anything worth having is worth working hard for. I’ve always been big on proving other people wrong. If someone says I can’t do something, then I work hard until I accomplish that goal. Being your own boss is the goal, or so everyone says, but in the end it’s hard work like everything else. You have no-one to hold you accountable, so you have to do that. There’s no-one standing there to hand you a paycheck at the end of the week, you have to earn that on your own. One month you’ll have a high month where sales are amazing, and the next month sales may not be all that good. I think everyone struggles, no matter how big you are in your profession, but there is only a handful that would be honest enough to admit that they do.
Just recently, I had a major breakdown and let every author under my publishing company free from their contract. Dumb move? No. I was truly taking on everyone’s energy and couldn’t feel my own. I was being pulled in so many directions that I didn’t know what to feel anymore. Some would say that I made a stupid decision, but I believe it was one of the best I’ve ever made in my life. My mental is clear, my creative flow is back, I’m building my company back up the right way and I’m able to get back to my passion; helping people follow their dreams.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Urban Chapters Publications – what should we know?
Urban Chapters Publications is a publishing company that specializes in Urban romance novels. We’re known for penning books that’ll have you on the end of your chair screaming to turn the next page. I’m most proud of the growth of my company and me as a businesswoman. When I first started my company I had no clue what I was doing, but in the end I figured everything out as I went on. My company is four years old and we’re nearing almost a million dollars in revenue, so for that I’m very proud.
What sets me apart from others is that I focus on me and my company. I’m not worried about what other company is doing what, or who is doing this. My main focus is to always find ways to build my company. When I look back at our first year and to now, we’re doing amazing and I’m proud of every author that is signed to Urban Chapters Publications!
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Hard work, determination and being vocal. You can’t want something, but don’t want to put the work in to get it. Everyone wants the money but doesn’t want to do the hard work to earn it. I feel like you have to be an extremely hardworking person to obtain success. You also have to be determined and not let anyone deter you from your goal. If I listened to every person that told me no, I wouldn’t be where I am today. You have to be vocal. I’m a person who doesn’t like confrontation. I used to sit quiet and not voice how I would feel. I learned in business you can’t do that. If you don’t like something, you have to say that. As a woman, you’re often looked at as a difficult to work with if you voice your opinion. You have to have those three characteristics to obtain success. I’m sure there are more, but those are three things that I believe the most in, only because those are the three things I’ve always relied on.
Contact Info:
- Address: 516 Sosebee Farm Rd #731
Grayson, Georgia, 30017 - Website: www.JahquelJ.com
- Email: Jahquel@urbanchapterspublications.com
- Instagram: _Jahquel
- Facebook: Jahquel Jacobs
- Twitter: Author_Jahquel
- Other: www.Urbanchapterspublications.com
Image Credit:
Snapped 360 photos, Goyartnyc
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