Jennae Cecelia is a best-selling author and poet known for her poetry books, Uncaged Wallflower, The Sun Will Rise and So Will We, and Healing for No One But Me. Her mission as an author is to comfort and encourage people. In addition to writing, she is focused on helping other authors learn how to successfully put their writing out into the world. Jennae joins me to talk about how she got her start with poetry, including her family’s reaction to the idea of poetry as a career; the unexpected experience of having a viral self-published poetry book; how she helps other authors master the art of self-publishing; what it’s like writing custom poetry for others, and more.
Episode Breakdown:
00:00 Introduction 01:10 Jennae discusses her childhood imagination and family influences 03:55 Role models and seeing creativity as a realistic pursuit 05:16 Leaning into creativity after early publishing success 08:07 Family reactions to pursuing poetry as a career 10:49 Reflecting on misconceptions about job security and risks 13:39 Jennae's self-publishing strategies and viral book success 16:56 Building momentum with multiple books and Amazon rankings 20:36 The importance of poetry in paperback form 22:38 Impacts of viral success on her perspective and career 26:14 Jennae's writing process, journey from simplicity to detail 30:07 Finding readers through specificity in poetry 33:00 Advice for authors and importance of perseverance 37:34 Managing perfectionism in writing and publishing 40:49 Custom poetry projects and their meaningful connections 45:56 Emotional experiences writing for others, from weddings to memorials 49:12 Deciding to traditionally publish for broader reach and goals 55:09 Reflecting on the challenges and anticipation of traditional publishing
Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.
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