Today we’d like to introduce you to Zarkia Jones.
Zarkia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My passion for writing began at an early age in elementary school. I started with writing short stories, journaling and I obtained the highest possible score on my 4th grade writing state test. Eventually, my passion began to fade away as I got older. I was drawn back into writing after sharing one of my stories with a close friend during the summer of 2018 and receiving a tremendous amount of positive feedback. I had no idea that my friend shared my work with the person who is now my publisher. My initial plan was to self publish my books but when I met my publisher last summer, that changed my plans completely. I never thought I would get past writing one book but almost a year later I have ten books published.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This has been a very challenging learning process. Initially, I was under the impression that all I had to do was write the book and that was it. There is so much research that goes into writing books, marketing/branding yourself as an author, and PROMOTING! It’s so easy to get discouraged in the writing industry, especially if you only focus on the people that are already established. I wouldn’t say there was ever a time I wanted to give up, but there were a few times I had to reevaluate my strategies and allow myself to learn from others so I could get better.
Twyla T. Presents – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from others?
I am an Urban Fiction Author. In my “real life” I’m a special education teacher. I’m most proud of my brand because I’ve literally built myself up to become my own brand in these past few months. My pen name is my real name, which was a hard decision for me. It took a lot for me to love my own name, just because it’s so different. Throughout the process of me becoming an author, I had to learn a lot about myself and allow myself to be open to feedback which is not always easy. I believe what sets me apart in this industry is my drive, my passion for wanting more and my ability to be flexible.
So, what should we be on the lookout for, what’s next in store for you?
Going forward, I would love to work with other authors in the South Florida area. I would also love to learn how to write under a few different genres so I can really push my potential to the limit. For now, I’m going to continue to grow and push the work that I already have published.
Contact Info:
- Website: AuthorZarkia.com
- Email: authorzarkia@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/authorzarkia
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorzarkia
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/authorzarkia
- Other: amazon.com/author/zarkia
Image Credit:
Photo Credit: Kiaa Janell
Getting in touch: VoyageMIA 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.
