What Success Looks Like This Time
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Hey Reader, To unlearn, to pause, to shift. And I’m in that space right now. We’re six days away from the release of my next book, Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name. My fifth book. Usually by now, I’d be deep in press tours, planning my outfits for TV appearances, hoping and praying I hit the New York Times bestsellers list. Because that list? For years, that was my measure of success. Not just for the flex, but because I knew that every time someone like me hit that list, it made it easier for someone else like me to get a book deal. To be seen. To be taken seriously by an industry that often doesn't. And I’ve done that. Four times. 💪🏾 💪🏾 💪🏾 So as I sat down a couple of months ago to ask myself, “What’s the win for this book?” I had to get real honest. Is it hitting the list for the fifth time? Does that make me more valid? Does it add to my pockets? Or does it feed my ego? Let the record show: I’d love to hit the list again. A clean 5-for-5? I mean, come on. That’s iconic. 😤 🤭 But this time, I’m clear that the value of this book is not defined by that list. Because the truth is: The New York Times list is not the real prize here. Getting this book into the hearts and hands of kids is. 📚 I didn’t write Little Troublemaker Defends Her Name to chase white validation. I wrote it for the children who deserve to hear early that their names, their identities, their stories matter. I wrote it so they don’t have to wait until adulthood to reclaim the power in who they are. So my new success metric? 10,000 kids. I want this book in the hands of 10,000 children, especially in schools, before the end of the year. It’s why I’m gonna be doing multiple school visits in the next couple of weeks and continuing in the fall, when kids are freshly back in school. Here’s how you can help me make that happen:
📘 Buy your copy – for your kid, your godchild, your friend’s kid, or your local library.
📚 Sponsor copies for classrooms – we’re matching donors with teachers to get books into schools without them incurring cost.
📖 Invite me to read the book and talk to the kiddos at your school – if you’re an educator, administrator, or community leader, let’s talk. If you get copies for the students who fall in the age range of the book (4-8), I’m down to show up!
I was at TIAA’s Bring Your Kids to Work Day last week, and the kids LOVED IT. And I had a ball! 🥰 This launch season, I’m doing it on my terms. Less hype. More heart. Less press. More purpose. I’m locked in. 🔐 Let’s get these kids what they need. Pick a store of your choice here to buy a copy. And let me know if you’d like me to visit your little ones’ school. BOOKSHOP | HUDSON BOOKSELLERS | BARNES & NOBLE | AMAZON So reply back and tell me: What is a measure of success you've created for yourself this year? With love,
P.S. If everyone on this list bought a copy, we’d have 60,000 books sold. WE CAN DO 10,000! If you haven’t bought one yet, please take the time to do so today. |
