NAIWBE Natural As I Wanna Be LLC

How has digital publishing changed the industry?As a first-time author working with a vanity publisher, I learned that digital publishing creates opportunity, but authors must educate themselves. Understand your rights, contracts, costs, distribution, and marketing—before signing away control of your work.

What do you look for when considering new manuscripts or content?I look for a story with purpose, authenticity, and room to grow. I began writing my first book over 20 years ago, knowing my story would become a trilogy. For me, new content should build on the journey while offering readers something meaningful for their own lives.

How do you balance creative vision with market demand?I lead with purpose and authenticity, then consider what my audience needs. I don’t change my message to follow trends; I find creative ways to make my lived experiences, lessons, and message relevant, relatable, and valuable to the people I’m called to reach.

What are the biggest challenges facing publishers today?As a new self-published author, I can’t speak for the publishing industry. From my experience, the challenge is learning the business while creating visibility, reaching the right readers, understanding distribution, and building a sustainable author brand.

What’s your approach to discovering new talent?My journey taught me that talent can be discovered in stillness. By quieting the noise, listening to God, and aligning with my purpose, I discovered gifts within myself, from writing my story to hearing the music that was already in my words.

How are you integrating multimedia or digital formats?I extend my written words beyond the page through audiobooks, music, video, and digital storytelling. My book has become a living testimony, with its words inspiring songs and multimedia experiences that allow people to read, hear, see, and connect with its message.

What excites you most about the future of publishing?A story can move off the page and into people’s lives. Through interactive experiences, readers become participants, sharing their voices, creating, and connecting. The story becomes a catalyst for community engagement, bringing people together to talk, share, create, and connect.