Meet Cori Sykes | Author & Owner of Write and Vibe Publishing

Oh my, well, everyone thinks that writing a book and publishing it is super easy and that as soon as your book is published, you become a best seller and enjoy a nationwide book tour. That couldn’t be further from the truth for the majority of authors. Some others only sell a handful of books to their family and friends, while a high number of authors manage to sell a hundred.

Regardless of the number of books sold, never take it lightly. For fiction, writers need to take the time to develop the plot and characters, then get feedback from readers to make sure their story is solid. For nonfiction, writers need to perform market research to see if their book idea is viable and also see what is already out there.

For market research, writers can head to their local indie bookstore or library. Ask for book recommendations, then read those books and take notes. See how other authors conveyed the concept, jot down what was left out, and then write your book.

Once your book is published, whether it’s fiction or nonfiction, market it until you’re blue in the face. Go to events. Tell everyone to leave reviews. Develop your elevator pitch.
But whatever you’re writing about, enjoy the journey.

Writing, publishing, and more writing is what keeps me busy. I published my first novel in 2011 so I’ve been growing in the industry and in my art for over 10 years. Many don’t know that because I’ve written under a million and one pen names lol. I still have 3 pen names, which confuse people, but it’s for a good reason. I write all my romance novels under Chichima Cherry. It sounds sexy, right?

For my children’s books, I write under my late mother’s name, Karen Mae. She always wanted to be a writer so now, she kind of is. In these books she takes journeys with her grandchildren that she never got to take in life, so these books are for her as much as they are for me and other readers.

I also write under Cori Sykes, as that’s my name. The book I wrote under my name was about my late mother. With that one I wanted to be clear to the readers on who wrote it.

Even with the pen names, the one thing that hasn’t changed is my dedication to the craft. Learning how to write a good story is something that came somewhat easy, but it’s also something I’ve worked at continuously. I’ve taken free classes, paid for classes, traveled to writer’s and publisher’s conferences, networked, and practiced.

Sometimes I feel like it’s paying off but other times, it’s hard, as an artist. I still face challenges everyday as a black woman who writes, but even more so as a black woman publisher. People are more willing to trust a book from a white author than one from a black author. And when it comes to owning a publishing company, many can’t even fathom that I know what I’m doing. But I do. And I’m good at it.

Write and Vibe is small, and relatively new, but it is trustworthy, and with us, you receive the personalized experience that you may not get anywhere else.