Today we’d like to introduce you to Cynthia Freeman Gibbs.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am a native of Lansing, Michigan and earned my Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and MBA from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee, FL. After a wonderful career working for Merck & Co., Inc. which is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world, I was laid off in a corporate downsizing after twenty-two years.
A year later, I was inspired to write a novel and completed writing the book in four months. I submitted my manuscript to multiple publishers and agents, but was disappointed to receive several rejection letters. Not one to give up, I dove into examining my work and developed a much better product.
I began researching publishers of books I enjoy reading. I came across Brown Girls Books after realizing it was owned by two of my favorite award-winning authors, Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley. I was blessed to provide my manuscript to both of them at a dinner hosted by my Sorority, the San Antonio Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta when these two authors visited to be featured in a citywide Book Club event.
The next day, on February 24, 2018 at the event, Victoria and ReShonda did something they’ve never done as a publisher. They announced to everyone in the room that they wanted me to be their next new author with Brown Girls Books. By September 2018, my book, “Reasonable Insanity – A Dr. Olivia C. Maxwell Novel”, was published and released. I am now living my life as a published author and business owner which is quite exciting and fulfilling.
Has it been a smooth road?
My Dad passed away in November of 2017 so he never saw the finished book or my success as a published author. Dad was one of my number one fans and losing him was truly a struggle for me. I’m sure he’s smiling down on me from heaven and cheering me on.
Writing the book was the easy part. The struggles included editing and polishing my manuscript. Also, writing a query letter and finding publishers open to unsolicited submissions who were interested in my genre was tough. The query letter had to be customized based on the requirements of each publisher or agent which made the process quite tedious. In spite of it all, I learned valuable information to share with others.
Now, as a new business owner, my responsibility includes promoting and marketing my book. I look to fill my calendar with book signings, book festivals, interviews, speaking engagements, and Book Club discussion opportunities which are all activities I enjoy. Another role for me is being my own publicist in which I am responsible for managing my brand and image. I manage a budget to purchase books to sell, pay for vendor fees, travel expenses, and promotional material. I enjoy learning as much as I can about the business, but the struggle is trying to understand what I need to know in order to sell as many books as possible and be a successful business owner.
Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As a solo entrepreneur, I specialize in writing books, promoting, marketing, selling, and distribution of my book. I’m currently focused on writing the sequel to my first book and am excited about my progress with continuing the story of Dr. Olivia C. Maxwell.
I’m proud of the strides I made by taking classes to learn all I can as a business owner and as a new entrant into this industry. I joined Tobin Writers Group to interact with other authors and be mentored by a writing expert. I take the time to develop my network community and to collaborate with other business owners in order to market my brand as an author.
I’m thankful for my husband, family and friends who have helped me by hosting events, encouraging me, and being present whenever possible which helps me in managing my business. Seeing their joy in the success of my book is truly humbling.
I’m proud of how I’ve developed in planning, preparation, persistence, execution, follow up, and analysis of my own performance. I strive for excellence in what I do and I expect the best from me. I utilize skills from my previous experience in order to do everything necessary to get my book off the ground. As a result, my publisher has been extremely pleased with my online sales within the first two months of the release.
I was honored by being selected and invited to participate in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority’s National Arts and Letters Commission “Delta Authors On Tour” where up to seven Authors were featured from across the country. My book was chosen from a directory of over 200 Delta Authors for the 2019 tour in two out of seven regions. As a new author, this was quite an accomplishment to be proud of.
My journey has been exciting and it warms my heart to hear people talk about my book and the characters as if they know them personally. Imagine my joy to find out people all over the country have my book on their bookshelves!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
People are interested in getting as much done in shorter periods of time. Therefore, there is a stronger interest in books being available in audio format. This allows multitasking to take place and filling in gaps of time while transitioning from one location to the next. I believe in the next five to ten years, books on the shelf will become more of a rarity than the norm.
I believe we will see a big shift to self-publishing even more than where it is now. The accessibility to resources is available and people are seeing this option as a way to get their books out into the world quicker than going through a traditional publishing process.
Pricing:
- Reasonable Insanity book is approximately $17.00 ($15 plus tax and shipping).
- Autographed copies from me are $19.99 to cover cost of book, tax, shipping, and handling.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cynthiafreemangibbs.com
- Email: Cynthiafreemangibbs@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/Cynthiafreemangibbs
- Facebook: facebook.com/Cynthiafreemangibbs2018
- Twitter: twitter.com/Cfg74018811
- Other: linkedIn.com/in/Cynthiafreemangibbs
Image Credit:
Kaila Brooks
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas 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.
