Today, we’d like to introduce you to Podgi Carter. Podgi was introduced to us by the brilliant and talented Joylynn Ross.
Podgi, can you walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My story begins in the eighth grade. We had to keep a journal for English Class. My teacher Ms. Ammon pulled me to the side after class and said your writing skills are very good and I think you should pursue being a writer. Throughout high school, I played sports and did a little writing which consisted of hip-hop lyrics, but I never took writing seriously. During college my major was communications, and I still had a big interest in music. I took Radio 101, a class that included obtaining my F.C.C. license for radio. After leaving college I tried different endeavors that lead me to a television talk show that I hosted, produced and edited. I was also recording weddings and doing still shots for clubs and events. I read a book that lead me to a circle of authors that I became associated with through doing red carpet photoshoots for their book releases. I made a few attempts at writing screenplays for a few author’s novels which reignited the passion for writing for me. After 3 years of attending Act Like An Author, Think Like A Business, I obtained my M.B.A. in Publishing.
Please talk to us about your creative work and career. What else should we know?
As an artist, you have to figure out the maximum reach of your talent. After being a photographer for almost 20 years, I had to ask myself what’s next. Recreating myself while staying within my craft was the answer. We learned at the conference that leaving anything on the table is not an option. Still shots, graphics, and video are all included within photography. The possibility of creating a book of photos and designing the cover is one of my goals. This is an example of the phrase that Joylynn coined, “your gold mind is your gold mine.” Whatever you decide, don’t rush your projects create them in excellence. My first novel is due to be published this winter. My mission statement is freeing oppressed minds with the literary pen. The novel is called The R.I.C.O. Verdict and can be preordered at thericoverdict.com
Joylynn Ross and Path To Publishing have been great to us and I know you’ve got a great relationship with them as well. Maybe you can tell our audience a bit about Joylynn Ross and Path To Publishing and your experience with them.
I’ve known Joy for over 20 years. The first time we met physically she was building her home and invited me in for a tour.” Here is where the media room will be located,” said Joy as we walked through the newly built structure. Not only was I honored to be inside the building, I also got the feeling of an empire being built. I attended the workshops at the same house that consisted of Joy’s literary clients speaking on their finished novels. One thing I noticed, every author had a purpose to what they wrote about. Over the years I saw the hard work and dedication pay off through sales and literary awards. The American Library Association Coretta Scott King Honor, and Essence Magazine, to name a few. Behind the scenes, free consultation for beginning writers gave birth to the foremost writing conference in the U.S. I don’t say this because I’m a Pathfinder, which is a member of the Path To Publishing Family, but I have witnessed other writers pay tens of thousands of dollars for half of the information we have received at this conference and private coaching sessions. The genius aspect of this conference is the fact that it included clients of Joy’s that she helped publish their novels. Each writer has a forte that will cover any literary area that you may need help in. This year 2021, there are two students from the conference that are teaching now on the main stage. What makes a person great is the greatness that you pass on to make others greater than yourself. When a person calls themselves the literary know it all, but still shows room to grow in a changing industry you should listen. Yes, it’s a bold statement but that’s the reason I would refer a writer to Path To Publishing over any literary agency. You have a leader that has personally served in every position that she delegates her assistant services. Editing, consulting, branding, marketing, promotion and even Ghostwriting, she has done it all. Self-published, major publications and hybrid author no stone left unturned. The role that the Path To Publishing has played in my literary journey is the fact that I learned how to write in excellence. I also learned this is legacy work to be passed on to the next generation and the one after that.
Website: thericoverdict.com
Instagram: lfxmedia7
Twitter: LFXPODGI
Facebook: The RICO Verdict
Image Credits:
Leah Gavin, Podgi Carter
