NaNo Interview: Tia Ross of Black Writers Events

We feel so lucky that NaNoWriMo has such an amazing creative community of writers–and we feel even luckier when our participants are involved in other writing communities, activities, and groups! Today, we’ve interviewed Tia Ross, co-founder of Writeful Places and Black Writers Events, to find out more about the writing community she’s helped create:

1. Black Writers has been around for 20 years now! How did it get started, and how has the community grown and changed?

After graduating high school, I wanted to write novels. My search for a good writers’ group taught me that not everyone could understand nor relate to my stories, which, at the time, were about growing up in South Central Los Angeles. My themes, plots, characters, and slang usage in dialogue made no sense to fellow writers in my new home of Dallas, Texas, trying to critique my work.

Those groups showed me how immensely I enjoyed editing. I began studying editing, honing my skill, and, after moving to Houston several years later, I began freelancing as a fiction editor specializing in African-American literature. I quickly realized that my new clients hadn’t studied the craft or business of writing at all, so I formed a local group and invited subject experts to help aspiring authors gain the know-how they’d need to succeed. 

I taught myself web design and created a group website. This was 1997–years before the Internet was popular–but the site attracted attention from writers around the world, all interested in joining my little local group! I didn’t see much benefit for them in that, but the advantages of expanding online were obvious. I then decided to create what became the first Internet-based 501©(3) literary arts organization for Black writers. Membership grew from 39 to over 7,000 within the first two years. In 1999, that was quite a feat!

What has changed is that we no longer have the time to interact via the technology we used back then. On a day-to-day basis we now connect mostly via social media, but the emphasis has shifted to sharing information through physical and virtual events. In 2000 we launched Black Writers Reunion & Conference to great acclaim, and we offer writing retreat and getaways in tropical and other desirable locales.

2. What keeps you involved with the Black Writers community? What’s your favorite part about it?

It’s that the need still exists for an organization providing the kind and quality of the programs we offer our community. It’s seeing the impact we make, the support to keep it up, the results of our efforts, and the accomplishments of those who’ve been integral to our story. My favorite part is the successes of original members like:

Professor Tonya M. Evans , who was promoting two poetry books in those days. She followed those with her first publishing law book, Literary Law Guide for Authors: Copyright, Trademark, and Contracts in Plain Language. She’s since published several more in that series and offers publishing consulting, business entity, trademark and copyright registration services to help writers, creators, and innovators protect and maximize the value of their intellectual property and brand. Remarkably, she is one of only five speakers, out of over 100, who have presented at all seven of our Black Writers conferences.
ReShonda Tate Billingsley , who rejected numerous publishing offers and self-published her first book, My Brother’s Keeper, in 2001. She’s since authored more than 40 books, with two movie adaptations and numerous movie options.

They’re inspiration for me.

3. How is the organization planning to evolve its community in the future?

That involves another author and leader who inspires me, Rekesha Pittman of Get Write Publishing. Rekesha is a publishing strategist who not only coaches writers to publication but has also been organizing writers’ events of her own across the country. We’ve recently partnered to form Writeful Places LLC, which is dedicated to educating, nurturing, and supporting all authors worldwide. Black Writers Events will continue to offer conferences and retreats as a subsidiary of Writeful Places.

4. How can people get involved in the Black Writers community, or find out more about it?

Subscribe at http://blackwritersevents.com for announcements on upcoming Black Writers events. Those interested in Writeful Places may sign up at http://writefulplaces.com. You can also connect with us on social networks.

Tia Ross is an event strategist and editor. She’s the force behind Black Writers Events, co-founder of Writeful Places LLC, and managing director of The Ovation Group, which handles site and venue selection, contract negotiations, event management, travel planning, writing, editing, virtual event coordination, project management, and technical services for professional speakers, authors, and event planners. Once named one of the ‘Top 37 book doctors in the U.S.’ by Writer’s Digest, she edits nonfiction, fiction, web content, and technical and business documents for clients worldwide. You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram @TiaTRoss.