Hello, Reader

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Happy Black History Month!
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2020 is finally in the rear view. We made it. Really. We're still standing. Yes, I'm still acknowledging this triumph of survival as we go into the second month of 2021.🙂January brought us the win we needed (shoutout a president with compassion) and we were able to celebrate our very first Madam Vice President, Kamala Harris. (Cue the ugly cry!) And can we take a moment to talk about the first national youth poet laureate, Amanda Gormon at the inauguration? Amazing.
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So what’s new with ACJ Editorial Services in 2021?

• Well first off, new name! We are officially ACJ Editorial Services!
• We launched the new website! ACJ Editorial Services​
• We said goodbye to some services and HELLO to some exciting new services like Author Coaching for Traditional Publishing.
• We committed to working only with books. Bye bye, marketing materials, resumes, and online business profile work. Hello, brilliant nonfiction and passionate memoirs!

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Are you considering writing a book and asked yourself, But where do I start? when thinking about writing a book? Of course you have! It's the logical question when diving into something big, but know that what is really important even more so than WHERE to start? It's that you take some sort of ACTION. In my latest blog post I share FIVE THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO TODAY if you're considering writing a book. Check it out.

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Oh hey, February☺️

I was recently asked for ways to engage in Black History Month (or as I also like to think of it, the Black family reunion celebration, since we of course celebrate Black culture and history all year long):

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My suggestions:

💰 Support black owned businesses (I list a few below)

🎥 Watch Black movies

📚 Read books by Black authors. Don’t limit yourself to nonfiction. Read and learn about the black experience and perspective through fiction, poetry, children’s books, and my new favorite YA (young adult).

🎞 Watch Black documentaries

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I kicked it off this weekend by watching “Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am” a documentary on Hulu. I was blown away! I highly recommend it. Next on my list to watch is a movie that my husband and I love but that we haven’t introduced to our children yet: A Raisin in The Sun.

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Black Owned Businesses to Support:

Books! Shelves Bookstore​

Handmade jewelry! Ador Jewelry Co.​

Life coaching services! Makeda Pennycooke​

Health coaching services! Do All Things With Joy​

Skincare solutions! Alyssa Hogan​

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Are you intrigued by my new service, Author Coaching for Traditional Publishing, or are ready to start thinking about editing your book and think that we may make perfect partners? Reply to this email and lets plan a time to chat! I'd love to help you with your book editorial needs. Read what others have to say about working with me. [ahhhh will never not make me feel overwhelmingly proud!])

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That's all for now! Have a wonderful February. Until next time!

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Peace,

Andrea

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P.S. Know someone that you think I should meet? Forward this email and send me their way.

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Reading: The Street by Ann Petry We chose this for our selection for our Well-Read Black Girl Group at Main Street Books, where I work as a bookseller and the facilitator of the club. A little Black History Fact: She was the first Black woman to sell a million copies of a novel when this was published in 1946!

Reading (business): The Copyeditor's Handbook

Watching: The entire season of Girlfriends. The original #BlackGirlMagic show. The topics were ahead of their time and the 90s fashion is astonishing. HA!

Listening: Their Eyes Were Watching God with Ruby Dee as narrator (be still my heart!), and a lot of 90s alternative. Shout out to everyone that was addicted to My So Called Life and mourned that one season being cancelled as if it aired their entire life and so naturally they behaved as if their was a death of a loved one in their family (moment of silence, please)!

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