Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marcie Alvis Walker . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Marcie , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

Although my first book was published with one of the major big five publishing houses and it received good industry reviews, it wasn’t a big seller and it was expected to be a big seller.

Marcie , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I studied writing in college and then worked in a lot of bookstores, which was honestly discouraging. I wrote privately for my own creative flow for years without any intentions of ever sharing my work with the public. In my mid-forties I decided to try my hand at a blog and was surprised at how much I enjoyed the reciprocity. I was able to create a small community through Instagram. That community grew bigger than I could’ve expected through no real publicity or promotion. I think I was just in the right place at the right time. Some editors reached out in DMs and I was able to find an agent and land a book deal.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I think it’s a mistake to think of social media followers as “your audience.” The minute you do that is the minute you become less of your authentic self and more of a “likes” machine. It’s far better to ignore the audience and just share your passion. I mean I’ve never posted anything to attract an audience. In fact sometimes when a post gets a large number likes and follows, I will immediately post something vulnerable and true about me to weed out folks who might not be my ideal reader. I’d rather have fewer followers who are dedicated readers than a bunch of followers who will never sign-up for my newsletter or buy my book.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect for me is I get to be at home creating with my husband who is also a creative. It really is the cherry on top. It doesn’t get any better than that. There’s this synergy that happens when your home is a creative oasis.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marciaalviswalker.com
• Instagram: @blackcoffeewithwhitefriends @blackeyedstories
• Other: Substack: blackeyedstories.substack.com