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

Sami, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you share a story about the kindest thing someone has done for you and why it mattered so much or was so meaningful to you?

Before my book’s publication, I had a Young Adult novel fail. It was a grueling process, where I received many rejections about something I had a lot of faith in. It was still early on in my writing journey, but I had a hard time keeping that faith up while the rejections poured in. So, I got really frustrated. Then I got a brilliant idea that would solve all of my issues–what if I switched my book to adult audiences?
Now, I have always been an adult writer. I started out writing adult fantasy, and only switched to Young Adult for a single manuscript in the spirit of retro slasher movies. It didn’t feel like home for me, because it was so temporary and I felt so unwanted.
Today, I recognize I was panicking about the rejections. Writers are dramatic like that.
However, back then–when I had this panic induced epiphany–I knew I needed a little more guidance about what to do. I had so much respect for the Black authors that had came before me because whether they’re older than me or not, they have wisdom to impart and lessons they’ve learned on their own. There was a Black author at the time that wrote an adult horror book with teen protagonists, who I did have a connection with on Twitter–so I risked it all and DM’ed. The panic was very clear in those DMs I’m sure.
Without a break for her to have time to reply, I asked about what her thought process was behind having an adult book with teen protagonists; and how she knew an adult audience was the right fit for her work; and i told her about the situation I was facing with my book getting rejected; and finally, I talked her ear off about the decisions I was planning to make.
The kindness that author showed me went above and beyond my expectations. I think, in my mind, I put everything in my messages all at once because I expected to be ghosted. And if the author came back to it months later, she would have context if she wished to follow back with me. However, the author actually got back to me really quickly. She commiserated with me about how upsetting rejections can be at my stage in my career. Then, she set up a zoom call with me and let me vent about my frustrations. She even read a bit of the book I had been getting rejections on. It was already so much more than I expected, if it had stopped there I’d already have gratitude.
However, even after reading my work, she talked me through my decision making process about turning my book adult. She told me that I should be confident in my work, and that I was telling the story I set out to tell. That my story was a Young Adult novel, as advertised, and she gave me tips to handle submitting to publishers moving forward. It was such a wealth of knowledge they gave me, and I will forever be appreciative because it changed the course of my career. It made me more aggressive when it came to my vision for my books. I chose to write that book as Young Adult for a reason, but failing to sell it had me doubt that reason and give into the whims of the market. However, my chat with Bethany C. Morrow retaught me that stick beside my voice is much more valuable than reception, and she gave me the confidence to ride through more rejections until eventually, I received an offer.

Sami, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I am a proud southern, Black writer and I wish to change the trajectory of publishing in the small ways that I can. Writing brash protagonists and majority Black casts, mentoring up and coming Black artists, and creating an avenue for authors to decompress the struggles of the industry are all things I have done in my quest to make publishing a safe space for us. Each of these bring me joy, and I wish to continue to do so. Through my actions, I want everyone to feel enough empathy to create change. My debut novel, for example, focuses on the daughter of a serial killer that many readers will find hard to relate to or get along with. However, I wrote her this way with intention. Read about this misguided, angry girl and realize how your real-world actions could contribute to her strife. In mentorship, I focus on stories that are lead by people of color with vibrant lives. When it comes to the industry, I always hope authors pay it forward as it once was to me. I build resources like my Agent Adjacent Cheat Sheet, my various charts and references for author issues like query letters, and like the Write Team Mentorship Program. I also create places for community chats, like author events and #AHHChat. It’s my continuous goal to meet these requirements and begin the change that I am anticipate.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

We all are responsible for building an empathetic community, but maintaining one doesn’t have to be difficult. We can do so in small ways. One such way is to give advice to authors when you can. This is the most common way authors pay it forward, but it is not unappreciated. Even if you don’t feel like the greatest of all time, you never know what knowledge will resonate with someone. You have something valuable to say to somebody, even if it’s not everybody.
We all should also try to sing the praises of those who have helped us on our way to success. Publishing is an industry where authors can be forgotten about. Every new book is a splashy new opportunity for marketing and word of mouth, but in that environment it’s easy to get lost in the noise. That can leave a lot of authors feeling left behind. If we start to take the initiative and be the hand reaching out to others, we can create a much more comforting community. Talk about authors you appreciate and what they’ve done for you. Just a small move like that can draw more eyes to them, and allow them to do even more good in the community.
In fact, we should boost voices in general. It’s a good rule of thumb to always note books you’ve enjoyed or authors you think are entertaining. Bookstores you’ve heard good things about. Readers you’ve noticed promote your book often. Even giving someone a shout out for a beautiful cover or enticing pitch can make an author’s day. That’s special.
Lastly, this industry has a real transparency problem. Of course, we don’t need to air out everything in public all the time (leave that to me). However, we need to be more open to sharing low points in our careers, even if it’s in hindsight. We need to stop collectively pretending everything is okay, because without community this industry can wreak havoc on our mental health. However without shared struggle, how can you build a community?

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

Community is the mission that drives me. I want people to feel seen and heard. I want readers to be excited about the voices and perspectives they haven’t considered. I want them to be entertained, sure, but I also want them to have a good time. I want to make readers feel a sense of community in the same way someone would at a campfire, telling scary stories. But I also want the same for authors. I want authors to know that they have a place to turn when publishing gets hard. Through the mentorship program that I run, I want to find authors that will bring my mission to their corner of the industry. Then, in the events I put together, I wish to do the same for authors just passing me by on their own journeys. Overall, I hope to continuously find ways to build a community around me and around others, so that we never have the chance to feel like we did this by ourselves.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.authorsamiellis.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorsamiellis/
• Twitter: https://x.com/themoosef

Image Credits

Elba Lora
A Novel Idea