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

Amy, appreciate you joining us today. Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

It all started after my mom passed away and I quit my corporate career to mourn. After a couple of months, I was called to write my mother’s story to keep her memory alive and honor her legacy. I wasn’t a writer and knew nothing about publishing. The first thing I did was take an online course with modules on how to write fiction. I chose fiction because I wanted to take liberties of incorporating the Vietnamese diaspora and refugee experience then dovetail those stories into my mom’s. Then came joining a writing community, attending a writer’s conference, and finding a critique team. The rest is history. Through networking, immersing myself into the writing community, pushing myself out of my comfort zone, I learned so much about the ins and outs of writing and publishing. The only thing left to do was roll up my sleeves and put what I learned into practice. You never stop learning. In the publishing industry, it feels like things change every six months so I took on leadership roles in writing organizations, began speaking at events and workshops, and ultimately, found my calling to help authors indie publish their work and fulfill a dream.

Amy M., 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 was born nine months before the fall of Saigon and on Black April, the day the Vietnam War ended, my mother had a decision to make. Stay in Vietnam and risk persecution or leave and find freedom in America. I was also born with a congenital heart defect called atrial septal defect. Because of the hole in my heart, I was a sick child who was given no more than five years to live. My mom went underground in the black market to make money to survive and buy us a ticket to freedom. We were a part of the mass exodus of boat people who fled Vietnam and ended up in a refugee camp before getting sponsored to The United States of America.

I received the open-heart surgery I need at Seattle Children’s Hospital, graduated Western Washington University with a degree in Sociology, and climbed the corporate ladder at tech companies like Microsoft and T-Mobile. When my mom died of lung cancer, my world shattered and that lifequake had me re-evaluating my purpose in life. That purpose is to write and preserve history by giving a voice to people who have stories to tell.

Quill Hawk Publishing is an Asian American, woman-owned indie publishing company dedicated to amplifying diverse voices one story at a time. Through a consultative approach, we help emerging and seasoned writers self-publish their work. We are the concierge, providing tools, resources, support, and guidance every step of the way along the authorpreneurship journey. Our writers own their rights and royalties and they join a family when they publish with us.

Our partnership with various small businesses ensures every author receives white-glove attention at an affordable price. Whether you need a ghostwriter, editor, cover designer, illustrator, voice actor, screenwriter, web designer, marketing professional, or other, we are here to help!

When a writer comes to us with a first polished draft of their work, we get cracking to get the work published within six months. Beyond that, it can take a year depending on how much editing and formatting is required. Some join us with just an idea and we help them flesh it out. Regardless, it is a beautiful and exciting journey for our authors. Most come back to publish a second or third book, because we become family, helping to promote their work and make them shine.

I love what I do and I care deeply about the authors who join Quill Hawk Publishing. Their book babies become my book babies and boy am I a proud fairy godmauthor.

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Most of us have heard the saying, “Failure is not an option.” I learned that from my mom who was the O.G. (original gangster) of hustling. When you read my book, Snow in Vietnam, you’ll understand what I mean when I say she was the OG. Hustling to make money… hustling to stay alive… hustling to get an education, a job, a home… we all hustle every day and when we do have success, doubt seeps in and the imposter syndrome flares up.

Here’s the thing, you only need to be one step ahead of someone else to teach, to blaze a trail, to open the window wider or kick the doors down for those behind you. So after I wrote my first book and painfully learned how to self-publish it, my peers came to me with questions and I shared my knowledge and experiences.

I realized I was good at it and people trusted my opinions, respected my hustle, and witnessed my successes. The best way to lead is through acts of service. I formed Quill Hawk Publishing to do just that – serve the writing community. My brand is all I’ve got. My reputation is important to me. My family honor is a reflection of my mom and the generations before me. So, when you present yourself in the moment, every day, as authentic, people notice. They want to collaborate and be a part of a movement. All of us want to feel validated and belong. That is what QHP offers. There is a place for you and for your story in this world. You just have to write it.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Referrals are the best way to grow your business organically. You take care of one customer and that customer will take care of you tenfold.

Everyone has a brand. It’s what you believe in, what you represent, how you approach life, and what your core values are. I am a heart warrior… a CHD survivor. My way of giving back was to start The Heart Community Collection, with two other women, to provide resources to the congenital heart defect community. I am also a Vietnamese boat person with the complexities that comes with being a refugee trying to assimilate into a new culture. To honor my roots, I sit on the board of the Vietnamese Boat People organization and am involved with several organizations such as Healing Hearts Vietnam and the Vietnamese Heritage Museum. I am a writer and publisher as well so I sit on the leadership team of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and the Oklahoma City Writers, Inc.

All this is to say, know your brand and be unapologetically authentic to your brand. I also love football and my team is the Seattle Seahawks. I live and breathe this brand too by giving to the booster club and wear my blue and green.

The best way to grow your clientele and have them be loyal for life is to be honest, authentic, and passionate about what you do. The rest will fall into place over time. Remember that overnight success takes years to develop.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://quillhawkpublishing.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quillhawkpublishing/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quillhawkpublishing
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amymle/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/hawk_quill
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@quillhawkpublishing
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@quillhawk