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

Andrew, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

There are a number of projects I’ve done which have great meaning to me.

I can ALWAYS go to one which gets you started and on your journey, as on the writing/published author end, it really happens in 2016. During that year, the political landscape is changing yet again (some would say it would remind you of today’s landscape), so the concept for my first book is a collection of political essays. I figured about 8-10 would do as it would be just enough without going overboard.

And then things went off-board.

Around late September/early October of 2016, my laptop crashed. While that isn’t necessarily a problem, the bigger problem is I saved my work on the hard drive and not the cloud or flash drive. And while one of my colleagues is able to help me recover a lot of the work saved, that manuscript for my first book isn’t (a reminder to me and others to back up your work in multiple places and spaces).

Once I got through the usage of words I won’t repeat here and the general frustration, I paused and started looking at what took place a little differently in that perhaps that isn’t supposed to be my first book.

Funny, isn’t it?

I always had designs to make my second book poetry based. Combined with some life status changes in that month, these variables come together and give me the soft initial nudge and eventual harder push to get my book completed. With the draft being ready in late December 2016 and then my “soft” reading in January 2017 at an event, it provided confirmation this is part of my path and larger journey as an author. My formal launch is on February 12, 2017 with the release of “Deeper than your deepest sleep: thoughts on love with Joseph Snorton” and from there, it’s opened up so many opportunities within the writing space.

Ranging from book festivals (i.e. the Mississippi Book Festival, the Carolinas International Book Festival, and others), special events (i.e. via The Hunt for Foundation, DuSable Museum, and the Tubman Museum among others), to events at bookstores, with bookclubs, and other venues, to speaking at different events (i.e. Black Writers Workspace and related entities), completing that book truly allows me to dive deeper into the writing space and connect with some truly amazing people and so much more.

As they say, doors are open because I used the right key.

Andrew, 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?

In the writing space, as previously noted, I released my first book in 2017.

My subsequent releases include “9 stories of faith: volume 1” (released in 2018), as it is an interview-based book with people who open up on their biggest daily life challenges (ranging from physical health, mental health, and other life challenges), how they incorporate best practices to keep things in perspective along with their support network and ultimately, their faith (ranging from Christianity, Hinduism, and Islam). My 2020 release, “nothing Minor”, focuses on my first year of covering minor league baseball, as it includes game recaps, player interviews (a few of the players interviewed are or have seen time in the Major Leagues), and incorporating perspective from an umpire supervisor along with the Negro Southern Leagues Museum for a historical component.

My 2022 release of “quotes and notes: something’s on the horizon” is a thinkpiece/journal, so it’s a compilation of original quotes along with space for the reader to do their own writing (i.e. do they agree or do they want to go in a different direction) as we know what you allow residency in your head can impact your life and related decisions. The most recent release is “8 months of mercy: stories with a social introvert” (2025), as it returns to my poetic roots in retelling of an 8 month stretch of trials, tribulations, and triumph. Combined with the audiobook series #TheAuthorsMixtape (a collection of spoken word, poetry, and music), my written and audio work cover multiple genres and styles to connect with a wide array of readers, listeners, and those who simply need a space to pause, refresh, and renew.

Beyond the writing include education-based services as I mainly work with middle and high school students (although a recent workshop I did with elementary school students actually went well, so who knows?) ranging from tutoring, coaching, and test prep (mainly ACT and SAT preparation). On the press/media end, I’m fortunate to work independently and collaboratively in being credentialed to cover topics including (but not limited to) government, nonprofits, college and pro sports, and arts/entertainment; likewise, I work with different organizations and their ability to connect with multiple media platforms (such as this one) in sharing their story of impact.

All of these moving parts really are people oriented. On the author end, it’s just about providing work that is authentic and accessible. My hope is it’s a bridge for those who may not always read to consider doing so, as it can open up a wide range of possibilities (including a subtle way to simply build up one’s literacy and learning skills). On the education end, there’s a saying “Education is the passport to the future”, so providing the essentials and extension-based learning can really help a student tap into the potential they have within. And on the press/media end, it’s about sharing narratives and stories of impact that at times can be overlooked by different outlets.

In the end, it’s about people and in some way, shape, and form, getting them a step closer to where they are trying to go professionally, community-wise, and otherwise.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect on the creative end is the potential in the people you meet and the lives you can change, including your own.

On the writing end, there are times your voice helps others finds theirs. There are times readers have shared how my words help them articulate what they are thinking or how they felt (or may still feel) about certain topics or life events, so knowing that I can impact people’s lives in a positive manner is really positive and powerful. The same holds true on the education end when students achieve and exceed their goals on an exam or class, and it’s really amazing when former students take time to follow up with you and share how something obvious or subtle I did helped them in some way, shape, and form.

Likewise, on the press/media end, when someone reads your work and notes how it gives them something to think about and consider is really a blessing and reminds you narratives matter.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

As basic as it sounds, creatives and those in fields considered “non-creative” are in principle doing the same thing.

What makes it different is HOW it gets done.

On the writing end, any author will likely tell you each book has a life and process of its own. How you come up with one idea and make it a reality differs from the next one and so forth; this includes the time taken for writing, editing, and other aspects of the writing process alone. And then when you get into building awareness, unless you have the budget to outsource it (and even then, you have to keep a watchful eye on the process), it takes time, and at times, it’s unconventional as it’s not as if you get things done between 9 and 5.

The press end can be all over the place at times too. Depending on the kind of story and other factors, it can be a time consuming process and go beyond the standard time frame, and depending on how deep you go, it can be like this on a regular basis. Education is a little different, but even then, you are finding areas of overlap for scheduling and at times (especially if a high stakes exam is around the corner), the meetings can be more frequent and take more time.

I hope this helps as in both spaces, you have moments or projects that extend beyond the “usual” hours, but in addition to what I’ve shared, your mind is at work on the next project or event on a frequent basis, as you don’t always “clock out” when others do.

And even then, within creatives, it can vary from person to person and field to field.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/authorasnorton
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorasnorton
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/authorasnorton
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorasnorton
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@authorasnorton7387
• Other: linktr.ee/asnortonccs
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Image Credits

Photos are via EmoryRose Photography and CCS.