We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ari B. Cofer a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Ari thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
I have been writing all my life. My closest friends have seen me transform from writing One Direction fan fiction as a teenager to the poetry I write today. While I have always loved writing, I had no intention of making a career out of the craft; it was too vulnerable and exposing. So, I started my first year of undergrad as a neuroscience major on a pre-med track. After leaving my first-year English classes, I never wanted to go to my science or math classes. The English and writing students and faculty gave me the space I needed to feel comfortable sharing my work, and with their encouragement, I decided that I didn’t want to be a doctor — I wanted to be a writer. As I entered my second semester, I switched my major to Professional Writing.
After college, I found my local poetry scene and began performing and competing in slam poetry. Being so immersed in a writing community helped build my confidence in the craft, gave me incredible opportunities, and introduced me to writers who inspire me.
While in the poetry slam community, I began writing the first version of my book, Paper Girl and the Knives That Made Her. I submitted the book to several publishers, presses, and agents, but no one was interested. I continued revising and querying my book for the next two years until my current publisher accepted the manuscript.
A year later, I published my second collection, Unfold. I feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to have my work published, and every day, I read messages and comments from people who feel understood through my collections. It’s a humbling and beautiful experience to be seen by my readers, and I feel honored to know others feel seen through my work.
When people ask how I launched my writing career and entered the traditional publishing world, I reinforce that I would not have been able to write or publish a collection without the support of my writing communities. As writers, working alone is easy, and sometimes preferred. Due to the nature of the work, it requires writers to display their thoughts, beliefs, and experiences to the whole world, but having the support of other writers makes the experience less intimidating.
My friends and colleagues were my first readers, my editors, my cheerleaders, and the people who reminded me that my story was important to tell. I owe everything to the people who helped me tell those stories.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a Black, queer writer, originally from Texas and currently living in the Pacific Northwest. I am also the author of Paper Girl and the Knives That Made Her (Central Avenue Publishing, 2022) and Unfold: Poetry and Prose (Central Avenue Publishing, 2023).
I’m currently a graduate student at Randolph College pursuing my MFA in Poetry. I feel incredibly lucky to be in community with the program’s esteemed faculty and have support from my colleagues. I have finally found my voice and am excited to continue sharing my work with my readers as I grow as a writer.
In my writing, I explore topics such as mental health, trauma, self-injury and suicide, love, and heartbreak. I am a mental health advocate and a passionate believer that starting conversations about mental health can save lives. I have talked on panels about the importance of creativity in improving mental health and have performed to audiences. While I write about difficult topics, I always emphasize the possibility of recovery, hope, and growth throughout my collections.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
I had to unlearn the idea that my story wasn’t important.
As a writer, it’s common to see other writers explore topics similar to yours or see writers who are more advanced in their writing journey. I had to learn that there is always space for me within this community.
Our stories are our stories and can only be told by us. No person experiences love, heartbreak, sadness, or joy in the same way. It is essential to hear every writer’s perspective on how these big feelings have shaped their world. It is easy to believe that my story doesn’t need to be heard, but it’s as true for me as it is for every other writer.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I started building my social media audience on Instagram in 2018 and TikTok in 2021. Building a platform isn’t easy, but I recommend starting the process not to go viral, but to learn more and interact with people in your niche online communities.
Part of my success was because I connected with dozens of writers online, many of whom have become close, long-term friends. Your online presence will continue to grow as your connections share your work with their connections.
And here’s the most cliché advice: keep posting. It can be exhausting and frustrating when it feels like you’re posting consistently and not getting the results you want. But remember, you have the best chance of building an audience if you are consistent. Schedule posts in advance if you don’t want to think about posting every day. Also, remember you can always take a break if it becomes too stressful. Don’t worry about being judged (I know, easier said than done) because, at the end of the day, your content will eventually reach the people it’s meant to reach.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aribcofer.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ari.b.cofer/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ari.b.cofer/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ari_b_cofer
- Other: TikTok accounts: https://www.tiktok.com/@ari.b.cofer https://www.tiktok.com/@poetry.healing
Image Credits
Monica Rurt Photography Kat’s Memoir Photography