We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charleslisa King DeJesus. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charleslisa below.
Charleslisa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you take vacations? How do you keep things going – any advice for entrepreneurs who feel like they can’t step away from their business for a short vacation?
It’s so important to take time for yourself. Vacations are a way for me to step away from my usual routine and indulge in a different environment. Experiencing other places, people, cultures, food, etc. is the best way to broaden knowledge and become more well-rounded. As a creative person in general and a writer specifically, I find inspiration when I travel, especially internationally. I came up with my latest book, “Black to Ghana: An African American Travel Guide to Ghana,” when I vacationed in Ghana. I was so moved by my experience, I decided to write about it to give readers a glimpse into this historical place. As an owner of a publishing company, I am privileged to be able to travel without worrying about a disruption in my business. My virtual work environment allows for it. If I need to jump on a call or email, I can do that from anywhere. But frankly, I try to reserve vacation time for rest, play and exploration – not work. I have no problem with unapologetically informing my clients that I will be on vacation and unavailable for two weeks.
Charleslisa, 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 earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Buffalo State University, so my entire career has been in the field of communications, working in both the public and private sectors. Although I have had many rewarding jobs, I have always longed for entrepreneurship. Coupled with a desire to write a memoir, I combined those two passions in 2018 when I became an author while establishing my own book publishing company, King Jesus Press LLC. Initially, starting a publishing company was not my goal. I was actually researching other companies and their offerings to see which one I should select to publish my book. After much thought and prayer, I realized I had the skills and resources to publish it myself and maintain full control over my product, brand and money. My vocation in high school was printing & graphic arts. And, I have always been a stellar writer and editor, as noted by many teachers and professors. Combining these with my nearly 30 years of work experience, I was able to seamlessly build my company.
At King Jesus Press LLC, we simply help writers become authors. We offer hybrid publishing services to support writers along their publishing journey. Our clients receive professional editing and editorial assessment, interior book layout, book cover design for all formats, ISBN assignment, barcode, U.S. copyright registration, social media and website graphics, worldwide distribution, book trailers, media kits, marketing materials, and more. For those with time or writing limitations, we also offer ghost writing services.
As an author, and King Jesus Press LLC’s first client, I am in a unique position that allows me to relate to our clients. Publishing my two books, “A Product of a Pimp and a Prostitute: My Forgiveness Journey” and “Black to Ghana: An African American Travel Guide to Ghana” helps me understand exactly what our clients need.
Even though I enjoy meeting new people and exploring new, talented writers, I am selective about the clients I serve. King Jesus Press LLC is a Christian company. That doesn’t mean we only publish Christian books, but it does means we are a business with Jesus at the center of our core values. As such, some content is off limits. There are other companies that will work with anyone and any content. Not us. That’s what makes us stand out. We have high quality standards, and we pass that on to our clients.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
While some businesses fold after a year of not being profitable or successful, it is exciting to see King Jesus Press LLC still standing after five years. We survived a global pandemic and all the challenges that came along with that. As the owner, I am proud to say that my business start-up costs were 100 percent funded by me – no business loans, no fundraising efforts, no handouts. And since my business is providing a service driven partly by my own talent, start-up costs and overhead were minimal. It’s amazing to create something from nothing and watch it grow!
I started the company with approximately $2,000. I used some personal savings for: business entity formation, advertising the new business in the classified section (as required in New York State where I formed my company), business website domain & hosting, business phone number, business email address, UPS business address, business cards, supplies, and news release distribution. To publish my book as KJP’s first client, I also had the following expenses: file upload for distribution, editing (I don’t edit my own work), cover design, copy rights, retractable banner for events, customized table cloth for selling books in person, book marks, and printing.
We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.
As I stated, I did not set out to create a publishing company. I wanted to publish my own book to legitimize my efforts, especially when knocking on the doors of bookstores, both large and small. The optics of having a publisher and distributor allow authors to be taken seriously in this industry. I was working a full-time job when I created King Jesus Press and published my first book. I was clocking in hours on my 9 to 5 and working even harder when I got home toward my own business goals – often staying up all night with little sleep. I think it was Daymond John, the founder of FUBU, who once said you shouldn’t give up your job right away when you start a business. That is sound advice. You need proof of concept. You need to know if you have an audience willing to patronize your business. You need impressive sales that would allow you to quit. Or, like me, you need a partner with an income who is willing to carry the weight while you grow your side hustle into a bona fide business.
Four years into my business, my husband got another job, and we relocated to Georgia. I knew my position working for the state of New York was going to be my last. I had no intention of working for someone else once we moved. This is what thrust me into full-time entrepreneurship.
In year one, I focused solely on promoting my memoir. By year two, I turned my attention to the business, doing some book editing jobs for clients. In the 4th quarter, I secured a prominent client who not only purchased my most expensive publishing package, she purchased an add-on service as well – ghost writing. This felt like a turning point in the business. Not only was I publishing and all that comes along with that, but someone had enough confidence in my ability to pen her life’s story. By year four, I did something a little differently. I picked up a political client who paid me on retainer for my editing and writing skills. While it has nothing to do with book publishing, it provides a consistent source of funding coming in, which helped me to grow the business and bring on extra help. Now, in year five, I am working with some repeat clients who decided to continue their writing. There’s no greater validation than customers who return!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.kingjesuspress.com
- Instagram: @King_Jesus_Press
- Facebook: King Jesus Press
- Twitter: @READcharleslisa
- Youtube: @CharlesLisatheAuthor
- Other: Email: [email protected]
Image Credits
Dominique Maddox H. Cardwell