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

Joylynn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

I am an African American woman with over two decades of creative and managerial experience in the literary industry. From day one, I have watched Black writers – underrepresented begging for diversity and inclusion – being controlled by the gatekeepers. I have also observed the same financial investments (publishing advances or marketing and promotions efforts) that Black writers receive, compared to those incentives available to their white counterparts.

At times, as a working author of popular novels in several genres, I was one of those people begging, but now I’m done pleading. I’m exhausted and saddened by watching others continue in a losing battle, only to be thrown a few crumbs here and there. That’s one of the reasons why I launched my company, Path To Publishing. With the tools, information, and resources myself and my team at Path To Publishing offer, it gives us the privilege of educating Black and marginalized writers, authors, and publishers on why they don’t need to wait around for helpful DEI policies to go into effect before they can begin benefitting from their literary works. All they need is a level playing field. That’s what Path To Publishing, as an author assistance and literary service provider, equips and empowers individuals to do.

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

Path To Publishing believes everyone has a story, testimony or message worth sharing—one that can touch lives, change lives, and even save lives—and that those who want to share those stories, testimonies and messages should have access to the tools, information, and resources to do so . . . without the permission of industry gatekeepers.

With our writing and publishing resources, as well as our learn at your own pace digital courses, Path To Publishing equips and empowers you to write, publish, distribute, sell and share your books and publications. With the author assistance and literary services we provide, our team of literary professionals and industry experts chauffeur you to writing and publishing success, as well as help you achieve your personal measure of both literary and financial literary success.

Every day someone decides they want to write and publish a book. According to an article in New York Times, 80-90% of adults have had a desire to write and/or publish a book. The problem is that many don’t know how or where to start…or don’t have time to do it all by themselves. Path To Publishing will help you get started with the process of writing and publishing your book AND finish. This includes assisting entrepreneurs and businesses with the creation and publication of content. We provide services such as ghostwriting, editing, and publishing coaching. Ninety percent of our team are authors themselves, so they understand both the professional and emotional aspect of the process. But what really sets us apart from other literary service providers is that we don’t just sell literary products and services, we sell literary success!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

Path To Publishing is the DBA of End of the Rainbow Projects, Inc., which was incorporated December 21, 2000. I formed the company with my savings, along with my severance pay, 401K, and unemployment benefits I received when I was laid off from my job of 13 years as a paralegal.

Since then–and over the years–friends, family members–and even complete strangers–have either contributed, loaned, or invested in the growth of the company. A couple supporters even took out loans on my behalf in the early stages of the business when I couldn’t get the loan approvals myself. These efforts totaled about $25,000.

In 2014, Path To Publishing secured a bank loan through a financial institution that we’ve now had a relationship with for almost 24 years. And in 2021, The SBA provided Path To Publishing with a loan.

Over the years, company revenue has sustained Path To Publishing and allowed it to strive, even through the 2020 pandemic. And we’ve also received the following grants to help fund the growth of the company:

(2021) MBE Investor Ready Cohort sponsored by Equity Multiplier
(2021) Payroc grant
(2021) Corporate Ready Cohort Scholarship through Western Regional Minority Supplier Development Council sponsored by Google
(2020) Payroll Protection Loan
(2020) Nevada GOED PETS Grant
(2020) The Doonie Fund Grant
(2020) MBE Certification Reimbursement from Chase

As we scale the company with new, improved, and enhanced products and services, and as we go from online operations only to a brick and mortar, our current fundraising goal is $1M.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

What started off as me exchanging my literary wisdom, knowledge, and expertise for a cup of coffee and a sandwich, aka “Let me pick your brain,” sessions, eventually turned into a side hustle. When I realized the results my information and resources were getting others, I knew I had something worth charging money for. And from there on out, when somebody asked me if they could pick my brain, I’d send them the link to my one-hour consulting service.

If it hadn’t been for business development strategist and expansion coach, Shaniece Wise, my helping creatives, writers, and authors around the globe achieve writing and publishing success through my literary consulting and publishing coaching may have remained a side gig.

One of the things Shaniece told me was that I wasn’t charging my clients nearly enough. “Your pricing model isn’t reflecting the years of hard work and effort you’ve invested into honing your skills, gifts, and talent,” she told me. And she didn’t have to tell me twice. I doubled, tripled, and even quadrupled my prices (along with my team members and staff), shortly thereafter turning what was once a side hustle into a thriving company!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.pathtopublishing.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blessedselling_author_enjoy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoylynnRoss
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/enjoywrites
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/enjoywrites
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZKTCHcj0WQELrvfb9MLxAA
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/path-to-publishing-las-vegas
• Other: https://g.page/path-to-publishing-las-vegas