Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Kimberla Lawson Roby. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Kimberla Lawson, appreciate you joining us today. What sort of legacy are you hoping to build. What do you think people will say about you after you are gone, what do you hope to be remembered for?
When I am gone, my hope is that I will be remembered for my work as an author, speaker, podcast host, and writing & publishing mentor, and as a woman who tried to help as many women as possible become the women God created them to be.
Kimberla Lawson, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
While writing always felt natural to me, even as a child, and I was told y elementary teachers that I had a gift for writing and storytelling, I didn’t actually sit down to begin writing my first book, Behind Closed Doors, until April 1995 when I was less than a month from turning 30 years old. Then, once I finished writing it seven months later and began submitting it to literary agents and ultimately to publishing houses, I received a rejection letter from all of them. Of course, this is when I made the decision to give up and move on, but thankfully, my mom encouraged me to keep trying and my husband suggested that I self-publish my book. So in June 1996, I started my first business, Lenox Press, self-published my book later that year and went on to sell just over 10,000 copies of it within the first official six months of publication. I also secured literary agent representation before then, and my agent sold my second book, Here and Now, to a New York publishing house. Since then, I have been published by 3 major houses, I have written and published 29 books, and I have made several bestseller lists, including the New York Times, USA Today, Washington Post, Essence magazine, and many others. Additionally, in 2013, I won the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Fiction for my novel, The Reverend’s Wife, in 2020, I was named by USA Today as one of the 100 Black Novelists You Should Read, and in 2021, I was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work – Instructional. I have also received 4 NAACP Image Award nominations in total. Then, in terms of podcasting, I created a podcast called The Woman God Created You to Be, and in May 2023, I began hosting writing & publishing masterclasses for women.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
Treating people the way I want to be treated and making sure I offer the best experience I can for all clients and customers.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When I wrote my first book and had it rejected by every literary agent and publishing house I contacted, I made the decision to step out on faith, start my own company, and publish the book myself. It would have been so much easier to just give up (the way I originally wanted to), but staying the course and continuing to move forward truly made a difference.
Contact Info:
- Website: kimroby.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/kimberlalawsonroby
- Facebook: facebook.com/kimberlalawsonroby
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kimberlalawsonroby/
- Twitter: twitter.com/KimberlaLRoby
- Youtube: youtube.com/kimberlalawsonroby
Image Credits
Brian Adams, Trenod Vines, Antwon George, and Sidney Malone.