We were lucky to catch up with Latoya Smith recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Latoya, thanks for joining us today. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?
I had my first job in publishing back in 2006. I became an administrative assistant to New York Times bestselling author, Teri Woods at Teri Woods Publishing while pursuing my Bachelor’s Degree at Temple University. After attaining my degree, I worked for a number of publishers, including Grand Central Publishing, an imprint at Hachette Book Group. For the span of my eight years there, I acquired a variety of titles from Hardcover fiction and non-fiction, to digital romance and erotica. From August 2014 to February 2016, I was Executive Editor at Samhain Publishing where I acquired short and long-form romance and erotic fiction. The day I got laid off from Samhain, I made an announcement on Facebook that I was going into business for myself and LCS Literary Services was born. That day, I announced a number of services including developmental edits, proposal reviews, consulting, and teaching workshops. I then went on Vistaprint and created business cards and hit the ground running, announcing on every social media platform and writers’ group that I was freelance editing. Soon after, I got an affordable website created on WordPress. Thankfully, I was already signed up to attend a number of conferences where I promoted myself and spread the word that I was booking editorial clients. I also took a position with the L. Perkins agency and began agenting on the side. Since then, I am working 100% for myself as a literary agent, ghostwriter, mentor, consultant, and speaker. I have six agents who work under the LCS Literary umbrella as well as a freelance editor. I am so thankful the connections I made in the industry allowed me to remain independent.
Latoya, 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?
Throughout my career, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a number of authors, from debut, to multi-published, to celebrities. With each project, I am happy that I can make a difference in someone’s life and help to make their book dreams come true. I have been featured in Publishers Weekly, Forbes and USA Today, as well as on various author, book conference, and book blogger websites. In early 2014, I appeared on CSpan2 where I contributed to a panel discussing the state of book publishing. I am the winner of the 2012 RWA Golden Apple for Editor of the Year, 2017 Golden Apple for Agent of the Year, and the 2017 Literary Jewels Award for Editor of the Year. What sets me apart from others is that I am passion-focused not just money-focused. Sure, I want to earn my clients money, but I also want to make sure they find the right home for their work.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
I was freelance editing and agenting for several years. I didn’t feel like I was making the kind of money I needed to live comfortably. I felt stuck and when I got pregnant with my son, I knew I had to pivot. I reached out to a good friend of mine who runs her own imprint at a major publisher. She recommended that I look into ghostwriting. I was hesitant at first because I hadn’t done any serious writing for a while. But I am so thankful I spoke to her because she opened my eyes to a new stream of income. I have now been ghostwriting for several years and I love it. I have the flexibility to spend time with my family while reaching the financial goals I set out for myself. Having the right circle is pivotal to your success.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I love working with authors and helping them bring their stories to life.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://lcsliterary.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lcsliterary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/latoya.smith.9655806
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/latoya-smith-7b67a55/
- Twitter: https://x.com/LCSLiterary