We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nicole Acevedo a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Nicole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I wish I could say I didn’t think I’d end up here, but that wouldn’t be the truth. Growing up, my childhood was complicated to say the least. I was the only child of a single mother who struggled — and still struggles — with addiction, and spent the majority of my adolescence bouncing between rental homes and family members, until I eventually ended up with my grandmother. I’ve always been creative, whether that be drawing or singing or writing, it’s been a part of who I am for as long as I can remember. Books became my safe haven very early on. I’d go to my elementary school library every week and check out as many books as they’d allow at once. I was reading at a twelfth grade level by the time I was eight, and while I may not have fully comprehended the stories I was reading, I knew they offered me a safe space outside of my world. It wasn’t until my senior year of high school that I learned I could actually pursue writing as a career. My English teacher had confronted me after reading several poems I’d turned in for his Intro to Creative Writing course and really opened my eyes to the fact that there was a path I could follow that didn’t lead to a miserable office job (which isn’t to say that there aren’t meaningful 9-5s, I just never pictured myself in that life). Of course, my family wasn’t too keen to learn that I’d decided to pursue creative writing as a degree because it was “unsustainable” and I would “never make a living off of it.” To which I understood because why would anyone who already knew what it was like to struggle willingly put themselves in that position again? But the thing was: I’d spent my whole life fighting back against the odds of coming out of my situation as more than a statistic. I wasn’t betting on anyone supporting me, I was betting on myself. I knew that making the decision to pursue a life in a creative field would mean uncertainty when it came to financial stability and always having to defend myself to others who didn’t believe it was a “real career,” but those were survival skills I’d learned at a young age. It was time to put them to use where I wanted.

Nicole, 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?

For those who don’t know me, my name is Nicole Acevedo and I am a poet and author working on my debut YA novel. My writing journey started “seriously” (and I say this in quotes because realistically I started writing stories and poems when I was a child, and well, they certainly should not see the light of day) when I began college. I, like many other writers I know, thought journalism was the best entrance into the writing world while still making a paycheck. (Ha! Yeah, right.)

At the start of my sophomore year, I made a major change to Creative Writing and never looked back. I became the Assistant Editor for my university’s newspaper, worked as a correspondent for a local publication, and started posting my work on social media in the hopes of building a community. Truthfully, it’s been social media that has helped push me into gaining the momentum I have right now when it comes to my creative projects.

In September 2024, I started posting the first draft of my coming-of-age YA novel, Everywhere, Everything, on Wattpad. I knew that there was a stigma around using certain platforms or “marketing yourself” that could feel a bit icky and inauthentic, so as you can imagine, I was mortified and completely embarrassed that at twenty-five I’d somehow managed to return to my teenage-self’s best kept guilty pleasure. However, I leaned into my decision to start writing there again and even began posting TikToks about the book. In nearly five months, I’ve amassed over 23,000 reads and curated a positive and supportive community with readers on both platforms. While I am an MFA candidate and work with other writers often, it’s been invaluable using Wattpad as a tool for gauging my target demographic and receiving real-time feedback. Obviously, you have to take what people say on the internet with a grain of salt, but I’ve been lucky enough to have such passionate readers engage with my story and be open and honest about whether or not something is working for them regarding plot, characters, etc..

I’m grateful that being my normal outspoken self resonates with my audience, and has allowed me to stay in touch with who I am as a person and writer without feeling like I’m being “commercial” or “selling out” for engagement.

My writing has always come from the soul. You will find real pieces of myself in every thing that I create and/or publish because for me, there is no other way to write. It’s both terrifying and exhilarating to know that I’m putting myself out there for potentially the whole world to see and judge, but that’s the world we live in today, isn’t it? You’re being perceived regardless of whether or not you put on a show, so I’d rather be who I am and let the rest sort itself out.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

My love language is quality time and connection. I believe this is a big reason as to why I feel so drawn to literature because when you step into a world on the page, it’s as if you know these characters personally. I’ve read countless books over the years, but there are only a handful of stories that carry with me through time and it’s because those authors have managed to bring their stories to life. It becomes almost tangible to the reader, altering their world and giving them a space they can return to again and again. Knowing that there’s even a sliver of a chance for my writing to impact another person that way is mind blowing.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I wish I could tell you, “Here are five ways to get people to read your book!” or “Here’s the top three social media practices you need to gain a following!” but I don’t operate in that mindset. My audience is in no way massive, but it’s supportive and interactive and growing day by day. My best advice to someone hoping to build their social media presence is to make content that feels authentic to YOU. If you wouldn’t watch your own videos, why would you expect anyone else to? Of course, there are key marketing skills I keep in mind while posting like using eye-catching hooks or including closed captions for viewers who might be watching with their volume off, but realistically, I mold my story telling skills to whatever platform I’m using. Interact with people who post similar content to you. Don’t be afraid to comment on people’s videos/posts or plug yourself into comment section conversations if you feel it’s relevant! We’re all trying to do the same thing: connect. So, put yourself out there. You’ll find your audience.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peachyniks/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolesacevedo/
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@peachyniks
  Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/user/secretletterlover

Image Credits

Top featured photo shot by Hailey Flores