We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Nicole D. Miller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Nicole D. below.
Alright, Nicole thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
When I first got into book publishing, I started as a blogger. One day after writing the blog “How to Overcome Heartbreak: Recovering from Misguided Love,” I heard God say, “That’s the name of your first book.” It was a whirlwind after that. I reached out to a friend who I knew was self-published and he connected me with KDP, Amazon’s self-publishing arm, back then known as “CreateSpace”. I started hitting up events to sell my books and began my own email list, all while still blogging.
Being an author was a part-time thing, and I never saw myself as a full-time creative or author. I was still working full-time in business and trying my hardest to climb the corporate ladder. To my disappointment, every door stood closed, and I couldn’t advance with my shiny MBA in Accounting.
In 2015 I got laid off from that corporate gig and around that time, started my second book which was a sequel called, “How to Overcome Heartbreak: Stories That Heal,” released in 2016. Still, I pursued business and worked in bookkeeping, never once thinking of myself as a writer or author. I did, however, keep blogging and started taking writing courses.
In 2017 I took a writing workshop and tried my hand at short story writing. It was the first time I had ever written creatively since up until then I had only written nonfiction. Never could I have dreamed that that move would be a catalyst for propelling me into my identity. But things were paused for a few years when in 2018 my mother passed away and I took a break from writing and blogging. In 2020, during the pandemic I had a thought: “Maybe I should pick back up those short stories I started?” That was the beginning of the end. In 2021 I released a compilation of short stories, poetry, and novellas in the form of “Stories for the Urban Soul.”
Writing “Urban Stories” unleashed my love of infusing spirituality and Black culture, and I created this world of characters featured in a Black-owned café in New York called “Devon’s Café.” In 2021 I pivoted in my mindset and for the first time considered myself as a “real writer.” That was when I re-branded. I was still doing business and even had my own bookkeeping company, ABN Bookkeeping LLC, named after my mother, grandmother, and myself, but I knew God was calling me to write full-time. “Let me just see what’s on the other side of this,” I thought when I published Urban Stories. I got serious about my writing craft, taking more writing courses and showing up at in-person networking events and online consistently. I started using Canva to create flyers for events I was attending or blogs I had released. I showed up weekly online and did lives to create visual engagement for the blogs. I uploaded these lives to my Youtube channel and Tiktok. I looked at my marketing analytics and started blogging consistently and according to the times my readers were more likely to read. I took new headshots, and photos for my new website and started building my social media following.
While I was editing “Urban Stories” I started writing my very first novel, “When Love Wins” which also takes place at Devon’s Cafe. By the time I released my debut novel in 2023, I was a full-time creative and had stepped away from bookkeeping entirely. I also started my own hybrid book publishing company, ND Miller Publishing LLC at the end of 2022 when a good friend asked me to publish her book. I hired a website designer for ndmiller.pub which shares all our services from editing, ghostwriting, publishing, and one-on-one coaching. I met one of my editors for the publishing house at one of those workshops I attended. I built my team through networking and divine connection.
In 2022 more ideas and creativity were unleashed and I started hosting a virtual panel discussion called “Girl Talk” which features female leaders discussing various topics pertaining to womanhood. The goal is inner healing and building sisterhood through dialogue. We started out on Zoom during the pandemic but at the end of 2023 Girl Talk moved in-person, and it hasn’t been the same since. One of the members has a cute, chic tattoo parlor and most of our meetups have taken place there. I’ve been able to reach out to sponsors in the community for funding through the connections I’ve made through networking which has elevated Girl Talk into being produced and featured on my YouTube channel. It is now being developed into a podcast which is soon to be released this year (in 2025). I have all of the parts and components since we had video footage for all of our meetups. Its simply about editing and putting all the pieces together. I’m using InShot to edit, as well as iMovie. I plan to hire someone on Fiverr.com to create the intro.
My evolution as an author, writer, publisher, host, and now podcaster has been simply one step at a time and is a result of saying yes to purpose. While I indirectly use my degrees, it’s not in the way I ever could have imagined. Being my own boss and helping to open doors of opportunity for others has been life-giving. Being a creative has fulfilled me in a way I never knew was possible.
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.
At this time, I provide multiple writing services through ND Miller Publishing. We offer line and copy editing, interior layout design, graphic cover design, book publishing, one-on-one consulting, writing coaching, ghost writing and beta reading. We’re a faith-based boutique publishing house so stories that we publish are edifying, encouraging and hope-filled. Most of our stories are filled with resiliency from the author and inspire others to endure hardships and trials. We specialize with partnering with debut authors and holding their hand through the self-publishing experience. A hybrid publisher is a combination of both being self-published but receiving the guidance of an established publisher, similar to a traditional publishing house.
As an author I’m working on my second novel called “Unfinished Business”. This novel is a part of the “Devon’s Café” series and will be released in 2025. My books specialize in shedding light on having faith through a tangible human experience, particularly the Black experience. My themes range from childhood trauma, parent absenteeism, loss of loved ones, broken friendships and other hardships. The stories are always uplifting and include reconciliation, grief recovery, inner healing and other triumphant elements.
Additionally, I host Girl Talk which is currently held quarterly so if you’re in the Cleveland area please stop through! Girl Talk is a space for female leaders to receive support and healing in a way that is rarely offered for leaders. Often female leaders are the backbone of their families and communities which means their own mental, emotional and physical health are put on the back burner. At Girl Talk we’re prioritizing our inner healing and helping our fellow sister to do so as well by cultivating a “me too” empathetic atmosphere. We believe that as we focus on self-healing our spheres and communities will be transformed as well. Currently all segments of Girl Talk are available on my YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@htohb however once the podcast is ready, they’ll be available on all platforms where podcasts are streamed. Girl Talk also has its own IG page: https://www.instagram.com/girltalkcle/.
Out of everything I’ve done I’m most proud of the visibility I’ve gained. When I got serious about being a creative barely anyone in my city knew me. I had my core tribe but as far as a platform I was a nobody. In the course of three years, I’ve established a pretty impressive network with the movers and shakers of Cleveland. I’m also in awe of having a publishing house, hosting Girl Talk and completing multiple novels and memoirs. I’m honestly blown away by all of it and could never have imagined what was on the other side of me saying yes to purpose in 2021. With everything I do, the commonality is community transformation. In the books I write, the events I host and the authors I publish, my heart is for others to be inspired, encouraged and draw closer to God. Inner healing is a huge component of my mission, and I believe that also includes spiritual healing and revelation of identity and purpose.
What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?
I would say one of my goals is to esteem my mother and grandmother who were instrumental in influencing me to be the woman I am. They set the foundation and tone of my life by being example of hardworking tenacious women. They overcame a lot but did not experience the freedom and opportunities I’ve had in my career. They invested so much in me so that I would receive the things they would not. My heart is to shine their name in lights all over the world through my brand.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
One of the major hardships I’ve had to overcome was my mother’s passing. It was sudden and left me heartbroken for nearly six years. I was her only child, and we didn’t have a close family. I had a lot of expectations and dreams of adding to my family but instead of that happening I was faced with the loss of the little bit of family I did have. Thankfully, my community surrounded me, and God’s supernatural love carried me through. Still, it was one day at a time, fighting through grief, trauma and pain. There were a lot of dark days, and confusion as to how this could happen. I had a plan, and this was not a part of the plan. What I had to learn was that life is always going to bring what you least expect but with faith and community you can get through anything. In 2018 I opened my bookkeeping business in honor of my grandmother and mother. I was able to use the funding my mom left to start my businesses and quit my 9 to 5. That was the same year my mother passed, and she had been asking that I become an entrepreneur before her death. In 2021 I started my journey in creative writing. The creative space has been a great tool for healing, and I’ve been able to channel my pain into stories that ultimately end in triumph.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://nicoledmiller.com/ndmiller.pub/whenlovewins.love
- Instagram: @htohb, @ndmillerpublishing, @girltalkcle
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/htohb
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ndmillerpub/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@htohb
Image Credits
Steven Jackson
Jonathan Stone