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

Phallon, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today. Are you 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?

When I entered college as an English major, many people doubted me. I often heard, “you speak English, why would you major in it?” or, “so you want to be an English teacher?” Honing in on my craft and perfecting my skills as a writer was an idea that seemed foreign to a lot of people. Nevertheless, I knew what I wanted to do and I took the necessary steps to accomplish it.

I attended Indiana University where I studied English, International Studies and French. When I graduated, the recession had just hit America and companies were doing more layoffs than hires. This led me down several career paths, including hospitality and finance. Knowing that these were not the paths I wanted to pursue full-time, I went back to school and obtained a Master of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing from Northwestern University.

While attending school full-time, I realized there were companies out there that needed a storyteller to help them win business. So while in school, I also worked full-time as a proposal writer for an engineering firm. Being able to write winning proposals for businesses was a path I never expected my writing to go in, but I enjoy being able to use my skills as a writer to aid in the success of a business.

For the last ten years, I have written proposals in support of for profit businesses and nonprofit organizations. Raising funds to help nonprofits achieve their mission is something that I take great pride in and I am very excited to be able to give back in that way.

And even though I work full-time as a writer for nonprofits, I also feel that I give back to my community as a creative writer. During the last six years, I have written three children’s books: Dream to be from A to Zzz, Austin’s Pansies, and Like a Butterfly. I work with budding authors to help them write and publish books of their own. And I teach creative writing to adults and children living through economic hardships.

Phallon, 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?

In 2016, I wrote the book, Dream to be from A to Zzz, an alphabet book dedicated to my daughter. In this book, I teach children about the different occupations they can pursue. I even made sure to depict a young Black girl in each profession because I think it is important for young girls to see themselves represented in books and know that there are people out there that look like them, working in the fields of their dreams and making a difference in the world.

Since publishing Dream to be from A to Zzz, I also wrote the children’s stories, Austin’s Pansies and Like a Butterfly. I have enjoyed taking time as a Black author to tell the story of the underrepresented child in literature and to inspire other children through classroom visits and book signings.

Austin’s Pansies is dedicated to the girls and boys of Baltimore, MD (my hometown, born and raised). Often when Baltimore is mentioned in the news or on television shows, the City is not highlighted for its positive attributes. I think that has contributed to some of the reasons why many youth in Baltimore don’t always see themselves in a positive light. I hope to change that through my writing.

Like a Butterfly is written about a little girl who is missing a family member. It teaches children that it is okay to miss a loved one but to also realize that there are still many people around them that love and support them and want to see them soar like the butterflies they are!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

When I published Dream to be from A to Zzz in 2016, I ordered 50 copies from my printer. The books came in just before Christmas and 15 books had already been ordered from friends and family before the shipment had come in.

One of my friends lived near my church and we met just before service so that I could give her her copy of the book. I headed into church service with the $20 she gave me and put it in the collection plate. I also donated a free copy of the book to my pastor. In turn, he told the entire congregation about my book during service and by the end of service, someone approached me and asked to purchase all remaining copies of my book.

I walked into church with only the $20 that I had received from my friend that purchased the book right before service and a copy of the book that I wanted to donate to the church. Agreeing giving the church, literally everything I brought with me that day, everything was given back to me tenfold and I completely sold out of my books in less than 48 hours.

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

The most rewarding part about being a creative person is having the opportunity to tell a story that inspires others. Whether it is through my work as a grant writer, author, publisher, or educator, I have been gifted with the ability to make a difference in the world through my craft. It is truly a wonderful feeling.

Even though my journey as a writer has taken many different twists and turns, I am very grateful for the place that I’ve landed.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: phallonbooks
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/phallonperry