We were lucky to catch up with R.a. Ellis recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, R.A. thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about one of the craziest things you’ve experienced in your journey so far.

One client, who was also my friend, hired me to edit an erotic Christmas story for a contest they were entering. I began editing romance and horror genres, so this was not too unfamiliar. My friend was ecstatic about my work and won the contest, but because we didn’t establish boundaries, our personal and professional relationships became blurred. It ended our friendship and business relationship. From that point on, I have put rules in place regarding clients and their expectations. It was a tough loss. As my first client and the winner of that story contest, not getting a review or some sort of feedback I could use was damaging to my start, but good lessons were learned. Using the newly gained insights, I have kept forging ahead, gaining more knowledge and experience as I have continued.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I began as a writer with a dream of being published, working with other budding writers towards the same goal. When I originally conceptualized my business idea, it was just meant to be a way to seal-publish my works. As I got more involved with the writing communities online and offered help via alpha reading and developmental editing, my passion and love for the craft of writing grew and I expanded my business to include editing. My credentials were obtained through ACES and Poynter Institute.
As a writer, I know how important it is that when someone edits my work, my voice and story essence remain intact. That is one of my primary goals as an editor: If I have questions, I ask; if something isn’t working as well as it could be, I will discuss other possibilities. I try my best to teach those I work with about whatever areas they are struggling with. I taught one client the power of word choice and how to minimize repetition. Some of my clients are new to writing and looking for help to learn and grow; others have been doing this for a while and are looking to transition to submitting to magazines and publishers. Having opportunities to work with everyone regardless of their level of skill and knowledge is a passion I enjoy. One thing I think sets me apart is the fact that I am disabled and I understand how hard everything can be, but I know dreams are always worth pursuing. My dream is not just to be an editor and author, but to help as many people as I can. I’m good at what I do and I take pride in a job well done plus a satisfied client. It is an honor and joy to help make your art shine just a little brighter. With this goal in mind, I added book reviews to my tool belt. Reviews are helpful and word-of-mouth can often be everything to many authors. I accept ARCS; leaving a review on the site they prefer, but I also write a full review and post it on my Kofi blog that includes all relevant links for the book and author(s).
Currently, I am working towards my BFA in Creative Writing. I am very serious about my work and my clients, trying my best to always lead with love and kindness. My goal is to make my clients feel seen, heard, and feel good about their work. As an author and poet, my goal is to someday have someone tell me my book saved their life or helped them in some profound way. I don’t care if I am never a bestseller; I want to make a difference. That is also why I do reviews and guest blog posts on my Kofi blog.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My overall mission or goal is to make a difference; make a difference in the lives of my clients, readers, and fellow creatives. Being as passionate as I am about the craft of writing and helping others, I combined my passions to create my business.

How did you build your audience on social media?

To build my presence on social media, I was consistent with my postings, I still attempt to be consistent. Being able to schedule things for when you’re sick, busy, or on vacation is an immense help. I had the idea to send out a motivational tweet in the morning and a hopeful one at night, telling myself the things I most needed to hear that day. In between I would comment on others’ posts and boost or retweet what I could. I set a timer for an hour every day where I network and make connections. I focused on Twitter at the start, as it had the largest writing community I had come across. Now it’s divided between platforms. My biggest tips are 1. To decide how you aspire to be seen and represent yourself. 2. Choose what to keep private or how much you’re willing to share with the world because that is what you are doing. 3. Be consistent, post regularly, and have something to say. Be genuine and authentic, be yourself. 4. Join communities of like-minded interests and engage with the other members.
It’s hard, but I know you can do it, so keep going.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ko-fi.com/raelliswrites
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raelliswrites/
• Twitter: https://x.com/raelliswrites
• Other: https://linktr.ee/raellis

Image Credits

Graphics and book cover made by R.A. Ellis via Canva. R.A. Ellis took the selfie.