We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rona D. Drinkard a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rona D., looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.

I have a passion for reading, and love women’s fiction, science fiction, mystery, drama…all of it.  When I was introduced to Octavia E. Butler, after reading “Kindred” and realizing that this was a black female author who dared to write in a genre that was predominantly males, I began to think I could write a book too.

My debut novel, Friendship Matters, was a story sparked out of a desire to reconnect with the family and friends I missed after relocating from Buffalo, New York to Maryland. At the time, in 2003, I was teaching 1st graders and during those school breaks, I would write. I found that if I focused on grammatical errors and fixing them, it slowed me down, so I committed to just writing whenever it came to me.  Sometimes the words would flow so quickly, I’d be writing well into the wee hours of the morning.

My initial title for the book was “Episodes” but as time went on and I began to really see the characters develop and how they were intertwined into each other’s lives, I changed the name to “Friendship Matters.”

I can recall the day I finished. It was December 5, 2005, and I remember taking a deep breath and just crying. I could not believe I had done it.  I remember thinking to myself, don’t share it with anyone today, just take it all in. The next day I shared it with family and close friends, and they were surprised and happy for me as well. With 300+ pages, I was so very proud of myself.

I never considered traditional publishing, I didn’t want anyone to change and/or minimize my voice.  However, I learned very quickly that all I could afford on a teacher’s salary and as a single parent, was to copyright it. That’s exactly what I did.

I remember always thinking about the book and revisiting it a time or two between 2009 – 2011 but still couldn’t move it forward.  So, as times changed, I always made sure I transferred it with me. This book went through several iterations of Microsoft Word and was transferred to at least 4 laptops. I figured one day I’d push it forward.

When COVID hit in 2020, the time we had off was shocking I’d say.  By this time, I had been married and transitioned into a career in the IT community.  I remember telling my husband, “God is saying to me that I should not come out of COVID the same way I came in, so I think I’m going to pick my book up and move it forward.”  He was excited to hear it as he’d always wanted to read it.

That’s when the journey to publishing took off.  I took 3 months to reread and research. I learned quickly that in drafting the novel, I had missed one step that I hadn’t learned about when I originally drafted it.  I did not outline while writing.  Since I hadn’t done so and realized that I shouldn’t move forward without doing so, that was the first thing I did. As I reread, I outlined. What a tedious process that was but I’m so glad I did. I caught areas that needed to be reordered, removed and helped me fill minor gaps.

I used Reedsy to locate a copy editor and proofreader. I also enlisted my husband and best friend, both avid and fast readers, as my Beta Readers. That began the process of editing. I didn’t require developmental editing because the three ladies were well defined with a very strong presence throughout the book.

So now all I could do was sit and wait to hear back from the beta readers and editors to see if I had something worth publishing. The copyeditor gave me very unemotional, direct, and constructive feedback. I knew my beta readers would give me the emotion I needed to stop and start over or let me know if I had something worth pursuing.  Well, it wasn’t long at all before both were sharing that they loved the story and had quickly become invested in the characters.

From there, I began to look for a cover design company and found that JD&J Designs was the perfect fit.  I chose them because they were professional, responsive, easy to work with, provided quality designs, and took care of all the formatting/promotional images as well.

Next it was determining the best resources for print and eBook.  I took a good amount of time deciding which would be best for me and finally settled on Ingram Spark for paperback and hardcover prints, Amazon for paperback and Kindle and Draft2Digital for eBooks.

Once I had received all the edits back from both the copy editor and proofreader, I sent it over to JD&J and built a team, not only to read and give feedback, but to be a part of the launch that was planned for February 5, 2022.  My team included six additional readers (family and friends) who were eager and ready to jump right in.

Next, I began sending it over to review companies as I needed to see if those who didn’t know me found the book to be as good or great as my friends and family believed. Receiving those reviews back and the fact that they matched the reviews from friends and family, gave me the confidence to know that I had something readers would enjoy.  I recall my Proofreader, Donald Weise, asking me if this was actually my first book. When I said yes, his response was “for a first-time author, you’ve done an amazing job and will have a lot of followers.” Coming from someone who had been editing for 20 plus years, even did some ghostwriting, I was truly honored.

I remember having the first chat with the team. After they all got over the fact that they were not in the story (my friends swore I included them), I had them answer 20 questions and come prepared to chat which was scheduled for just an hour and a half.  It was such an emotional and feverish discussion; I was amazed when I looked up and saw that we were already 3 hours into the discussion. I mean we talked about each character to include the gents in the book, friendship, relationships and their overall opinion.  I had to cut it off at 4 hours as I realized that they had forgotten it was a fictional story, not real. It was one of the funniest and most memorable parts of the process. I also realized that having a team, especially of this size, was invaluable and uncommon.

By January of 2022, I had received various 5-star reviews from both domestic and international review organizations and a few awards. I was on cloud 9.  We came together, my team, family, friends and celebrated the success and accolades in Washington, DC and it was such an unforgettable event. Truly an amazing journey, to have drafted the book in 2003, finished writing in 2005 and published in 2022.  A true example of why we should never give up on our dreams and to always finish what we start.

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

I am a self-published, award-winning author, who goes by the pen name of Rona D.  As a native of Buffalo, New York, the setting of my debut novel, I hold a bachelor’s degree from Daemen College in Psychology and master’s Degree from Buffalo State University in Human Services Administration.

Although I don’t have a degree in writing, what I do have is experience with people due to the various professional settings I’ve worked in. I often say there’s not a person I haven’t met, the names just change. I’ve worked in various professions from a grocery store clerk to insurance customer service rep, to counseling in a rehab center then transition to running a drug and alcohol program in NYS corrections, to teaching 1st and 2nd graders, to finally settling in the field of IT project management.  Through those academic and professional journeys, I’ve met and maintained friendships that range from 10 to 40 years. With all of that, there’s no shock that the topic of Friendship starts off my transition into writing.

The journey has been amazing and when asked what I’m most proud of, I’d say that it is the accolades I’ve received as a new author.  Not only has “Friendship Matters” received raving 5-star reviews, but in less than a year, I’ve also received a total of 13 awards.  These domestic and international organizations have awarded me in various genres to include Women’s Fiction, General Fiction, African American Fiction and Relationship/Humor Fiction.  Award companies such as the Best Book Awards, The Chrysalis BREW Project, Readers’ Favorite, National Indie Excellence Awards and Indies Today are just a few.

I’ve also been featured in Buffalo Newspapers and in several magazines which include Rolling Out, The World’s Best, Bronze and Sheen.”

It is not easy to acquire recognition as an independent author, it requires you to spend your own funds, establish and maintain a strong social media presence and self-promotion.  It’s been hard work but most certainly fulfilling and I would not change how I started off my career as an author for anything.  God’s timing is perfect!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

What helped most were the friendships and relationships I’ve built along the way. Most, if not all, would say that I’m exactly who I’ve always been and that if I say I’m going to do something, I will do it.  So, when I said I had written a book, they, to also include my team, believed in me and supported me by promoting it before Friendship Matters was even available for purchase.  It also helped that I had won awards and received reviews in advance to its release date.

For those who are seeking to become a published author whether it’s independent or traditional, I’d suggest to them never to shy away from receiving constructive criticism when you’ve created something you’d like for others to invest in and support.  It’s a necessary and vital part of the process.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding part of being an author for me is to hear directly from readers. When they share how much they related to the characters and how meaningful the story was to them, it warms my heart.  I am always tickled to hear them recant the story, almost telling me what happened as if I wasn’t the author.  That always brings a smile to my face.  Especially since it’s a fictional story but so relevant and relatable, it feels like non-fiction.  Fermosalua, with The Chrysalis Brew Project (An Australia based organization), stated in her review “Friendship Matters by Rona D. Drinkard is not only women’s fiction but an honest depiction of the female experience of African American women.  The voice of these women is sorely underrepresented in literature, and with her book, Rona D. Drinkard makes a great service to all of us.  Because of its social importance, uplifting plot, memorable characters, and outstanding dialogues, I rate “Friendship Matters” by Rona D. Drinkard 5 out of 5 stars.”  For reasons such as this, I’m committed to continuing the journey of writing and creating.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ronadwrites.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ronadwrites/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ronadwrites/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rona-d-drinkard-565642245
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/RonaDWrites
• Other: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ronadwrites

Image Credits

Derrick L. Davis Photography &
Itsnazare