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Jennae Cecelia is a best-selling author and poet known for her poetry books, Uncaged Wallflower, The Sun Will Rise and So Will We, and Healing for No One But Me. Her mission as an author is to comfort and encourage people. In addition to writing, she is focused on helping other authors learn how to successfully put their writing out into the world. Jennae joins me to talk about how she got her start with poetry, including her family’s reaction to the idea of poetry as a career; the unexpected experience of having a viral self-published poetry book; how she helps other authors master the art of self-publishing; what it’s like writing custom poetry for others, and more.
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Episode Breakdown:
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00:00 Introduction
n01:10 Jennae discusses her childhood imagination and family influences
n03:55 Role models and seeing creativity as a realistic pursuit
n05:16 Leaning into creativity after early publishing success
n08:07 Family reactions to pursuing poetry as a career
n10:49 Reflecting on misconceptions about job security and risks
n13:39 Jennae’s self-publishing strategies and viral book success
n16:56 Building momentum with multiple books and Amazon rankings
n20:36 The importance of poetry in paperback form
n22:38 Impacts of viral success on her perspective and career
n26:14 Jennae’s writing process, journey from simplicity to detail
n30:07 Finding readers through specificity in poetry
n33:00 Advice for authors and importance of perseverance
n37:34 Managing perfectionism in writing and publishing
n40:49 Custom poetry projects and their meaningful connections
n45:56 Emotional experiences writing for others, from weddings to memorials
n49:12 Deciding to traditionally publish for broader reach and goals
n55:09 Reflecting on the challenges and anticipation of traditional publishing
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Want more? Here’s a handy playlist with all my previous interviews with guests in writing.
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Check out the full show notes (now including transcripts!) at fycuriosity.com, and connect with me and fellow creatives on Substack.
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