Biography

Jamila A Stone is a twenty-nine year old Washingtonian with two dogs who is passionate about many things including literature. She has a bachelor’s degree in English and is finishing a master’s degree program in Public Administration with a concentration in nonprofit management.

While she was in high school, she worked after school part time at McDonalds to have the monetary means of self-publishing a book of poems. Jamila is a hard worker. She is driven about telling stories without censorship and for the continued creativity in the world. Her freshman year of college she was approved for junior level creative writing course and was on a mission to be the best writer she could be.

As an African American woman, she understands the lack of opportunity persons of color have to let their artistic creativity be seen on equal platforms, so she created her own publishing company called Black Glory Publishing House. She thinks not just of herself but of the current and future of literature namely increasing the diversity and inclusion within the literature community.

FAQ

  • When did you start writing?

    I started to write poetry in the elementary school but did not take my writing serious until Junior year of high school. Before than I wanted to be an NBA player and now, I want to write stories that will be remembered long after I am gone.

  • How do you come up with your story ideas?

    Most times my story ideas come in a dream, such as my first novel Strange Things Await. I dreamt of the scene when Alexandra saves Natalie the first time, she is attacked in the book on campus grounds. After I wrote down that scene many scenes followed.

  • Who are your favorite authors?

    Jacqueline Carey is my top favorite author. Her book Kushiel’s Dart started my passion for reading. I started to thirst for books after reading hers. I would constantly go to bookstores (Borders & Barnes and Noble) and purchase books hoping for that same excitement and wow factor her book gave me.

    I also enjoy reading books by James Patterson and L.A Banks who sadly passed away.

  • Did you always want to self-publish?

    No, actually I wanted to go the more traditional route. After I read Jacqueline Carey’s novels Kushiel’s Dart and Chosen I wanted to be published under the same publishing company that published her, Tor. At the time they were accepting unsolicited manuscripts and I worked and worked hard to finish a manuscript worthy of submission, but I struggled with finishing manuscripts until 2019. A few years before 2019 though I noticed the lack of diversity in the traditional publishing world and the racism within and knew I did not want to go the traditional route even if I did not make a lot of money.

  • What advice do you have for writers?

    Tell the story you can’t get out of your mind and heart. Some say tell the story that has not been done and write it. Which can be good advice but is not personalized to you therefore will lack passion. Even if the story you want to tell is not considered mainstream, write it. As a woman and as a person of color what is considered mainstream/marketable does not ever include me or the majority of my stories. My best work will always be the ones I can’t get out of my mind.

  • Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?

    Yes, when I was in high school getting ready to publish my book of poems, I thought about it heavily. There were a couple of reasons. One I did not think my love/erotica poems would be taken well by my family. Another main reason is I did not think being a woman would get me many sells. There has been a long history of women using pseudonyms to get published and taken seriously. After a while the rebellious spirit in me refused to allow me to publish under a pseudonym. I realized all my reasons were out of fear and I will not allow fear to control me.

  • Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?

    This might not be a popular answer, but I do not write for what readers want. I don’t even write with the mindset of being original. When I write I focus only on telling the story in my head. If I think the story is good, I will publish it for others to enjoy as I enjoy it. If I don’t enjoy the story, I will just keep it to myself. But I love my readers’ opinions on my stories after the fact especially if I’m planning a series.

  • If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

    To take your time writing your stories and to do research on anyone who offers their help and do research on anyone you need to hire. I published my first book, a book of poems with Xlibris and made many rookie mistakes in giving them my full trust and not having well detailed contracts and the results were not professional quality.

  • What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

    When I was playing in my neighborhood with my older brother as a young child. We walked passed a house with children playing in the front yard and they had water guns. We wanted to play but the girl didn’t want to play with me because of how light my skin was. She used language such as white “n” word and ape, etc. I immediately felt confused but also upset and ran home as the girl and the other children sprayed me with the water guns. I went home soaked and with a lasting memory. The young girl’s words still have power today and started many conversations in my life that taught me about black history.