on the come up.

i was just telling tye how i need to get a good book and the time to read it! well i caught up with shani greene-dowdell. she's a self published author, in fact the african american literary award show awarded her self published author of the year. cool, huh.

her first book, keepin' it tight, exposes the race factor in relationships like never before, she says. mocha chocolate: taste a piece of ecstasy is a collection of steamy stories of black love and passion by several different writers including dowdell who also did the editing. her upcoming book, secrets of a kept woman, will release next march through her publishing company nayberry publications. "you'll get part 2 to the r. kelly and mr. biggs story," says dowdell with a laugh.

dowdell started writing in 2005; i asked her how she decided to become self published:

before i decided to self publish, i did my research and saw how many authors were rejected and how dreams were crushed during the rejection process. i also learned that some publishers were not paying their authors, not promoting their authors and that basically a publisher gets the book in print and the author has to do a bulk of the work promoting themselves anyway, at least at many publishing houses. weighing my options, i decided to start my own publishing business with my first author being myself. i wanted to be in control of my future, so self publishing was the best route for me. i already work a 9-5, so i didn't want any new boss to answer to and i wouldn't have it any other way right now. there may come a time when i will work with a publishing house, but it will be on "our" terms, not just theirs.

know anyone that wants to write a book? dowdell offers this advice:

research, research, research. i can't stress that enough RESEARCH. even if you don't plan to self publish and plan to sign with a publisher know the business because like a good friend of mine, kerry e. wagner, always says "you pay for what you don't know in life." also, upcoming authors should realize that the real work starts once your book is done. then finally, just get focused and get it done. i do offer publishing consultations for upcoming and new authors where i will walk the author from start to finish of the publishing process and take the authors goals for their book and map out a plan of action for them in order to reach their goals, along with sharing my contacts.

her books can be found everywhere including http://www.shanibooks.com/. you can also reach her at www.myspace.com/shanibouttoblowup.