Let Me Introduce Myself!

Hi. My name is Dana Ellington. I am the owner and Chief Everything Officer (*shout out to Dangerous Lee for coining the CEO phrase I'm using here*), of Nowata Press Publishing & Consulting, LLC (NPPC, LLC for short).

I've been a storyteller all my life, and a writer since the age of twelve. I've had the dream of being a world-renowned novelist since I was fourteen. I admit I let life get between me and that dream for over 26 years. Other people convinced me I'd be better off striving for something else. So that's what I did.

But some dreams won't go quietly into that good night. This particular one would pop up here and there throughout my adulthood but in 2008, it stomped in and kicked me in the face. I'd tried to go the traditional publishing route at one point in my late 30's. I amassed a 3-ring binder of rejection slips and stopped trying. In 2008 though, I got the bright idea to self-publish. A simple Google search and a few hundred dollars later, I had my first ever, self-published book in hand.

Insert a crap ton of mistakes made, the realization that I needed some concrete training in how to BE a writer; toss in two years to get my Master's in Professional Writing (emphasis on Creative Writing of course), all the while working a full-time job and parenting a budding creative in the form of an active high-schooler.

Whew. Once all of that was done, I wrote and self-published three more books and started NPPC, LLC.

Nowata Press Publishing & Consulting, LLC.

My purpose behind starting the business was twofold. First and foremost, I wanted a company name behind my publishing. I could have done it all under my name but the idea of using a more corporate structure appealed to me. Made things more 'real' if you will.

Secondly, I wanted to do more than just write. I wanted to help other new writers feel the joy I felt when I self-published my first book. Not to mention, in the first couple of years as I was promoting my books, quite a few people expressed their desire to write and publish their own books. Most often, they hadn't done so because, at some level, they didn't believe their stories (fact or fiction) were "good enough" to be shared.

The idea that someone's lack of confidence was holding them back from the joy of being self-published just broke my heart. Consequently, I adjusted the services I offered to not only teach the process of self-publishing (Simply Self-Published for the win) but also to give encouragement, accountability, and motivation when they needed it in the form of individual coaching sessions a writer could book at any point in their self-publishing journey.

Self-confidence, love, and acceptance are the main themes in my writing as well. My leading ladies aren't waiting around to be rescued and don't need a lover to validate their self-worth. Instead, they typically go through what they go through and learn to love and value themselves. And then for entertainment purposes, I occasionally toss in a love interest and steamy romance to keep readers turning the page.

I want to take a moment now to clarify - Nowata Press Publishing & Consulting offers entertaining reads and the support writers need to power through from blank page to self-published. I do not offer any guarantees of their work making any bestsellers lists. I know there are programs and gurus out there who make such claims and charge handsomely for their services, NPPC is not that 'gurl'.

On the flip side, for those who have dreams of seeing their words come to life, of getting their story (again, be it fact or fiction) told and out into the world, then NPPC is here for them. Of course, I coach marketing techniques if the writer is interested, but the bottom line is getting the book complete.

What Else Would You Like to Know?

My next post is going to be a Q&A-style deal. And for that to work, I need YOUR questions. What more do you want to know about me as an author, the business, or the "art" of writing? Leave your questions in the comments below or email them to me at: nowatapress@gmail.com.

I'll gather them up and respond in the next post.

And with that, I'm going to end this post. As always, sending you love, light, and much inspiration. Until next time...

Dana