Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is Prince Shakur?

Prince Shakur is a freelance journalist, writer, videomaker, and organizer; currently based out of Columbus, OH. I use him/him pronouns.

Q: How do I get into being a writer?

A: There are a lot of different ways to become a writer. You can choose to study Creative Writing or Literature in university, get a traditional staff writing job (at a magazine or newspaper), develop a following online as a writer/blogger/etc, write a book and work to get it published, self publish a book, or become a freelance writer. Of course, there are more entryways into writing, but these are the main ones that I see. First and foremost, writing takes practice. So more than anything else, work on finding your voice, not being afraid to try new stories, and most of all, get used to rejection.

 
 

Recommended: Medium | Writers Of Color - Twitter | Millennial Writer Life | Why You Should Aim To Get 100 Rejections A Year

Q: How do I get a literary agent?

A: The two main ways are: query an agent or have an agent come to you.

Querying an agent typically means that you have a finished and polished manuscript, then you draft a query letter (a one page letter pitching your book to the agent), and send your query letter off to agents that fit your book’s genre.

An agent can approach you via email, etc, if they have seen your work or had your work recommended to them.

Recommended: #FindingAnAgent - Podcast | How to get a literary agent and how we find clients - Youtube

Q: Do you have any resources on how to write a query letter?

This Jane Friedman piece is pretty well-read and explains a lot. This video by Alexa Donne is also a REALLY good resource.

 
 

Q: How do I get more involved in the literary community or meet other writers?

A: There are bunch of ways to do this, but here are my suggestions. Join or create a writing group. Attend local reading or writing events in your community. Make a social media account and dedicate time on it to connect with other writers that you admire. Attend literary or writing conferences. Apply to and attend writing residencies. Listen to podcast and make notes of what episodes features writers that you like, then email those writers and tell them how much you appreciated their words.

Q: What is a writing residency like?

A: Check out my Millennial Writer Life newsletter piece on this.

Q: How do I land a writing residency?

A: Check out my Millennial Writer Life newsletter piece on this.

 
 

PRINCE SHAKUR IS A BLACK AUTHORTUBER THAT UPLOADS CONTENT ON HIS EXPERIENCES AS A BLACK MILLENNIAL WRITER, GETTING A LITERARY AGENT, GETTING PUBLISHED, AND THE WRITING PROCESS.

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