There are a lot of books being released every single day. While many provide different perspectives on the same basic storylines, one thing that most lack is authenticity. Rapper turned author Antwuan Jackson sets himself apart by giving readers something that they all can relate to – real life situations.
Tell us what inspired you to write your first novel. I have always wanted to write. I just had to sit down and go over my experiences. The crazy thing is I just sat down one day and started writing because something a friend posted on social media. When I woke up and read it back to myself the next day, I was like this is pretty good so I kept going.
What is the storyline of your book without going too far into it? I noticed that every female I was dating, anytime we would disagreement or an argument, they would always go back and tell their family and friends everything that was happening in our relationship. I saw that one of my friends was going through the same thing.
There’s a lot of stuff that happens between you and your girlfriend that should stay between just you and her and you can work it out, but it’s hard to work things out when everyone is involved. The main character in the book, that’s his pet peeve. All it takes is for you meet someone who is not going to do that and you’re gone. The reason I titled the book The Price is because when someone makes the decision to leave or cheat on someone for a given reason, the reason is there price. It could be money, a house, a car, or how the next person treats them.
With so many authors out there, what separates you from the rest? Do you consider yourself an urban writer, or just a writer in general? I am just a writer in general. I don’t want to be considered just an urban writer. I can write all kinds of material. What separates my book from many urban novels is that mine is actually realistic. My book is erotica, but a lot of the other books will have things that could most like never happen in real life. The lead character dates a woman who is an authority figure at her job and like some people mistakenly do, she brings that behavior into the relationship as well as always telling people their business. It’s something that everyone can relate.
Are you releasing this novel through a publishing house or putting it yourself? I am publishing it myself. I own all the rights. A major publishing house is not going to talk to you unless you have a literary agent. They want you to have released a few novels before signing you unless you are already someone who is known or has written for a magazine. You are not about to walk into Harper-Collins and get a publishing deal when no one knows who you are.
What advice would offer aspiring writers? Sit down and take your time with it. Don’t rush anything and actually take the time to promote your book. A lot of people give new authors bad advice and tell them don’t worry about promoting, just keep writing books. There are some authors who have written five or more books and are no longer writers. Their books didn’t get anywhere because they didn’t spend money on promoting and marketing. You have to promote and market your book to get people interested.
As far as writing, are you looking to evolve into doing screenplays for television and film? I have written two movies and started on a third one. I actually started writing a movie before I started writing the book. What I have learned is that when you are unknown writer trying to break into Hollywood with a script and no one knows who you are, people are less likely to give you a shot. Whereas if I am a self-published author who’s been promoting my book like I’m supposed to, it would be easier for me to get through those doors.
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