Meet Auketria Manor | Self-Publishing Coach & Editor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Auketria Manor and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Auketria, what do you attribute your success to?
I would have to say showing up genuinely. I show up as myself and in an honest way about who I serve and how I serve them efficiently. There was so much inner confusion at the start of my business. I knew who my ideal client was but I struggled to communicate that clearly in how I was showing up. But once I began being myself whole heartedly and relating to them, because I am a self-published Author too, the audience was like, “oh okay we trust her, she’s done this thing we’re trying to do before herself.” That’s key – having a trusted brand that solves a need that you have solved for yourself and others too.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m a self-publishing expert and I help Authors and Author hopefuls see their publishing dreams realized. With my company On Writer’s Block I help writers self-publish the right way the first time, The the thing that makes me the proudest in my business and helping Authors get to the finish line and seeing them hold their physical book in their hands for the first time. That’s what it’s all about – helping them achieve their publishing dreams. I was originally a traditionally published Author but through the disbanding of my then publisher, I had to learn self-publishing rather quickly in order to put my novel back on the market. I did but it came with a lot of trial and error and I’ve been able to take those lessons and build my business. It wasn’t easy but not extremely hard. There were challenges but that’s the case with any business worth running. I decided to stay the course no matter how long it felt like it was taking to land my first client but when I did, she was ecstatic about her book once the project was done. In business I’ve learned my limits but I’ve also discovered strengths I didn’t know I had. Limits don’t make me incapable just means I need to budget for outsourcing and that’s okay. Staying true to me and not worrying about what someone else in the industry is doing is also a good lesson. If we are busy looking into other folks’ lanes I promise we will crash. Stay focused and learn how to cheer other folks on, it doesn’t dim your glow one bit. Turning lemons into lemonade is more than a cliché’ honey. My novel was birthed from journaling after a heartbreaking encounter with an ex that I can laugh about now and then my business was birthed from being forced to learn how to self-publish my book after my publisher disbanded. I wasn’t about to let my timeless words disappear because someone else decided to switch paths. No ma’am, no sir. We’re about to make southern style lemonade, that’s all.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Goodness, where do I start because Houston has some of the best food hands down! Okay so I’ll call out the restaurants I’d get them to over the duration of the week and a few activities in no particular order. 1. Sunday brunch at Belle Station (maybe even Grace’s) but I like the vibe at Belle Station a lot 2. Taste Bar + Kitchen 3. Twisted Grilled Cheese 4. That Funnel Cake Place 5. Cool Runnings Jamaican Grill 6. Turkey Leg Hut (only on a Tuesday and fairly early) 7. The Breakfast Klub 8. OMG Baked Potatoes (Food Truck) 9. Pioneer Dreams Eats (Food Truck) 10. Brennan’s of Houston 11. The Union Kitchen I’ll stop there on food because the list is just too long! We’d definitely get into these activities… 1. Houston Bike Bar 2. Some of our Museums 3. Kemah Boardwalk 4. Hotel ZaZa Museum District 5. We’d bar hop between a few lounges (Alley Kat is one for sure) And plenty more but I can’t think of any right now.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Probably unexpected, but I would like to shout out my children, Aryah (21) and Joshua (15). Aryah because she’s a consummate perfectionist. She’s a college student now and anything she puts her mind to it’s either going to be done right or not at all. That inspires me in my business and even now as I’m preparing to shift some things in how I run my business that’s my thought process. It’s either going to be done with excellence as I aim to create a wonderful client experience or not at all. Go big or go on home honey! She’s been that way for as long as I can remember and I’ve always admired that in her. Joshua is my kid who gave me the kick in the butt (figuratively speaking). I was always talking about, “oh I’m going to start a business doing this and that.” My son must’ve gotten tired of me talking about it versus being about it and in response to one of my dreamer rants he asked me, “but mama, are you going to actually do it? It’s a great idea, I just want you to do it.” The kid was what, 12 or 13 at the time? So, Joshua helped me to quickly see that I had to stop talking about it and just be about it. Sometimes we keep talking about what we aspire to do because we’re afraid and not doing it is easier. But I’ve been about it every since he told me that. So shout out to my babies, they give it to me straight no chaser and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Website: onwritersblock.net

Instagram: @onwritersblockpwps

Image Credits
@hhhhayra (Aryah)