Meet Kameisha Jerae Hodge: CEO & Founder, Sovereign Noir Publications

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kameisha Jerae Hodge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kameisha Jerae, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
When I created Sovereign Noir Publications in 2019, it was both a visceral and political response for me. I had read Publishers Weekly’s 2018 Industry Salary Survey—it stated that racially, Black people made up approximately 2% of the book publishing industry. That was completely unacceptable for me. As a Black woman, lesbian, daughter, aunt, sister, and scholar, it was truly a call for me to do the work and create my own space for other intersectional Black women. So that’s what I did.

What should our readers know about your business?
Sovereign Noir Publications provides the tools other phenomenal Black women need to get their author brands and publications on point. From our one-on-one book publishing experiences to our online courses and group membership coaching, we make the steps to author success easy to understand and replicate. What sets my business apart is that we’re not just in it for the money—we’re committed to teaching our clients, members, and students how to succeed in the long run with short wins. Most publishers are only focused on publishing the book and moving on. Now, what we do is create a foundational knowledge of how business works, and allow our community to conceptualize sales funnels, email automation, and marketing campaigns so that they’re able to see career-long success. I love seeing my clients create signature events, sell branded merch, and engage in partnerships with brands they know and love. It shows that they’re not only learning, but taking their author platforms to new heights. Like Maya Angelou said, “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair.” I built two previous failed publishing companies and was on the brink of assimilating into the traditional publishing industry when I realized that I could not give up my dreams simply because it was uncomfortable being imperfect. I was unused to not being or doing the best in comparison to others and that made my journey a lot more difficult than it needed to be. It wasn’t until I became more self aware and realized that comparison is the thief of joy, it wasn’t until I understood that my journey is mine, not anyone else’s, that I finally began to see the fruits of my labor. Sovereign Noir is the manifestation of everything that I’ve ever fantasized, and now I’m seeing brilliant things that I could never have imagined. The Black Women Writers Virtual Summit will be taking place on April 16-18, 2021. The Black Women Writers Podcast is available on several major platforms. I have a team of talented Black folks. We’ve worked with clients and collaborated with organizations worldwide. Sovereign Noir Publications is my ancestors’ wildest dreams come to life. I’m here for it.

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?
My best friends and I are all from D.C., so it would actually be pretty dope if all of us got together for a vacay in LA. Our first stop would obviously be In-N-Out Burger as we walk along Venice Beach. Then of course, the Last Bookstore to peruse the books and vinyls. I would steer clear of super touristy places like Hollywood Boulevard because I’m an introvert and super large groups of people make me anxious, but I would be down to drive to La Cita or the Mermaid for some drinks. And of course, we’d road trip it to see our good friends Charles, Kendra, Neico, and Destiny! Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mentor, Yolonda D. Coleman, was the very first person who gave me permission to exist in the industry as a Black girl. Back in 2004, she mentored me by not only teaching me journalism and molding my 14 year old mind, but she took me on book tours with her, taught me the publishing process, let me beta read her books, and took me under her wing as a mentee. She goes by Mrs. Body now, but she was the first Black woman I knew in real life who had taken a career as an author and showed up unapologetically in that role. She definitely deserves her roses for being a part of my story. Of course, shoutout to my mom and grandma for getting me Hooked on Phonics when I was young to instill that love of literacy, too!

Website: https://www.sovereignnoir.com

Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/sovereign.noir

Linkedin: https://www.LinkedIn.com/company/sovereignnoir

Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/sovereign.noir