Fresh Insights from Daphne Maxwell Reid
This actress, author, and photographer is breaking down barriers!
Daphne Maxwell Reid isn’t just opening doors—she’s breaking through them, blazing a trail that inspires women to follow their own bold paths.
Before I heard her speak at one of my favorite networking groups held by Helena Richardson, Lagniappe, I had known of Ms. Reid from her portrayal of Aunt Vivian in the iconic TV show The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. And yes, she’s a terrific actress, and she’s so much more. It turns out that this amazing lady, who broke down barriers as the first Black model on the cover of Glamour magazine and is a graduate of Northwestern University's Weinberg College of Arts and Science, is also an awesome author, a designer with her own clothing label, and a fantastic photographer.
I was so knocked out by her presentation that I wanted to share some of her insights with you in our great writing community! Here are some fresh insights:
Your new chapter starts…now! Want to begin a new project, but think it’s too late? Ms. Reid, who has published two books and a calendar, began writing when she turned sixty years young. If you have a passion for something, go ahead and go for it!
Make your own kind of music! We walk through doors every day, but have you ever noticed them? Ms. Reid has been captivated by doors and decided to turn her love of portals into a creative expression. For years, she has taken photos of doors that captured her imagination. For her, doors represent new possibilities, openings, and passages. Now, she’s used her photos in her books, DOORS and Opening Closed Doors: Cuba 2015. She’s created colorful, captivating calendars and notecards with her images of doors and even decorated one-of-a-kind bags with her photos. She also created her own fabric with these beautiful images!
Take your passion and make it happen! Since she was nine, Ms. Reid loved to sew and create her own clothes. She even sewed her own dress the night before her homecoming election at her alma mater, Northwestern. When she presented to our group, she wore a beautiful topper she’d created, which was both elegant and flattering.
Have fun with your brand! In addition to her playful expression of her passion for doors, Ms. Reid has created a recognizable and fun brand. For her fabric creations, she made it personalized with her initials, DMR, and included a callback to her famous role by naming the brand DMR Fresh Prints. This creativity engages with her clients and fans alike.
Publish your way! Ms. Reid shared that she self-publishes her books and exclusively offers them on her own website. Making her books available for purchase on her site empowers Ms. Reid to earn greater profits than listing them on Amazon. She has a large platform through her success in her career, so she is able to make sales on her own terms.
Be kind! During her presentation, Ms. Reid was generous with her time, answering all of our questions and offering encouragement. All of us left the meeting standing up a little straighter and holding our heads up a little higher as a result of her kind words.
I highly encourage you to follow Ms. Reid on her Instagram and to check out her website.
And if you are inspired, start today with your creative expression!
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We look forward to hearing about your incredible book project.
Write on!
Kim Eley
KWE Publishing
“An essential aspect of creativity is not being afraid to fail.”
– Edwin Land
Don’t Miss Our Free Upcoming Webinar with Dr. Anne Bartolucci!
Join us on June 17, 2025, at 6:00 p.m.–7:00 p.m. Eastern for an amazing webinar with Dr. Anne D. Bartolucci!
Under the pen name of Cecilia Dominic, Anne has woven over twenty captivating tales that invite you to lose yourself in realms of wonder. The cornerstone books in each of her spellbinding series are gathered here for you to explore.
To uncover even more of Anne’s fiction, wander over to her enchanted library at www.ceciliadominic.com.
But her magic doesn’t stop with fiction. Anne’s non-fiction works offer insightful guidance, blending her expertise in psychology with practical tools for mastering your mind and nurturing your creativity.
Expect to learn:
How to identify what your audience truly needs from you and your book
How to apply the core elements of “Once Upon a Time” to your opening paragraph
The tone that will resonate with your audience and convey your authentic self
Listen to Author Casey Bunn on The Buzz Podcast!
Recently, amazing author Casey Bunn was featured on The Buzz podcast with Mike Mosquito and Maureen Nylin! On the podcast, Casey, a cloud specialist and author, shares her journey of writing her children's book, Above the Ashes, after experiencing a devastating house fire. The conversation explores themes of resilience, community support, and the importance of addressing trauma, especially in children. Casey discusses her motivations for writing the book, the impact of personal experiences on her work, and offers advice for families facing hardships. The episode emphasizes the power of faith, gratitude, and the ability to find light in dark times.
Check Out Reedsy’s “How to Find a Literary Agent (Nonfiction)” Webinar!
Whether you want to land a major publisher and need an agent, or you intend to submit directly to small- or medium-sized presses, you'll need a strong outreach strategy and spotless query letter that will have them clamoring to sign you.
During this one-day event, you’ll learn everything you need to know about querying as a nonfiction author and hear directly from literary agents, editors, and authors in the industry.
If you have a great premise for a nonfiction book, join us for a day of presentations, panel discussions, and Q&As and learn how to turn your idea into a book deal.
This online event will occur on June 8th, 2025, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern. It costs $99.00 to register.
Resources:
Here at KWE Publishing, we want to share a few of our favorite resources with our newsletter readers. Check back weekly to see what resources we recommend!
I don’t know about you, but I love learning how other publishers, authors, and editors work. Everyone has their own process, but there are so many commonalities that we share, too. If you’ve ever wondered what your editor might be thinking, check out
by !Created by seasoned editor Kristen Weber,
is filled with expert advice, recommendations, and interviews from other industry pros. If you’ve ever read my Notes on Substack, you probably know that I restack her Notes a lot because I love her honest, encouraging insights on all things related to writing, publishing, and editing! So, if you’re an author who wants to learn more about what editors think about when editing or you just want to learn more about publishing, check out Kirsten’s Substack!