Power in the Pen- A Community Writing Workshop

Power in the Pen provides a safe space to support underserved writers in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn by offering free weekly writing classes, editing services and publishing support in a workshop setting. We assist novice and seasoned writers throughout the entire writing process in preparation to self-publish or be published by reputable publishing houses. We provide artistic development by giving our writers the space and support to become professional authors. 

The funding will enable us to prepare the books for publishing. It will also help us to host the workshops, travel to conferences where participants learn to hone their craft from other professional experts in the field and attend book fairs where they can practice sharing and pitching their stories. It will also pay for editing services, graphic illustration, book design and press. 

Power in the Pen offers an opportunity for creatives/authors to transform bare-naked truths of terror into triumph, loss to love, forsaken to freed all captured in these stories so they can finally be shared for generations to read. These humble and unsung community writers will be acknowledged and affirmed. With your contribution and support, we are that much stronger.

Our authors have already committed to the weekly workshops. Actually, we have continued workshops via Zoom every Saturday of the pandemic 

Assuming we have the cash in hand July 15th, our next steps will be a to:

• assess each book for needed editing services
• schedule and pay for editing services for each book,
• pay the illustrator to create book covers and book design
• pay a photographer for photoshoots for book covers 
• pay for copies of each book published through kdp
• pay for a review through Kirkus or AALBC
• Host a Book Release party for each book during an author's showcase

A 2019 baseline diversity survey by Lee and Low Books found that only four percent of authors of African descent were represented in major publishing houses. Authors of diverse backgrounds, people of color as a whole only represent twenty one percent of authors represented by major publishing houses and of course, a whopping seventy-nine percent of authors published in major publishing houses are white. Power in the Pen was created to counter these statistics.

 Brownsville was chosen because it is considered one of the most, if not the most underserved community in New York City. Our organization’s existence dispels the belief that Brownsville consists of nothing but ignorance, gang life and violence. It empowers the dormant voices within the community and validates the true spirit of courage behind every project wall. As a native of Brownsville, the founder was groomed in the Arts and African-American culture and quite cognizant of the untapped, unheard and unexpected stories of courage there.

Power in the Pen deliberately consists of a diverse group of members. The project director is an African American and Native American published author and Adjunct Professor who is also a native of Brownsville. The editor holds a Master’s degree in Education and is a licensed School Counselor and Mental Health professional, as well as a published poet. The board members are male and female, straight, LGBTQIA+, home owners and displaced, formerly incarcerated and in recovery, from various occupational backgrounds and degrees of physical abilities. Each member represents a different region of the African diaspora and members range from early 30's to 70's in age. We purposely cater to the undeserved and disproportionately ignored to honor their stories and their lives.