[Q&A] Meet April Sheris!

Introduce yourself and profession to our readers: 
I am April Sheris, a businesswoman, author, creative visionary for young entrepreneurs and owner of Upland Avenue Publishing. Our passion is in encouraging the youth to fall in love with reading which is why we have recently focused on children's book publishing.


What inspired your pursuits? 
I have been inspired by writers for sometime. There are so many great stories to be told and a book has the power to impact lives for the better. There wasn't a strong presence to represent writers like myself in my hometown. I wanted to be the platform to assist writers in not only publishing their work but give them the voice and support to spread their works globally. I believe we have accomplished that with Upland Avenue Publishing. Now, we welcome writers from around the country.

What advice would you have for those interested in a similar pursuit? 
I would advise anyone, regardless of the industry they are passionate about, is to build a following. It is no longer enough to simply depend on friends and family to help spread the word about your brand. You need to have an active and engaged community of people that believe in what you are selling. You could have the best written book in the world. If know one knows about it then you have wasted your time and talents. Your active community will not only help your brand gain awareness but also become strong ambassadors encouraging their networks to go buy it.


What is next for your business/brand in 2016? 
2016 will bring the introduction of a premium book box for children. Our premium book box will gift children the magic that comes in books every month. Children will receive a box full of quality books and collectibles for the cost of one book. Not only will parents and grandparents be able to support their child's reading passion monthly but also help teach a child to read. A percentage of every subscription sold will be reinvested into inner city schools that have reading programs. It's not enough to tell children that knowledge is power. We strongly believe that a well read child has the power to change the world. Reading is the equalizer for the precocious child.


How can readers connect with you online and through social media? 
I love meeting people and interacting with them or their brand. I welcome everyone to connect with us at:
Instagram: uplandpublish
Facebook: uplandavenuepublish
Twitter: uplandpublish