Educator and public speaker Evan J. Roberts has taught keys to success for over a decade. He’s passionate about self-education, literacy, developing clarity of purpose and pursuing excellence. His book, How to Become Influential and High Successful: The Young Adult Success Manual, outline principles to motivate teens to live with purpose and achieve the extraordinary. His children’s book, Khahari Discovers The Joy of Family, is inspired by his son and encourages early literacy, especially among Black boys, and it serves as a tool to promote positive portrayals of African American families in literature. Roberts teaches and mentors youth throughout the Chicagoland area and provides professional programming for businesses, schools, churches and youth organizations.
Read what Roberts has to say.
What inspired you to write your first book?
I was inspired to write my first book because of the experiences that I encountered as a high school teacher in Chicago. Working with teens and helping them to find their way was the initial spark for my writing.
Do you have a specific writing style?
My specific writing style combines narrative and persuasive writing.
What books have most impacted your life (or life as an author)?
Self-help books, such as, Brian Tracy’s Focal Point, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich, and Earl Nightingale’s Lead the Field have had a tremendous impact on my development. I also enjoy autobiographies.
What books are you currently reading? Why this author?
Currently, I am reading Sharon Draper’s Tears of Tiger and Walter Dean Myer’s 145th Street Short Stories because I want to learn how great young adult fiction is written. I am also reading The Power of Intention by Wayne Dyer and The Four Doors by Richard Evans because I am curious to read the works of authors who have become NY Times Bestsellers.
What new authors have piqued your interest?
Grant Cardone’s book, The 10X Rule, piqued my interest because of the subject matter. 10X is all about greater levels of productivity and success.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything about your latest work?
I would add even more pictures to my children’s book.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing or coming up with a concept for your book?
The only challenge for me is making time to consistently write. I am a very creative writer and writing comes natural to me.
What was the hardest part of completing this project?
The hardest part was organizing all of the other contributors and making sure that deadlines were being kept.
What advice would you give other writers?
I advise would be authors to join writer’s groups, read the books of outstanding authors in your genre, and learn everything you can about sales and marketing.
Describe the process of getting published.
There are two routes to becoming published: Self-publishing or having a major publisher offer you a deal. There are pros/cons to both methods. As a self-published author, you are responsible for every aspect of your book — creation, editing, cover and interior, setting up distribution channels, marketing, etc. Having a major publisher offer you a deal typically requires having an agent, hiring a publicist, and being willing to give up some control over your creative work.
What were the literary, psychological and/or logistical challenges in bringing your work to life?
For my children’s book, I had to teach myself how to write in a way that a child reads/learns, which was a lot more challenging than you might think. Logistically, it’s always a challenge to have everyone working on the same page — marketing team, creative team, etc.
Everyone’s process for writing is different. Explain yours.
My writing process consists of three actions: visualizing the current project in it’s totality, actively searching for inspiration, and contemplating how to add value through creativity. I do my best writing early in the morning when the house is completely quiet. If I ever feel stuck, I’ll go on to a different project or read other books until I feel that my ideas are free flowing again.
What are five of your favorite books and why?
Five of my favorite books are as follows: Og Mandino’s The Choice because the main character reminds me of me, Napoleon Hill’s Think and Grow Rich because it provides a simple foundation for achieving success in life, all of my African history books because they have armed me with knowledge of self, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki because of the life lessons concerning money, and Wayne Dyer’s The Power of Intention because of the new perspective it teaches in terms of how we define intent.
Please provide three “good to know” facts about you. Be creative. Tell us about your first job or the inspiration behind your writing.
Three good to know facts are as follows: I use my experiences as an educator, coach, mentor, father, and husband to inspire my writing. I am a health conscious vegetarian. I love challenges, especially the kind that deal with persistence or learning a new skill set.
What is the mission you set out to accomplish with your voice in this book?
My overall mission is to empower children, teens, and young adults through my writing. I focus on creating positive portrayals and real life skills that enhance the development of young readers.
Who are the authors you reread and why?
The authors that I reread have a timeless message written in a unique style. For example, The Richest Man in Babylon by George Clason is a book that I have read many times because the message about how to manage wealth is told in a narrative style that I find interesting. For me, managing wealth is a timeless topic. It’s always going to be important.
A great book has what?
Uniqueness. A great book for me is simply one that educates, enlightens, or entertains in a unique way.
You develop character and ideas by …
Asking yourself what the overarching message is that you want a character or idea to convey.
Where would you travel if you could to write your next book?
I would travel to several parts of west Africa and south America.
Why is reading a gift?
The gift of reading is the gift of being able to use the written the word to expand what you think about, what’s possible, what you currently know about, and how you exercise your mental muscles. One of my mentors says, “readers are leaders.” I believe that the more you read, the better you are able to lead yourself and others.
