Today we’d like to introduce you to Raquel Phillips.
Hi Raquel, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
For as long as I can remember I wanted to be an author. My first story I ever wrote was a short sci-fi piece in 2nd grade with a twist at the end. I remember my teacher was really impressed (and trust me, she was hard to impress). That sparked something in me to keep writing. Over the years I devoured books, spent a good deal of time in the library (was even the student library assistant in 5th grade), and later received my Bachelor’s Degree in English in 2017 from The University of Texas at Austin. During my time in school, I came across a new writing certificate program. I had been intrigued by poetry, but hadn’t spent much time writing poetry at that point. I applied and got into the program and studied with Professor Laurie Saurborn and Professor Dean Young. I was so inspired by the prompts, the class discussions, and literature, I loved going to those classes. By my junior year, Laurie recommended I go to Juniper Writing Institute in Massachusetts. I received a partial scholarship and was one of the youngest attendees there. It was that week that really shaped my writing style today. I let go of some of my preconceived notions about poetry, structure, and creativity and explored new ways of expressing myself. Once I graduated, I kept writing and eventually compiled enough poems to thread together a book of poems. In 2024, I published my first collection of poetry about womanhood and motherhood as a new mom myself. The book is called “Moms Are The Strongest Men.” Then after 10 years of working on a very personal collection of poems on grief and loss after losing my dad, I most recently published “Sun Showers & Moonflowers” dedicated to my late dad who lost his battle with brain cancer in 2016. I am working on other collections and continue to look for opportunities to connect with other artists, authors, and creatives in the Austin area.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’ve taken my own meandering path with publishing. For years after graduating college, I tried the traditional publishing route. I received quite a few rejections and felt a bit defeated about getting my work out into the world. After going through a heartbreaking divorce in 2023, I decided I was going to be published whether anyone liked my work or not. A year after my divorce was finalized I pulled up my bootstraps and read articles about self-publishing, edited and re-edited my work, and figured out the clunky software out there for uploading my manuscript and cover art and turning it into something real. When I published I was so proud that I had done it while working a full-time corporate job, raising my two kids, and navigating new co-parenting territory with my ex partner. It was much harder to get my work seen than I had expected, so even though I had spent a substantial amount of my energy and free time on this book, it was hard to get people interested in reading my poetry. But every person that said something kind, that shared how my work related with their life, and said they loved it gave me just a bit more hope and courage to keep going. I started to attend events any weekend I didn’t have the kids and over time, after battling stage fright over and over, people began reaching out to me to invite me to events to speak. Over time my network has grown and expanded and my books have reached over one hundred sales this year, which is quite a feat from starting from zero!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Poetry is currently my specialty, but I also enjoy writing fiction and personal blogs, watercoloring, drawing, oil painting, junk journaling, and playing piano and clarinet. I’m exploring mixed media options that include drawing and writing. In my most recent book, “Sun Showers & Moonflowers,” I drew images for each of the poems and even designed and drew the cover art, which I’m currently most proud of. I’m excited to continue practicing digital artwork to translate into my next books as well as combining my loves for multiple languages like French and English. I love exploring the ways in which words, images, and sounds can play together like an ensemble of music. I think my background in learning and loving music from a young age, my curiosity for languages like Spanish and French, and the way my mind is visual (hyperphantasia) all come together to create my own unique perspective and portrayal of life.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
After speaking with other published authors, I think self-publishing has become such an accessible option that I foresee the publishing industry continuing to adapt and change to accommodate indie authors. Publishing now is also very much so tied to self promotion and marketing and I can see how more people are favoring self-publishing over trad-publishing. Although each have their pros and cons, as technology advances it’ll be interesting to see how that impacts self-published authors like myself.
Pricing:
- Hardcover Sun Showers & Moonflowers $21.00
- Paperback Sun Showers & Moonflowers $15.00
- Hardcover Moms Are The Strongest Men $21.99
- Paperback Moms Are The Strongest Men $14.95
Contact Info:
- Website: https://raquelmedorapoetry.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raquel.medora/
