Love and Loudd
Yanique and Simoné (Yaya and Monie) met summer 2008 at Clark Atlanta University’s freshman orientation. What tied these two together, initially, was their interest in residing at CAU’s Suites. Living in the Suites, they would catch a lot of attention from people when they left their door ajar. Reasons included their loud music, laughter, and entertaining friends. Another reason was the theme of their room. While Yanique’s favorite color is pink, Simoné’s is green… they’re just cute colors.
Both Yanique and Simoné’s knack for writing kicked in while they were in grade school. As freshmen in college, they shared their passion for poetry with one another by reading one another’s poems and providing feedback. It got to a point where Yanique wouldn’t post a poem on Facebook Notes prior to Simoné reading it. After graduating and relocating to their separate coasts, this poetic duo grew into a habit of emailing their poems to one another; some of their replies would be add-ons opposed to a simple critique. Some add-ons would flow so perfectly that both ladies would be confused about who wrote what and would have to refer to their original email to confirm stanzas. This became their fun habit. The negotiation of writing LoveLoudd, volume one, began January 2016 when Yaya visited Monie in LA.
“Simoné and I joked in college that the name of our Suite was LoveLoudd. We tried LouddLove but that sounded too crazy lol. As a child, I dreamt of having my poems binded in books. My childhood dream never faded. Throughout my thought process, I kept thinking ‘LoveLoudd… LoveLoudd’ leading me to the decision of collaborating with Simoné, especially since I love her work”.
- Yanique Love
“We mentioned wanting to have our work published while we were at CAU. I think creating our book has always been inevitable because of our interest in writing poetry and our ability to collaborate. Our last names flowing together plus being best friends is the icing on the cake”.
- Simoné Loudd
Independent Ladies
Yanique and Simoné decided to self- publish for several reasons. Self-publishing was a more affordable and lucrative option. Yes, it took more work and more effort but every hour spent creating, editing, organizing poems, choosing colors and fonts, staying up late, waking up early, and even fundraising to afford this option was rewarding when being able to press “upload” and “sell online”. Yaya and Monie trusted one another to stick to their schedule in an effort to complete their initial project. This same trust carried them to hosting a website, blogging, and relishing up the second volume of their beloved book.
It is oftentimes VERY difficult scheduling meetings since there is a three-hour difference between Cali and Jersey. While one person is getting off of work… yes, Yaya and Monie have other jobs..., the other person is preparing to go to bed. This bi-coastal collab welcomes staying up late/waking up early, squeezing in meetings to read their book over and over, inability to meet in person, and trying to give their book uniqueness so that it doesn’t blend in with other poetry books.
As businesswomen, it is important to be driven, focused, and determined to… well, get things done! It’s perfectly fine to go to a job and work for “the man” from 9 to 5 but Keep That Same Energy or at least dedicate more to yourself. Invest in your brand! Communication and compromise are very important when working as a team. Living on two different coasts, Yanique and Simoné had to be sure that they were dedicated to their projects and agendas they set. They also learned to divvy up tasks in order to be well organized and to complete goals on time.
“My favorite poem from Monie is ‘Change of Heart’. My personal favorites are ‘Love Asylum’ and ‘Pursuant’. I love all of our collabs but the one stuck in my mind is ‘Conflicted’. I absolutely love this poem because while it’s one poem, it can actually be read as three if you read it as a whole or separate it by mine and Monie’s parts”.
-Yanique Love
“ ‘Untitled’ is my favorite. Ironically, Yanique and I were going through a similar dating situation at the same time and decided to use what we were going through and collaborate on a new piece.”
-Simoné Loudd
Both Yanique and Simoné were surprised by the outpour of positivity, love, and support received by family, friends, and strangers. Their primary goal was to release their poetry in hopes that some readers would connect to their art and situations they have endured.
Yanique was at a loss for words when her cousin and other close friends called to discuss poems that were in Volume 1 of LoveLoudd. Simoné was shocked that no one had any negative feedback. She shared that while she was not expecting their book to be perfect, she thought readers would have suggestions on ways their book could be improved.
LoveLoudd Volumes 1 and 2 is a collaborative collection of poetry from two poets. If each poem were left without a signature, readers may believe their books were written by one person… no cap! Yaya and Monie decided to sign each poem because they get confused themselves. Despite their different writing styles, their poems are very in sync.
“Writing, for me is a passion. I am led to write when inspired by experiences that I encounter or hear about.”
-Yanique Love
“As a writer, I write a little every day. I don’t necessarily write poetry daily but I always find myself writing. Similar to Yaya, I write about what inspires me…”
-Simoné Loudd
One of the hardest parts of running a business, besides access to funds, is being supported. A person can have so many ideas of what to do for a business but not having necessary funding can be a hindrance. Regarding support- Individuals often time say they would love to support though when it is time to follow through, they fail. Both ladies agree that forms of support can be provided in several ways including but not limited to purchasing merchandise, assisting with advertising by sharing posts on social media, or simply telling others what they think of LoveLoudd LLC.
“Having an opportunity to write, publish, and sell something that others can read no matter where they live and despite our existence is what I favor. We now have two books and our work is forever set in stone available for all to enjoy. It’s exciting when people share that they enjoyed reading our poems and when people share that they were able to relate to some or all of our poems. The difficulty in releasing our books is that these poems are personal. You know what Erykah Badu said, “I’m an artist and I’m sensitive about my shit”. Exposing myself to the world is kind of wicked.”
-Yanique Love
“The love seeing end result. Holding our book in my hand feels nothing short of amazing. Sometimes I just flip through the pages smiling. I have been told, personally, that me expressing word for word how they feel means so much to them because that is something that they were unable to do. People go through similar experiences yet are unable to verbally express it. I also fear judgment or people attempting to assume who my poem is about. What matters most is can you relate to it.”
-Simone Loudd
Final Thoughts
The best advice that both Yanique and Simoné can provide is to schedule time to sit down and get it done. Writing a book is not easy, especially while employed, in school, and/ or caring for a family. It’s easy to talk about doing something but until you actually sit down and do it, it will remain what it is, a topic of discussion. Writing every day is not necessary. Begin by making a commitment, create an agenda, and follow-through. Also, edit Edit EDIT and believe in yourself. You’ve Got This!
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