Meet Jaleesa Jackson | Reader & Book Influencer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaleesa Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaleesa, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I accidentally fell into content creation. I’ve been an avid reader my whole life, and for years I would simply tweet about the books I was reading. I connected with a lot of Black Indie authors that way as well. I was following Bama Rush on TikTok and randomly came across a Booktok post. I was curious and decided to search “Black Romance Books” and to be honest the recommendations were lacking. There was one series that everyone would recommend and it wasn’t even Black Romance so I decided I would join Booktok and my purpose was to bring awareness to Black Romance books being written and published by Black Indie authors. This was in August of 2021 and the growth I’ve seen in this community has been something else. I never expected OUR community to blow up like this.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
To be honest I don’t know that I can pinpoint what makes me different. I’m just a book nerd who likes to talk about what I’m reading and how it’s made me feel. When I posted my first TikTok I never thought it would lead to anything like this. I really just wanted to put people on to Black Indie Romance. It hasn’t been easy, I spent most of my first year online explaining the definition of Black Romance, because for some reason people had a hard time understanding that very simple definition. I also didn’t realize how biased the publishing industry was and that’s something that we’re all dealing with. It’s incredibly hard for Black authors to break through in traditional publishing, and even when they do it feels like there can only be one or two at a time. Meanwhile Black Indie authors are putting out amazing books every single day. What being in this space has taught me is that you really have to stay true to yourself. It’s hard putting yourself out there but people can tell when you are putting on an act. I want people to trust me and know that when I say I loved a book, I really loved a book. I don’t get paid for reviews so if I sit down to make a video about a book, it’s because I really want y’all to read it.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So we’d hit a few of my favorite bookstores in the city. Eagle Eye Books, 44th and 3rd, For Keeps and Brave and Kind. Definitely have to stop by Lucien and The Vibrary for books, wine and just overall vibes. I’d probably take her to a book event as well. We have several that are taking place in Atlanta in the next year, Indie Love, Black Romance Book Fest, The Literary Gem Awards. Thankfully my real life best friend is also my book best friend so she’d be down for all of the above!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have to dedicate this to two groups of people. First, my Black Indie Authors. The women and men who create stories that make me feel all the emotions. They write characters that feel like home, I see myself and my family and my friends and it’s a beautiful reflection. Then to all my Black Book Influencers/Creators because we don’t get the recognition or opportunities our non-black counterparts get but we are here and we are loud and we are making a difference. I’m so proud to be in community with yall.

Website: https://www.tiktok.com/@jaleesareads?_t=8qYuDGmfdhj&_r=1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaleesareads/profilecard/?igsh=MTNhZzBjNnR0ZzMxbQ==

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaleesareads

Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jaleesareads?si=oi3JEvIFvg84R3FS

Other: Email : jalee5areads@gmail.com