Urban-Reviews.com - Inside Out with Dashawn Taylor

Dashawn Taylor

Dashawn Taylor is currently the Founder and CEO of Ultimate Media Design Studio and Next Level Publishing. His first book, From Poverty To Power Moves, has received a number of Literary Awards and has sold over 10,000 copies in the continental United States. Dashawn, who is a graduate of Rutgers University, has always had a passion for the literary arts.

Dashawn’s big break came just recently in the 2005 Reality TV Series Ultimate Hustler Show hosted by Hip-Hop CEO Damon Dash. Dashawn came in second place of the entire competition. The exposure and credibility of the show allowed Dashawn and his company to reach new business heights unseen before the show.

Check out the Book Trailer for Kissed By The Devil: Click Here

Author's Website #1: http://www.dashawntaylor.com
Author's Website #2: http://www.kissedbythedevil.com
Author's Myspace Page #1: http://www.myspace.com/dashawnt
Author's Myspace Page #2: http://www.myspace.com/ultimatehustlerdashawn
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Urban Reviews: Start by telling our readers about Kissed by the Devil.
Dashawn Taylor: Kissed By The Devil can be best described as an Urban Suspense Novel. A classic “who done it and why!” The story opens with our main character (Heidi Kachina) being assaulted and almost murdered by her fiancé Jayson. The confrontation leaves Jayson dead and Heidi reeling to figure out what went wrong in her life. From the onset we follow our main character through a wild ride as she finds herself fighting for her life and the lives of her family.

Urban Reviews: What inspired you to create this storyline?
Dashawn Taylor: Honestly, the book started out almost like a murder mystery. I wanted to tell the story of a young woman torn between trusting the intentions of her family and trusting the intentions of total strangers. I think all of us have TRUST issues in our everyday lives and I wanted to write a complex story about how our cynical ways can work against us. I also wanted to write a book that would take the reader on a wild ride inside the mind of the traitors and backstabbers in this world.

Urban Reviews: Will there be a sequel?
Dashawn Taylor: There will definitely be a sequel to this book. Readers can expect the second part to this book during the Summer of 2008.

Urban Reviews: What led you to pen your first novel?
Dashawn Taylor: I was looking to write and sell a movie script to a film company I work with in California. It was halfway through the writing process that I realized that the story was too good to just do a movie. I decided to publish the story as a book first because I felt it was important for this story be told to the reading audience initially and then we could introduce it to the movie-goers. I must say that I am very impressed with the great responses I have been receiving from the critics.

Urban Reviews: You are the CEO of your own publishing company Next Level Publishing. What made you decide to start your own company?
Dashawn Taylor: Since I was 15 years old, I have always started my own businesses. For every good idea I have, I start a business to back it. And starting Next Level Publishing is basically a product of my “hustler’s mentality.” I intend on dropping a number of books in the near future and I wanted to build my publishing company along with the books.

Urban Reviews: What would you say are the strengths and weaknesses of self-publishing?
Dashawn Taylor: The biggest upside of self-publishing is that you have total control of how large your company becomes. And the biggest downside of self-publishing is that you have total control of how large your company becomes. A lot of authors and publishers have yet to fully grasp that paradox. If you don’t have the money, the time, the patience, the connections, the passion and the overall hunger for this self-publishing thing, I would strongly suggest searching for a deal. When you are self-published, you have to take your business serious from all aspects including packaging, financials, distribution, sales and overall imaging.

Urban Reviews: You were also a contestant on The Ultimate Hustler. How did that experience prepare you for the publishing world?
Dashawn Taylor: Being a finalist on The Ultimate Hustler Show has put me in a place I never knew I could reach. Not only has my profile been raised but many opportunities to achieve my goals have been made available since the show. In this book game, 80% of the game is sales and hustle. Being on the show has taught me how to “super-size” my projects, and my books are a direct reflection of my experience on BET.

Urban Reviews: Are you working on any upcoming projects?
Dashawn Taylor: I am working on three projects for 2008 including the sequel to Kissed By The Devil and also a sequel to my non-fiction project From Poverty To Power Moves. For more information on my books, readers can log on to www.dashawntaylor.com.

Urban Reviews: What advice would you give to aspiring authors?
Dashawn Taylor: The best advice I can give to an aspiring author is to “be prepared to finish the job.” The job doesn’t end when you finish writing the book. In fact, the job has just started. New authors have to be prepared to learn as much as they can about the business. Surround yourself with honest and hardworking people. Be prepared to get out on the street and on the grind to edit, perfect, beautify, sell and resell your book.

Urban Reviews: Name one thing that the world does not know about Dashawn Taylor - the person?
Dashawn Taylor: One thing that the world doesn’t know about Dashawn Taylor is that I was in a rap group in 1991. I got signed to a record deal and my writing career started back then. So writing “classic novels” was always in me and I’m looking to bring the world more of my intricate work.