What she wanted:
To publish a beautiful book of poetry
A unique voice...
When we first opened Sherell’s manuscript, we were amazed by her authentic voice and her courage. We’ve all experienced heartbreak, but Sherell has a certain way of putting the insecurities, doubts, and strong feelings we all have into honest, vivid language that resonates. As we turned each page, all we could think was, “Yes, yes! We’re right there with you!”
The sowing, the work...
As we do with each overhaul project, we put our heads together and guided Sherell through craft development and revisions. Her language is raw, so we just sharpened her word choice, polished metaphors, and encouraged her to allow her voice to be as bold as she wanted it to be. Her passion shines so brightly, we wanted it to beam right off the page!
Putting these poems, my life, into a book has always been my secret dream...I've been asked thousands of times "what do you want?" (sound familiar) and I've always been too scared to verbalize this dream, let alone make it happen. Fear is a powerful form of cement, but I broke free and with your help I have achieved one of my life's goals. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
The love, the love...
After we worked together to finalize the book’s content, it was time to design the cover and interior layout. Sherell came to us with a strong manuscript, but she wasn’t really sure where she wanted to go with the cover. She knew she preferred illustrations over photography, subdued colors over bright ones, and small and classy text over big and bold.
So with her preferences in mind, we presented Sherell with several samples of our previous work to get an idea of what she liked. Once we had a handle on her visual style, we were able to draw up several options for her. The botanical print stole her heart—and we thought it was the perfect match for her poems’ earthy, loving generosity!
I owe all thanks to you, honestly publishing my poetry was a secret, silent, oft delayed and deferred dream of mine that you helped make possible. THANK YOU!
I would drop them all to embrace you...
And now that Sherell’s book is here in the world, we can’t stop flipping through its pages, drawing hope from her words, and swooning over the gorgeous cover. We wish we could give Sherell the biggest hug ever—because she did it! She seized the moment, braved the work, and produced a book we are sure will dazzle every person who holds it in their hands.
Get your copy of “Even If My Hands Were Full” HERE!
The Sherell Hoodie:
Somewhere along the writing journey, we got inspired and decided to create a Tell Tell hoodie based on Sherell’s ideas.
Get your Sherell Hoodie HERE!
I've received my hoodie...it's PERFECT! Very comfortable and stylish. Might live in this fit lol.