BASIC BLAQUE AFTER DARK live every 1ST & 3RD FRIDAY

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1:28When the lights go down, the real conversations begin. Welcome to basic black after dark, hosted by Black Diamond, where truth, healing, and growth take center stage. This is the space where mental health, family, healing, and personal growth are talked about. Honestly and without filters, featuring intimate interviews with authors and thought leaders who aren't afraid to share their journey. Because every story told reminds someone watching you are not alone. Basic, Black after dark. Now streaming on the crew platform tap in. When the lights go down, the real conversations begin. When the lights go down, the real conversations begin. When the lights go down, the real conversations begin. When the lights go down, the real conversations begin. Hey everybody, this is Black Diamond and you're listening to Basic Black after dark.

2:28This is the show that meets you where you are and gives you what you ask for. We are tuned in here tonight. And it's not just a conversation. It is a celebration. We are talking about legacy. We are talking about literature. We are talking about honoring the voices that shape culture, preserve history, and move generations forward. Because let me tell you something. Authors don't just write books. They document movements. They challenge systems. They build world with words. And tonight we are sitting down with the visionary founder behind the Distinguished Authors Guild that's the Dag Awards. It's a platform designed to recognize excellence. Elevate impact and celebrate authors while they are still here to receive their flowers. This isn't just about awards. It's about recognition. It's about credibility.

3:28It's about culture. So if you are an author and aspiring writer or someone who believes stories have power, stay right here. You won't learn a lot. Welcome the founder of the Distinguished Authors Guild Awards. Gina Gatson. Thank you. It was a great introduction. I couldn't have the introduction without you. I couldn't have the introduction without you. I couldn't get into anybody else. It's so well. Before the awards, before the platform, what was the vision? Take us back to where the vision began. Well, the vision actually began when I had a daycare. And it bloomed from the children that I was caring for that came through my door. I had this vision and I had this prophecy

4:30that I would touch children in a way to help them learn. And so I got the idea from my books. Alpha's adventure from the children in my daycare. I had two children who could not read. And I knew if I didn't help those children, they would go through life and become adults with no ability to read. And so I took time and I sat down and I taught them how to read. And I wanted to touch children on a larger level. And the way that God sent it to me was to do it through books. Now, I did that for I would say maybe five years where I was doing book fairs and I was, you know, doing different things with my books. And God gave me a vision to take it even further. I experienced the roadblocks that every author goes through

5:31when they write a book. I wrote my books. I came in a mail. I was very excited. And then I stood there and I said, what's next? How do I do this? And so I know every author who has written a book had, they've been there. You get started on this journey and you don't know which direction to go in. And so I wanted to help authors to navigate through this process. I navigated. I hit a lot of brick walls. I stumbled and I had to get up. So I wanted to be that arm or that shoulder that was there or even that push to get authors through this process, you know, and help them to understand how the process works. And so that was the vision given to me by God. So you were catching them young as little babies, you know, getting them to be and just letting them know that it's more to then just the story books. It's their story that they can someday write as well.

6:34When did you first realize authors needed a platform like DAG? And we say DAG because it's distinguished author skill. The distinguished author skill. And it was actually myself and two other individuals. We came together and we decided we wanted to do something different than the average book sales and you know, peddling books and doing those types of things. We wanted to do more than that. And so we came together and we put our hands together and we came up with the distinguished author skill award show where that night would simply be honoring authors because authors work so hard to get those books out there. You're running to all kind of stories authors who have lost money. And authors who were afraid to market their books or didn't know how to market their books. And so that one night that you just leave all that behind and have a wonderful time

7:37is like a reset. And so that's why we decided that that is the direction we were going to go in. And even though the two of them went in a different direction, God still let me to continue on with the distinguished author skill. I'm not really glad that you did because I was there last year. Yes. It was a pleasure meeting you and person. It was a pleasure meeting so many of the other authors there. And that's one of the things about I guess the distinguished author's guild and why you built it up the way that you did. We see each other over Facebook and other social media and we talk and we tag and we like and we give little emoji hugs and everything. But when you get in person with the individual, it's a totally different thing. It's like a family union you haven't seen this person in a while. So for me, and I want to speak for me, it was wonderful to see some of the young ladies and some of the young men that were there that I spoke to but hadn't seen them in person.

8:38So to see them in person, it just kept the smile on my face like, I actually met this person to me. It was like me, it's a liberty. I really met this person. It comes full circle. It comes full circle. You guys, you join the gather for six, seven, eight months out of the year and you know, you do all of these different things together. The book fairs and sharing tips and information, even connecting each other with others who need help. And then you get to see that person. Seeing that person is like, okay, now this is a whole person that I've met and known for six to eight months and I actually get to see them. It's not just the face. But what does this thing which truly means to you in a literary world? It means special. Something or someone that's special and deserve being treated specially,

9:41being treated as a king or being treated as a queen. It's English. Exactly what they are, kings and queens. Yes. Throughout. So what gap did we see in the industry that dad fills? Because people do award banquets. Different types. Doesn't have to always be authors or literature. It could be many different types. What gap did you see in the industry? That dad fills. Here at the zebra, research shows the average person would rather endure a root canal than search for auto and home insurance. Just try to relax. Or be trapped in a car for eight hours with toddlers on a sugar high. Or remove a nest of irate hornets. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra.com. Who's ready for the truss fall? I see a gap where authors are trying to do it alone.

10:44They don't have anyone to help them or they don't want to help them. That's why the zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at the zebra.com. Who's ready for the truss fall? I see a gap where authors are trying to do it alone. They don't have anyone to help them or they don't want to help them. They don't want to ask for help. And I tell authors all the time, you'll get there faster if you ask for help. You may do it on your own. It's going to take a lot longer. Why not come to a community or come to individuals who can help get you where you want to be without having to take such a long time to do it? Distinguished author skill is trying to fill that gap where you don't feel that you're out there alone. Some don't know they come in. They don't know an illustrator or a publisher or how to market or how to promote themselves on social media.

11:47And we help them, you know, whether it's myself or any other authors in the group. It's just a community that's there to help build each other up. I've been hearing that a lot that evening with some of the networking that was going on throughout that evening that we were there last year. It was so much information that was given to me from talking to other individuals about not just where they got started, who they're connected with, their journey throughout. And it wasn't about being on a podcast. It was just a regular conversation with real people. And I wanted anybody out there to know that because we have, I guess, the title of being an author, we're real people. We believe in ourselves. We solve like everybody else. We make mistakes like everybody else do. We're no different than anybody else. It's just that we just have something out of that

12:48like somebody's a police officer, somebody's a nurse, somebody's a doctor. People hold more than one title. That's what I say. That's exactly what I tell people. Authors do more than write books. Yes. They most certainly do. And that's one of the things I tell them is that you have to learn to build your platform. You can't just sit back and just think the book is going to make your money because I don't know. Maybe some others may be able to do that. Maybe like JK Rollins. I don't think they want me at that level. But if I can't get there, I'll be happy to be there. What has been most of the challenging part of building the DAG awards? The most challenging in the six years that DAG has been in place, it's getting those doors open for not just the authors but myself as well because I do have five children's books and not having, and I just want to say this is another reason

13:51that the Distinguished Authors Guild platform was built on being a community because I know authors go out there and they have doors shut in their face. I know firsthand where I wanted to put my books somewhere and they said, we don't take those type of books. And that is very challenging because, you know, you feel like every door should be open to you, no matter what. Because as a black or brown book, there's a lot of places that don't want to put them there. Myself, for example, my books are not in books in Noble or Walmart or any of the other bookstores because I decided to make my books small enough for children to hold them comfortably in their hand. And so they don't fit the standards that those places want your books to be. It's not the size that they are requiring your book to be.

14:52And I was okay with that because to me, what my focus was is to have the children have books in their hands. And if my books are small enough for those little hands to hold them by themselves comfortably, then I'm okay with them not being on Barnes and Noble and Walmart and all the other places. Right. Yeah, I go through there. And sometimes, I'm going to be honest, sometimes I look to see my book in there. You can get it off of Barnes and Noble's and Walmart, but it's not in the store. And I've contacted someone. I want to mention that the franchise, but I had put my book out there and they told me that my title was a little bit too racy for them. I racy as far as race, it was the title itself. And I told me it was no mistake in what I had written.

15:52So I'm not going to change the title when I leave it as it is because this is a book that you cannot judge by the cover. And for the better for it, because now I know that this is what some entities will say to you. And I can pass that along that everybody's not going to want your book. Right. And that's the point I just, that's the point I just made. Yeah. It's okay if you don't, if you don't want it, it's okay. It's okay. So personally, what does this legacy look like for you? Legacy looks to me like people know, when I leave here, people will say, she helped me. She helped open this door for me to walk into. That's my legacy. And that's one that I feel that I'm building. And I'm very proud of because people need that help.

16:53You need that. If I can give a person a leg up, if I can give an author a leg up, if I can give an entrepreneur leg up, I feel like I've done what God put on me to do. Right. So we have my Angelo, Sisley Tyson, Tony Morrison. And I could just continue to go on it and name more and more. Why is it important that authors are recognized while they're still alive? Because that's where the impact comes from. The impact comes from when you're alive and the impression that you leave. The impression that you're making those footsteps that you're putting down before you leave here. That's what people are going to remember. We don't remember my Angelo land in the coffin. We don't remember her being on a sick band. We remember the things she did when she was a strong woman out here voicing and sharing her stories.

17:53And that's the same thing that authors have to do. They have to leave those footprints. I like that point that you made with not remembering her in the coffin and more so remembering her speeches. It took me, you know, a glance real quick about when they did a funeral but that's not what I remember. I remember standing at podiums speaking. And I like that point that you made with that. So what makes Doug Dipper from other literary awards? Besides it being distinguished. We set ourselves apart from other award shows where we actually promote authors' books throughout the time that they sign up with distinguished authors' skills. We promote their books throughout. We put them on different platforms, podcasts, radio stations, virtual book fairs, libraries.

18:56I don't, there may be other award shows that do that. I don't know of any. But we want to make sure that before we get to that night, they're recognized when individuals coming there, they'll say, oh, I saw you on Facebook or I saw your book on wherever, you know? Because we want that night to be about them. And so when people come in there, they're not strangers. They just like you said, we get to meet face to face now. I've seen your face and I've seen your books all over Facebook and all over these different podcasts and everywhere else. And now I get to put a face with the person. It was wonderful just to see some of them. And to meet some new people, you've heard the names, but I couldn't put the face with it. Integrity, incredibleity. How does Doug protect those things in the nomination process? Well, we separate, I separate myself from the judging process

20:01because throughout that process, I've become very close with all of the nominees. If it was up to me, everybody would win. But everybody can't win. And so I separate myself from judging the books so that, you know, people know that it's unbiased. There are individuals that are separate. They have never met any of the readers. They don't know who the readers are. The readers don't know the authors. So they can have an unbiased opinion when they read those books and give feedback. And that's the way it should be. I've seen many of the nominees and the winners just about on every platform that I can think of. What impact have you seen Doug have on the authors and honors? Oh, my goodness. I've seen so much. I have authors who have had their books picked up in school systems,

21:02a few of them. I've had authors who've had their books picked up in fraternities. I've had authors who are now writing their own magazine. Now they're on podcasts who are now doing workshops and teaching other authors how to become an award-winning author. And so it's really, and this is what the point I try to make, is really what you do with that night. If you stop that night, the night November and November, when we have that award show, if that's as far as you go, this is far as you're going to go. But if you take those tools and you keep on with what you've learned through Distinguished Author's Guild, it's going to elevate you. And that's what you want. You know, if we all are doing this to elevate our stories, to elevate our books, to get them in the hands of individuals who need them, or those who may be going through the same thing, and this may be therapy for them.

22:02That's what we're trying to do. And so you don't want to stop with that night. You have to keep going. But as you know, once you become a member of the Distinguished Author's Guild, you stop for life. It's not over that night. Just like we're here now. We have the award show in November 2025, and now we're here still connected. Yes, we are. So what qualities do you believe separate good authors from impactful authors? Those who invest in their books are the impactful authors. Those who spend money to have their book edited professionally, to have professional covers, to make sure they are no errors in the books. Those are the ones who are going to make an impact. And if you are serious about being an author and an entrepreneur because the two go hand in hand,

23:02you're going to invest in your work. You're going to invest in yourself. And if you invest in it the way you should, you are going to see it grow. Yeah, investment. It can cost you but in the end, it pays off. It does. It doesn't mean that it pays off financially. It pays off a recognition. So how can authors better position themselves for recognition? Here at the Zebra, research shows the average person would rather endure a root canal than search for auto and home insurance. Just try to relax. Or be trapped in a car for eight hours with toddlers on a sugar high. Or remove a nest of irate hornets. That's why the Zebra searches for you, comparing over 100 insurance companies to find savings no one else can. Compare today at thezebra.com. We do the searching you to the saving. I think I'll wait inside. You know when you're wrapping up a long day in that what's for dinner panic hits?

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25:05But don't let the fear stop you. Don't let the fear hinder you. Work with that fear because when you're afraid you come out fighting. You shouldn't come out fighting and you're going to fall. But those roadblocks that you hit, they should only slow you down. They should not stop you. Right. I love it. I love it. So what mistakes do you see that emerging authors often make? Because they'll come in. Well, I'll let you explain it because I've seen some but I'll let you explain it. What mistakes do you see emerging authors making? Not putting the time in a lot of, you know, especially older individuals. I'm an older individual. We don't want to spend time on social media. We don't want to spend time promoting our books on different social media platforms. We don't want to take time out to, you know, go to these different events and network and get to know people. But that's what you have to do.

26:05If you want your platform to grow, you have to get out there and you have to meet those individuals who can push you up and help you or connect you with the people you need to be connected with. If you don't do that, it's going to be an uphill battle, even when it comes to social media. And I'm going to tell you, I am not one for social media, but I force myself to be. And I knew that that was the only way, well, if that was one of the best ways that I was going to get the information out to the masses, that was the only way that I can reach an audience that wasn't local. And if you know that the authors who come into DAC, they're coming from all over the country. They're not local authors. They're coming from all different states in the United States. And so the only way to reach them in that way is through social media.

27:05So authors have to get used to doing it. I tell them, take 15 minutes, 20 minutes, when you wake up or before you go to bed, or schedule those posts to go out, but your face should be seen consistently. So you mentioned social media, and I'm still trying to get through Facebook, because I think that's one of my best friends. Instagram. I'm trying. I'm trying to. I'm important as community among authors. I'm sorry, go ahead. How important is community among authors? Oh, it is very important. Like I said earlier, you need, you do need other people. And I know a lot of individuals, a lot of authors feel like I'll do it by myself. I'll get my book out there by myself. I'll connect by myself. But you need that community to help you. One of the things that taught me was the predators

28:08that are out here. You don't know who's serious and who's not. I've had so many authors call me up and say, hey, somebody reached out to me and told me they can get my book on television. Hey, somebody told me if I send them $10,000, they could sell a million copies of my book. And so, you need a community of individuals that can help you if you need an illustrator. If you need a publisher, I've reached out in a group today and said, hey, is there a publisher in the group? I know somebody who's looking to publish a book and they're looking for a publisher. Because I know the individuals in that group. If they raise their hand and say, I'm a publisher, I know that they're legit. And that's what the community is all about. If one person in that group needs an illustrator, and someone recommends an illustrator or they say, I'm an illustrator, you best believe they are legit.

29:08Yeah, there's a hard knocks life to it. Because I got caught up in that fraudulent act of someone posing as a well-known company book company and it had everything. They had the logo, they had the name, and the area code that they come from. And everything just seemed like it was so legit. And I bought into it all the way. And they were sending me back materials and everything was just lining up until that one day happened. And I questioned it. And when I questioned it, I was correct. And they were fraud. And they got me $1,000 to tell you. But I got my money back. But you had to go. It was horrible. If I had just started out being an author, it probably took me. Because I wouldn't know what to do. But being in this business for over 25 years, you know, I should have known better.

30:09It was just some, it was just those things that they had that made it look like it was so real. And I'm talking like they had the even up to the color of the ink, it was just that good. And they could get the best of you. And they got me for some money. But it was just that one question that I asked that made me think something wasn't right. And I did some more digging. And then I actually turned around and called that company. They had no idea who I was talking about. So you did make it into diligence. You did diligence. But not everyone knows. And who worked? Everything stopped. I got to the bank. I sent them the information. I got to company. I had them sent information verifying that these people didn't work for them. It was a back and forth and whatnot. And when I got my money back, I just about cried. Because I said, I should have known better. But I'm not going to say it's going to happen to everybody. But you got to ask questions. You have to do a lot of research.

31:10But you know what? They know that you have this desire. And they pray on that. All authors want their books on television. All authors want their books made into a movie. You know, they know this. All authors would love to sell a million copies. And so they pray on that. Because they know that's a deep desire that you have. And a lot of times when you have that desire. And you hear those words that someone can help get you there. You go for it. You know? It about all the things that you know. And all the things that you were taught. I was a victim as well. And I should have known better. And like you, I got my money back. I just wasn't standing for you walking away with my heart on money. Well, you know, I just was talking to some people a couple of weeks ago about their new authors and they're coming into it. And you know, I just explained to them, you please be mindful. And you know, they know that you got your book out.

32:10They see that it just came out. They figure you a new author. They're going to come for you. They're sharks. And I'm going to hold it, but it is their sharks. They're going to come for you. They come for the older ones too. Because sometimes I, and I'll speak for you. You get tired and just thinking that somebody else can do it for you. And you can just relax a little bit more. But you don't really ever earn that. You know, I'm quite sure those who had been, you know, like Langston Hughes and everybody else. I'm quite sure they may have been through it too. You know, some people probably, because of who he was, probably still tried to go after him. You know, with his name, or even use his likeness and say that I've worked with him. And I did this for him. So it happens. It happens to me. He's through some research. Don't be afraid to ask any questions. Because if you don't ask the questions, you're going to get got it. I can just about tell you that. So what has, and surprised you most about running an awards organization?

33:10Oh, my goodness. The tears and the joy. I didn't know what would be as exhilarating as it is. And it really shocked me. I mean, to see the authors come and have tears and tears of joy and feel so honored that night. That's the whole point we want you to feel honored. But to actually see it is so surreal. And it's a feeling that I never forget. It's always there. And every time I think about it, it put a smile on my face. Yeah. For me, it was looking at everybody out there. Whether I want to not just look at everybody out there. Everybody's dressed to the night. Everybody's waiting for anybody's name to be called. It didn't even have to be their name that was called. It was just that brotherhood sisterhood thing that we're out here

34:12for one another. And that's what made me feel good. Now, I don't know whether you noticed it or not. But when it was talking to me to say a speech, I had the wrong one. Because I was just so happy to see. I was just so happy to see everybody. I was like, when I got off, I was like, that's not what I said. I was going to say that I have the choice of getting up here. Or even just saying the period. I was just so happy and so pleased to see everyone out there and just looking and just beaming. And some of them were new and just saying, I got to see you. I got to meet you. And that's the things that I wanted to say. But that's not what came out. So it happens. It happens. So what does expansion look like for DAG in the next three to five years? So expansion is going to be awarding more students scholarships. A lot of people don't know that DAG gives scholarships to college students. But the goal is to give a thousand, ten students, a thousand dollar scholarship and more.

35:17And so that's my biggest ask is to give back to the students who are in creative writing so that we can get more authors out here, young authors who continue to carry the baton. That's important to me, you know, to give a hand so that they can come up. They're going to be out there just like we are. Working hard, dodging the predators, you know, wondering if my book is good enough, afraid to get out there and talk about the book. They're going to be us. And so, you know, giving back to them and being able to have those scholarships so that it can give some help for them through college. I know God has told me that it's going to get bigger. I mean, last year we gave out was the first year we gave out two scholarships. And I was excited about it.

36:18And it's going to continue to grow. I was pleased when I saw that, you know, those two individuals won the scholarships and that you were doing that for young writers that want to pursue the literary world and just express themselves because whether we want to accept it or not, that you have a lot to say. We may not like what they say. To tell you the truth, I want to even say, we don't like what they say. We don't understand what they're saying. That's right, that's right. And our elders didn't understand what we were saying. So, I'm going to say it. I'm going to acknowledge it, just some older down. And half the stuff they say, I don't understand. But what I do is I take the time and I ask them what do they mean by that. And I think they appreciate that more when you act instead of judging them. Because when you're judging like these young kids, these little whippersnappers

37:20or whatever you want to call them, they don't appreciate that. They honestly don't. Just ask the question, what do you mean by that? I can tell you, they will explain it to you if you act because they will be happy to explain it to you. They'll be happy to see that they're teaching you something. Exactly. We do that. It's a bond that you can have with them. It's a bond that you can have with them. It's filling in that age gap. Oh, yes. Because I've learned a lot from some of them that I said a little younger than me. I've learned a lot from teenagers. I've learned a lot of language from them. Now, I'm going to go younger than that. I might be your granddaughter taught me something. I had no idea what she was talking about. You took up fingers and did this. And I said, what's going on with her? What's wrong with her? She said, clock this. And I said, what? Oh, my God.

38:20No idea what she was talking about. She says, mine. This is what it means. I said, this is what I'm talking about. Don't laugh at me. That was when I went over my head. It does. She said some other words, too, that kind of caught me. And she was on point. And I ain't going to say what she said. But in doing so, that taught me that I'm missing so much that I'm so busy worried about my generation and what's going on with them. It's going to go on no matter what. But I still need to keep up with what's going on with them. Because those are the things that's going to be taking care of these. Right. I need to know that you have the tools that you need to be able to take care of me. And I'm not saying as a child to take care of me. I'm talking about the doctors, the lawyers, the people that's out there that's going to be able to take care of us. And that's enriching our community. So those are the things that I'm talking about. That when I say the youth, the younger ones, they do have a lot to say.

39:23And if you listen to them, they're really some intelligent kids. Yes. So all they want is the opportunity. And all they want is the chance. And to show you that I can do this. Because I know I said that. I wish I had the chance to do this. I wish I had the chance to do it. And what you're doing with giving them those awards. That's giving them that chance and that opportunity. So I applaud you for that. Thank you. Thank you. It's a pleasure. I'm sorry. Go ahead. I say it's a pleasure. And, you know, every year. I'm looking around and like, how am I going to do this? And God always provides. And He always opens the doors and sends the people to me that helps me to make it happen. And so, you know, I always wonder how can I do it this year? And He always makes a way.

40:24Very well. When you're doing good things, He's always looking and He's watching. He's watching every little thing that we do. And He knows the blessing that you need in order to bless someone else. Absolutely. Skin care experts and dermatologists have often touted the benefits of the indoor humidity as essential for healthy, glowing skin. But did you know dry air can start to harm your skin in as little as 30 minutes? For years, many people have relied on humidifiers for better skin, sleep, and overall wellness. But traditional models, bulky, multi-prone, and difficult to maintain. That's where canopy humidifier comes in. Recommended by leading dermatologists, canopy is a completely reimagined humidifier designed to elevate any space, offering the ultimate in skin care and wellness benefits. Canopies clean moisture, come that's dryness, dullness, and fine lines, while strengthening the skin's barrier and boosting the effectiveness of topical skin care products. With its sleek design, canopy is the cleanest and easiest humidifier on the market. With its unique technology, cleaning is as easy as popping it in the dishwasher.

41:27Go to getcanopy.co to save $25 on your canopy humidifier purchase today, with Canopy's filter subscription. Even better, use code podcast to check out to save an additional 10% off your canopy purchase. Your skin will thank you. Warning, the following zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For lore and even. Like your efforts are futile, and you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people, only to get flooded with candidates who are just fine. Fortunately, zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try zippercruder for free at zippercruder.com slash zip. With zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations, because we find the right people for your roles fast, which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers who post on zippercruder, get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So, whether you need to hire four, 40, or 400 people,

42:29get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip. So, if you could speak directly to an author who feels unseen right now, what would you say? You may feel unseen, but you are seen. There's a lot of people that are looking that don't say anything. They keep their mouths shut, but they see exactly what you're doing. So, make sure that you're doing it correctly and doing it professionally, because once you make that mistake, that's when they'll open their mouth, and you'll know that they see you. Yeah. Well said. So, if you believe your work carries impact, which I'm quite sure it does, intention and excellence, you're invited to submit your book for consideration for the Distinguished Author's Guild. That's the Dag Awards. Gina, for our authors and aspiring authors who are watching tonight,

43:30can you walk them through exactly how they can submit their books and what they need to know before applying? Yes. They can go on the Dag Facebook page, the registration is there, or they can go to the website, which is DistinguishedOtherSkilled.org, and complete the registration there. Everything is lined out. Once you pay the registration fee, you'll see the packages there. You choose a package depending on how much promotion you would like to have. And then you mail in your book, the PO Box is listed in the app, and the registration form as well. And you're on your way, because we start promoting that book, getting it in front of people. And one of the things that you'll realize is, once you become a part of Dag, you're now going to be in front of an audience that you wouldn't have been in front of before. You're now going to be in front of people that you would not have been in front of

44:34if you had not been a part of Dag. So that's the beauty of it. So when you submit a book, can you submit more than one entry? You can submit more than one entry. There is a registration fee of $30 for each book. However, if it's a series, the series is judged on all the books. So you can't submit the series. We've had authors who have submitted a series, but all the books are read, and all the books will be given feedback. So you have a one-plus opportunity there where it could be nominated and it could not be nominated. You heard her. If she told you how to get into those books, I'm hoping that by the time we get off this call that you're going on that line, you can be doing it right now while we're talking. So you can start to meet in your books.

45:35How far back do the books have to go? Is there a cut-off time, like maybe within the last two to three years, the book have to be written? No. There is no cut-off time, but there is a page maximum. The books have to be 365 pages or less. And I tell all authors, here's the criteria, because if you don't meet the criteria, I'm not going to take your registration. I'm not going to take your registration fee. I'm going to tell you upfront. The books have to be error-free. I don't think anyone has ever picked up an award-winning book, and it has errors in it. And that goes back to what we talked about earlier, Black. Invest in your work. Invest in yourself. Make sure you hire a professional editor. The other criteria is, does the book cover catch your attention? Now, we talked about you talked about how many books are out there.

46:38How your book is buried in Walmart and the other hundreds of thousands of books. There are six million books on Amazon. Your cover has to catch the attention, because if your cover don't catch the attention, they'll never know what's on the other side of that cover. So you have to have a cover that catches the attention. And the third criteria, does your book keep the reader's attention? Man, I can tell you a lot of books that I picked up and did not want to put down. That's an award-winning book. Yours is one of them. I thought, I'll be honest, when I was asked to enter it, I said, no, because I said the title was going to tell them that this is too much. They won't accept this with this title. And I just said, no, I wasn't going to do it, but I was encouraged by one of your ambassadors to go right ahead and do it. I said, OK, what could I do just to worry?

47:38That's all I can get back. And I got that information from you, and it said, we accepted it. And I was like, yeah, hey me. It was very nice. And I thank you in the committee for accepting my book and the language. And the win. So I do appreciate it. And I appreciate just everybody that was there tonight. It was one of those nights that was truly, truly unforgettable. And a lot of authors don't know, but I have a library of books. I wait until after the nominations are done, and I purchase those books. I have your book in my library. I have a lot of the authors books in my library. And if I see a book that can benefit someone that I know, I'll purchase that book and send it out to them. I've had lots of books sent out to Vegas for my daughter. She loves to read. And I know the type of books that she like to read.

48:40And so I'll have an author send the book out to her or other individuals that I know. I know a lot of people that like to read. And so my library is large. You would not believe how many books that I have, because I try to purchase, I try to purchase everyone's book from every author or every nominee that is part of that. So most of the books that have been submitted from 2020, I have a copy of. Oh, wow. So what day is the nominee, is the awards this year? I know you said November. Mm-hmm, November 15th. What are you holding the date back? November 15th. November 15th. Yes. What time? It'll be 4 p.m. This is on a Sunday. I think we've had Sundays before. When we were in Vegas believing in not the award show, we were in Vegas for two years.

49:41And for two years, it was on a Wednesday. And on a Wednesday, we had a huge turnout in Vegas. We were in Vegas. Yes. And so we're already talking about where it's going to be next year. So we can make Arizona. Oh, it's going to be hot. And all the sense of the word hot. But guess what? Everybody complained about it being cold in Chicago. So nothing gets cold somewhere hot. It wasn't, I guess to them so used to the weather. It wasn't cold for me. I've never been in Chicago when I was expecting the windy city. But I didn't get that when I was there. The weather was fine. I'm glad it didn't snow. Well, like after you guys left, we had a polar vortex. It was a negative five. We left right on time. We looked right on time. But you know what?

50:41The hotel was comfortable as long as I had my little snacks. I was going to be OK. I probably had to call in the work and say, look, I'm stepping to Chicago. But I would have been fine. The weather would have been OK with me. And what I appreciate most about tonight's conversation is that it reminds us what those are culture shapers. Their historians, their healers, and their architects of perspective. The distinguished authors' guild awards is not just about trophies. It's about honoring voices that refuse to be silenced. Gina, thank you for building a platform that celebrates excellence with intention. And to our listeners, if you are an author, keep writing. If you support authors, keep reading. Because stories change systems. This is basic black after dark, unblack diamond. And remember, your voice is valuable. Your story matters. And your impact is not accidental.

51:43Join us March 20th when we sit down with Shalon Lee for another powerful conversation you won't want to miss. And as always, thank you for keeping it basic. Skin care experts and dermatologists have often touted the benefits of indoor humidity as essential for healthy glowing skin. But did you know dry air can start to harm your skin in as little as 30 minutes? For years, many people have relied on humidifiers for better skin, sleep, and overall wellness. But traditional models, bulky, multi-prone and difficult to maintain. That's where canopy humidifier comes in. Recommended by leading dermatologists, canopy is a completely reimagined humidifier, designed to elevate any space, offering the ultimate in skin care and wellness benefits. Canopies clean moisture, combats dryness, dullness, and fine lines, while strengthening the skin's barrier and boosting the effectiveness of topical skin care products.

52:45With its sleek design, canopy is the cleanest and easiest humidifier on the market. With its unique technology, cleaning is as easy as popping it in the dishwasher. Go to getcanopy.co to save $25 on your canopy humidifier purchase today with Canopy's filter subscription. Even better, use code podcast to check out to save an additional 10% off your canopy purchase. Your skin will thank you. Warning, the following Zippercruder radio spot you are about to hear is going to be filled with F words. When you're hiring, we at Zippercruder know you can feel frustrated. For Lauren even. Like your efforts are futile. And you can spend a fortune trying to find fabulous people only to get flooded with candidates who are just... fine. F***. Fortunately, Zippercruder figured out how to fix all that. And right now, you can try Zippercruder for free. At zippercruder.com slash zip. With Zippercruder, you can forget your frustrations. Because we find the right people for your roles fast. Which is our absolute favorite F word. In fact, four out of five employers

53:46who post on Zippercruder get a quality candidate within the first day. Fantastic. So, whether you need to hire four, 40 or 400 people, get ready to meet first rate talent. Just go to zippercruder.com slash zip to try Zippercruder for free. Don't forget that zippercruder.com slash zip. Finally, that zippercruder.com slash zip.