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Therone Shellman

President, Third Eye Publishing, Inc.

www.thirdeyepublishing.org

THE ROCK: Who is Therone Shellman; tell us something
about you?
Shellman: Well, I'm not just an author and publisher
but I'm an activist as well. All of my stories I write
along with the ones I will publish will say
something about social topics which affect us all as
humans. Whether it's to make us think or laugh.

THE ROCK: Where are you from and currently residing?
Shellman: I have lived in NY my whole life. I was
born In Brooklyn, and then have lived in Long Island
since early childhood

THE ROCK: Could you give us your job title and a short
description of your responsibilities??
Shellman: I'm the President of Third Eye
Publishing, Inc. I oversee the day to day
operations, from preparing manuscripts to networking
with all the different professionals I hire to do
different tasks to bring a book to life.

THE ROCK: How long have you been doing this type of
work?
Shellman: My first title "Love Don't Live
Here" was released in 2005. But I have been writing
since childhood.

THE ROCK: Are you experiencing job fulfillment, and
what type of gratification do you get at the end of
the day?
Shellman: I love what I do. It is very hard work.
But my writing and the stories I will publish from
others are a reflection of who I am as a person. I
care about who we are as humans so this is how I
give back, celebrate and know that it all makes
sense beyond just making a dollar.

THE ROCK: What college(s) did you attend, and what was
your major
Shellman: I did not attend a formal university.
Unfortunately during the time of my life when I
should of been in college I was incarcerrated. But
it was in there that I learned most of what I know
today. I used to read 5-7 books a month and most of
them were non-fiction. I have attended formal
writing classes though. Just recently I attended
Gothams Writing Workshop for screenplaywriting in
Manhattan.

THE ROCK: What are some of your professional
achievements?
Shellman: My first accomplishment would be that I
beat statistics. After spending 7 1/2 years of my
life in and out of prison from the age of 17-28, I
turned my life around. I even managed to find myself
at the age of 32 in a professional job with 18-20
employees under me.

THE ROCK: What are some of your personal achievements?
Shellman: My greatest personal achievement would be
the fact that I continue to educate myself and learn
new things. And its because of this reason that I'm
here today instead of in jail or in a grave.
In 2005, I resigned to form Third Eye
Publishing, Inc and published "Love Don't Live
Here". My second novel "No Love Lost"
releases in mid April. I have signed three authors
to the company. Two of the authors titles release
toward the end of 2007. I have spoke at several high
schools and a few universities about my life and
literature. I've also helped quite a few authors
with their careers.

THE ROCK: What books do you recommend for
self-enhancement?
Shellman: "7 Habits Of Highly Affective People", "The
Laws Of Thinking", "Rich Dad Poor Dad", "Think and
Grow Rich", "Think Big", and "The Baron Son".
I say the following two books because they will teach
about how one has to see themselves in everything
they do. "The Art of War" and "The Prince". Of course
the Bible, the Holy Qu'ran and other religious books
one can find. Health books and magazines as well. It's
not healthy to have a strong mind and be out of shape
physically.

THE ROCK: Who are some of your personal heroes and/or
Shellman: People who've stood up against
oppression, and those who do today. I would not be
able to write about things I do right now.
I would definitely say my mother is a heroine. She
could of had an abortion instead of having me. My
sister Aketa is a hero; she raised two children on
her own and plus has been there for me through
everything. I think I'm one of my greatest heroes
because I was strong and wise enough to realize that I
was going to end up getting killed or spending my life
in a federal penitentiary, if I did not stop living
life to get a fast buck.

THE ROCK: What career goals did you set for yourself?
Shellman: As a writer, my plans are to be consistent
with putting out new titles. As a publisher, my goal
is to create a brand for Third Eye Publishing, Inc.
which stands out from the rest.

Stageplay, screenplay writing, and possibly film
production is the next phase of my career as far as
literature is concerned. I will also enter other
business ventures as well. But right now, my focus is
on my writing and Third Eye Publishing, Inc.

THE ROCK: What were your parents like when it came to
education and choosing a career?
Shellman: I did not grow up with my mother or
father. There are four of us, and I'm the oldest. I
would say when I was around five, our father left. Our
mother had a nervous breakdown and was considered
unfit to raise us by the City of New York; so we
were put into the foster care system.

To make a long story short, my sister Aketa and I
were adopted by a family while my other brother and
sister were adopted by another. As far as education
was concerned in the adoptive home, it was something
which was not talked too much about.

He worked for the telephone company as a large
equipment driver, and she did secretarial work. He
did not graduate high school. She was more educated
than him, but she did not go to college. Even though
I did not care too much for school, I started reading
very early on in life. I would read the local
newspaper everyday, whatever magazines were around,
and books I could get my hand on.

THE ROCK: For an author, is having a publishing
contract with a "traditional publisher" important
professionally? Why?
Shellman: I would say that for most self-publishing or
going the way of a vanity publisher is not the route to go.

For starters, self-publishing although with
technology being as advanced as it is in the process
of making a book has gotten a whole lot easier; but it's
getting the book into the public's hands which is the
very hard part. It takes al ot of knowledge and some
capital to become successful in this area.

Traditional publishers do all the work as far as
packaging the book is concerned... and they pay all
expenses. So all the author has to do is write the
stories and promote the book. There are some in the
industry who frown on self-publishing or those who
utilize vanity publishers. But this is starting to
change. This is especially so in the African
American market where some self-publishers have gone
on to create traditional small publishing houses,
after learning the business from their own works.

But, I will admit that the industry is mostly
controlled by the large traditional publishers, so it
is somewhat of a benefit and easier access to the
book buying market if you are signed by one of them.
One has to weigh the pros and cons. In my case, I
wanted and want the freedom to write about whatever
topics I choose without the redtape. So
self-publishing was the best fit. I've been somewhat
successful at it, but for most this will not be the
case.

THE ROCK: Who are some of your favorite authors?
Shellman: Walter Mosley, Alice Walker, Toni
Morrison, John Grisham, James Patterson, and there
are a few others.

THE ROCK: Where do you want to be in five years?
Shellman: Alive first of all! For starters, a
little more stable(family, kids etc). Right now, I'm
so gun-ho with my career that my social life has
sort of dwindled.

Five years from now Third Eye Publishing, Inc. will
have at least 30-40 titles. I will have penned
at least one stageplay or screenplay. I would like
to see myself involved with some other financial
ventures.

Five years from now, I want to be at the point
financially that if I want to fly to Europe, Africa
or wherever to hang out for the weekend I can do it.

THE ROCK: Well done, Mr.Shellman. Where can readers
find you?
Shellman: Readers can find me at:
http://www.myspace.com/theroneshellman

The company site:
www.thirdeyepublishing.org

My email:
therone-shellman@yahoo.com

THE ROCK: Thanks Mr. Shellman, and best wishes in all
of your future endeavors.

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