#CreatorStories showcases the honest personal experiences of digital creators who monetize their knowledge of a skill and sell it on Selar. We share these stories every week to inspire you to create and sell a product out of your wealth of knowledge and be a part of the digital creator economy.

This week, we turn the lights on comfort Omovre, popularly known as Phoenix Blvck online. Comfort works as a Creative Storyteller, Ghostwriter, and Community Manager. 

Let’s get to know her, shall we?

Can we meet Phoenix Blvck?

My name is Comfort Omovre. I like to call myself the community manager of Phoenix Blvck. Phoenix Blvck is an online community of like minds who are interested in well-being and fostering healthy relationships. I’m 25 years old and I’m from Delta state. I’m a graduate of Child Development and Family relations from OAU, Ife. I’m a creative ghostwriter, counselor, and podcast host. The name of my podcast is “Leaving and Healing.” It’s a podcast about abusive relationships; being able to recognize abuse in a relationship, finding the strength to walk away, and starting your journey to healing. 

What was your career journey like before becoming a creative writer?

I have been writing creative stories since I was eight. My young mind came up with stories like “Uche was going to the river, Uche hit the stone and fell down”(laughs). I grew up watching my sister write books, so I loved reading her books and other novels that they (my siblings) would bring to the house.

When I was in Junior secondary school, I started writing school plays during events. I also wrote school dramas, directed them, and even partook in them. When I got to senior secondary school, I was in a class with other creatives.

However, at the time, “Creatives” wasn’t a thing, we just knew that we all loved writing. We supported each other by exchanging our works to be read and getting feedback afterward. It was during that period that I also started writing full-length novels. I stopped writing three years after graduating from secondary school. I figured that there was no point especially when I wouldn’t publish the books and I wasn’t even making money from it.

During this time, I started my pre-degree in OAU. I also started a side hustle that I could use to sustain myself in school. I remember working as an office assistant, sales personnel, teacher, and event planner. 

I used to cook, especially during exam periods. I cooked liters of soup and sold them to students who were not able to cook. At some point, I started making tote bags. I did so many things to make money.

In 200 level, I picked up writing again. I began posting short stories and poetry on my WhatsApp status, then one day, someone sent me a message saying I could make money from writing. He said I could write for his company and be paid for every article I wrote. That was how my professional writing career started. I was 20 years old and in 200 level. I started writing articles and ghostwriting stories for people. I made the transition from writing articles to story writing in April 2018 and have been a professional ghostwriter since then.

So you write novel kinds of stories?

Yes, I write for publishing companies abroad. I write for the likes of Harlequin, Silhouette, and Starfall Publications. I can’t come out and say that I write these stories because I am a ghostwriter. I write historical romance and contemporary romance novels. They publish the book with whomever they wish to be the author. Most times, I don’t get to know the title of the books. But out of curiosity, I go to Amazon to check for their names because the companies usually ask me to suggest titles for the books. If I find any, I take screenshots of them and go ahead to read the reviews and comments.

Do you have any digital products on sale? 

Yes. I am presently selling a Content Writing class. It is a class for elite writers who want to become masters of their craft. It is basically to teach them how to build their platforms, an online community, and to create content that converts while establishing brand authority.

What made you decide to create a digital product? 

I started building my brand online last year. The main reason I started was to prove something to myself and then apart from that, I wanted to build an online community that would be my primary audience when I start to sell my books. I have been writing for so many people for so long now and I felt like it was time for me to finally be my own author.

I figured that it would be nice to build an online community that would want to read my books when I release them. So, I started building my online brand (Phoenix Blvck). The plan was to have 10k followers by the end of this year, but the brand and God obviously had other plans.

My brand kept on growing and I took my time to watch other creators and learn from them. I used to influence on Twitter, so I knew about the influencer marketing part of owning an online brand and a cohesive online community. But being on Instagram and watching other creators do their thing exposed me to a whole new world of digital products.

I remember the first digital product I bought was Salem’s product. By watching people launch courses, training, and all, I realized that it was another source of income. So I didn’t have to rely on just Influencer marketing or the books I was going to publish in the future.

I have learned a lot on this journey so I can start teaching people what I have learned, also bring in my other areas of expertise, and just keep creating digital products that people would love and would not hesitate to buy. 

This was what birthed the creative startup class I had in August. The first class was in June and had 30 participants. I deliberately fixed it at 30 because I wanted to use the class as an avenue to test my strength as a digital teacher and also get feedback from my audience before scaling up.

The class went well and I was proud of the outcome. 

Was that your first digital product?

Yes, it was. 

When did you earn your first money (commission) from creating and selling digital products?

It was in June. I sold the ticket to the class for #2500, and I had 30 participants. I wanted it to be subsidized so that people could afford it and it was also my way of giving back. 30 people paid, and I made 70,000 Naira from the class. I enjoyed the feeling of having to chill at home while money entered my account. It was very nice and of course, I liked it (laughs). 

What is your sales strategy that other digital creators can employ for their digital products?

I am very new to the business aspect of creating. For a very long time, I shied away from doing business because I don’t know how to squeeze money out of people’s hands, instead, I want to be the one giving them. The business aspect of creating is something I still struggle with, something I am still trying to figure out.

So, I wouldn’t say that I have become an expert in that field. But one thing that has really worked for me when selling digital products is storytelling. People want to hear a believable story that would prompt them to commit financially. People want to be inspired by your story and believe that the way things worked out for you is the same way things can work out for them if they learn from you, study your process, and follow in your footsteps. Storytelling is not a new thing but it is something that more and more creators should use when they want to sell their digital products. 

Would you say you leveraged the power of community to make sales as a digital creator?

Yes, absolutely. Whenever I do something with my page, or launch a new product, the love I receive is overwhelming. You’d see people who repost and invite their other friends to come and buy.

But then, even as I am amazed by the love and support, I understand that the only reason I have reaped this benefit is that I support them too. I’m willing to reshare their posts and let more people know about their content. That’s an integral part of community building.

Offering value, pouring into your people, and letting them know that they matter. When you do this, and it’s your turn to launch a product, they are ever ready to support you.

What does storytelling mean to you?

Storytelling is taking people on a journey. I like to take people on a journey with my pieces and make them feel like they are in that descriptive moment. I like to make them feel like they are experiencing that scenario firsthand, and at the end of it, I want them to feel amazed. So I’d say it’s taking people on a journey to drive home a message. 

Would you say writing was a talent or a skill you learned?

I’d say it was a talent that I had to hone into a skill. For a very long time, I didn’t take writing classes. In fact, I only started taking writing classes last year. I took these classes because I wanted to learn how to teach how to write. And in learning how to teach writing, I’ve become an even better writer. Also, I believe that talent is good, but if you don’t work on improving it, the person who learned and acquired that talent as a skill will surpass you. It’s not just enough that you are talented, you have to keep improving to remain at the top of your game.

What’s your writing process that helps you come up with relatable stories?

My motivation. Before I start to write, I always ask myself what my motivation is for writing that piece and what I want my audience to know and feel after reading it. Then I research what I want to talk about and write it in a way that my audience can easily understand. I try to do away with big grammar that doesn’t serve the story. I also like to keep my stories concise. I ensure every sentence has a purpose. So I try to keep my writing as straightforward and neat as possible.

I also try to introduce some elements to keep readers engaged from beginning to end. It could be a slang, or inserting a clever literary sentence that just clicks. It could also be making funny exaggerations just to make them laugh. But it also depends on the tone I want for the piece. Do I want my audience to see it as a funny piece or one that causes them to reflect and see the need to make an active change in their life? Knowing this will determine the kind of slang to add.

I also take note of my punctuation. Bad punctuation ruins the story and the experience of the reader. So I ensure I use all my pronunciations correctly. When I’m done writing, I edit and proofread to ensure there are no mistakes. That’s my process.

What has your years of experience in writing taught you?

I’ve learned that you are never going to be the best writer. You have to keep learning how to better your writing. The moment you think you’ve mastered writing, you’re setting yourself up for failure. I never delude myself into thinking that I have mastered writing to the point where I do not have to learn.

I believe there’s so much I have to do. There’s always somebody out there that’s always going to be a better writer than you and that’s not a bad thing. You can learn from that person and become better than them. I also bear in mind that in as much as my writing has to keep improving, I don’t let imposter syndrome or the feeling of inadequacy make me feel like my writing is bad. I believe I’m a really good writer whilst still believing that I can always be better. 

Aside from showing us what being a badass creative writer looks like, what else do you do? 

I offer consultation sessions to vendors and creators alike, as well as offer counseling sessions to members of my community who reach out to me. Of course, I use Selar as my payment platform for those sessions. I also host a podcast called “Leaving and healing.” That’s all for now. I’m just trying to take things slow with building Phoenix Blvck and the rest.

What advice would you give to digital creators in Africa who are inspired by you?

Be consistent, don’t feel discouraged because you are putting in the work and are not getting results. I often tell people that up until April, I just had 4K followers on IG and then I got featured on Diary of a Naija girl’s page and things just kicked off for me from there.

Even today, when people come to my page, some will read the pieces that I posted last year and be so glad that they came across my page. The work you’re putting out right now isn’t just for this moment, it’s for the future. So keep putting in the work. Don’t just show up one day and disappear.

Consistency is not showing up every day. It’s showing up whenever you said you’d show up. Pour into your community and be valuable. Reach out to people in your niche and other niches and create meaningful connections. Don’t be in too much of a hurry to make money and sell. Always be willing to first serve then learn. 

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