Q1. Why did you call your company Sister Outsider?

Sister Outsider is the title of a collection of essays and speeches written by one of our heroines Audre Lorde. In her own words, she was a "black lesbian, mother, warrior, poet." But she was also an activist who used the power of art to challenge the "isms" and promote a more just society. Audre once wrote, "Poetry is not a luxury." We believe that literature, film, theatre and other popular media can inspire and provoke as well as entertain so we named our company Sister Outsider to honor the legacy that precedes us.

Q2. Do you accept submissions?

While in the future we hope to be able to produce or publish the work of others who share our vision, we are unable to do so now.

Q3. Will you read my screenplay/novel/play and give me feedback?

Sister Outsider only provides such consultations to established corporate entities that have contracted us to work on specific projects. For both your protection and ours, we cannot read the work of other screenwriters and playwrights. We suggest that you join or form a writers' critique group or enroll in a reputable course or workshop. If you are a novelist seeking editorial advice, we suggest you do the same. We also wholeheartedly recommend the services of editrix extraordinaire Marcela Landres.

Q4. How did you find your agent?

Networking. Sofia's current agent is the third one she met. The first was a friend of a friend of friend. Seriously. This agent did not represent the kind of work that Sofia did (many agents develop specialties), but she believed in her writing so she recommended her to a more appropriate representative. That agent went on to broker several deals for her, and when she was looking to expand her clientele, Sofia recommended Elisha. When this agent decided to become an editor (her first acquisition being Elisha's young adult novel), she referred Sofia and Elisha to the wonderful agent they have now.

So to be a working writer, you have to do more than ply your trade and work on your craft (although that is going to make the difference between being a one-hit wonder and having a career.) You have to break away from the computer and close the degrees of separation. Look for a fit (imagine if Sofia had become a pest and hounded that first agent to represent her even though she had vastly different interests!) Turn rejections into insight.

And if push comes to shove, put yourself on! We always say that if you don't believe enough in your talent that you wouldn't publish or produce your own work, stop wasting your time and find another profession. If you know this very moment that if you don't score a record deal, publishing contract, etc. you would quit the game, save yourself the heartache and quit today. You can have all the talent in the world, but you won't get anywhere without hustle. Hell, some immensely successful people. . . well, never mind.

Q5. How do you feel about the state of Latino cinema today?

We can't say that with wonderful films like Maria Full of Grace, Raising Victor Vargas and Girlfight, there has been no progress. We'll be happier, however, when two things have occurred. One, that the mainstream industry will follow the lead set by independent sector. Two, that those with the resources to support the production of quality Latino films will invest in Latino talent behind the camera. See, we're not mad at the Joshua Marstons, Peter Sollets or Karyn Kusamas for making films about Latinos that depict us in all our human complexity (hell, some of our folks have been trafficking in some stereotypical fare lately. We're not naming names. You know who they are.) But we do wonder why Latino writers and directors who went to make similar films continue to struggle find the resources and opportunities to tell our own stories.