Omar Tyree - Q&A 2008 Agenda
As interviewed by Candace @ EnvisionPR.com

#1) - Candace - Okay Omar, let's start from the beginning to give our readers a little background on you? When you were a teenager, what did you want to be when you became an adult?
Omar - Yeah, you're going back to the beginning. Well, the truth is the truth, and I always wanted to be a professional football player and a business owner. Those two things were very consistent.

#2) - Candace - Upon reaching college, when did the transition begin into your writing interests, and why did you choose to release these types of books?
Omar - My transition into writing became immediate in my freshman year at the University of Pittsburgh, because I found out that I was good at it. Football, at the college level, became a very obvious political battle that a lot of hopeful student athletes were losing. So I made the transition with intelligence, and I began to write books about contemporary urban America issues because there was a need for it in our community.

#3) - Candace - We all know that you were at the forefront of the books being written in that genre. How challenging was it to branch off as an African-American male writer, and writing for your audience?
Omar - Well, when I first started publishing my books in 1992, I didn't care what audience I had as long as someone was willing to buy them. I was in business, and the business had to make capital. But as I became an established author, it really started to bother me that men refused to read fiction. And I've been bothered by that reality for more than a decade now.

#4) - Candace - How did you counter these challenges and progress as an author?
Omar - It's still an ongoing process. That's why I'm getting into the children's book department now with my Mr. Creative titles, and the Urban Literacy Project as a non-profit. These are the ways in which I plan to get urban boys reading early and often, so that by the time they become adults, they have no problem with picking up a book, even if it's fictional.

#5) - Candace - What kind of response did your first book get?
Omar - I had a friend, John L. Johnson Jr.,  who worked at the newspapers at Howard University with me, and he called my first book, Colored, On White Campus, didactic, which means that it had an obvious lesson involved. So it was very clear from day one that I had goals to say something and not just to entertain people with what I wrote.

#6) - Candace - Now that you are an established, NY Times best-selling author, how do you feel that you've grown over the years, and what do you attribute to this growth?
Omar - Actually, I've created quite a name for myself now, so it's time to parlay that name into other businesses that works for me. I kind of look at my earlier writing career as playing pro ball, where I have a recognizable name, and it's now time to make it work like retired athletes do. So I look at Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan, and many other athletes, who have all turned their names into brands after sports. I tell myself, "Omar, it's time for you to do that now too."

#7) - Candace - What impact do you feel that your books have on your community and readers?
Omar - The living legend and author, Walter Mosley, told me that we will all have to wait and see over the next twenty to forty years how our books have impacted the community. There are just too many books still coming out right now. But I did get a whole lot of new urban readers into the book stores and excited about reading contemporary novels. That much I can say right now.

#8) - Candace - Now let's get to your current 2008 projects and initiatives. And it looks like you have quite a few? But let's start with the three books that you have coming out this year.
Omar - Yeah, I got crazy busy this winter. So now I have my first children's book title, 12 Brown Boys, coming out this fall from Just Us Books out of New Jersey. I have my first business-related non-fiction book, The Equation, about all of the components of successful business coming out from John Wiley & Sons in the fall as well. And I have my latest Simon & Schuster fiction title, Pecking Order, coming out this summer. That book is about the making of a multi-million dollar man in southern California. So I am definitely putting my efforts where my mouth is, and that's in exploring new business opportunities and getting more kids to enjoy reading.

#9) - Candace - Explain a little bit more about your philanthropic initiatives, and why they are so important to you, given your platform?
Omar - With the Urban Literacy Project, I was told years ago that even if you gave books away to men and boys in our community, that they still wouldn't want to read them. And when I first shopped my children's book idea four and five years ago, publishers were only concerned with figuring out how they would be able to make a profit from such books based on urban boys who have not been a part of the publishing agenda. So my uncle and long-time web master, Joseph McLaurin, told me, "Look, if no one cares about the literacy rate of urban boys, then maybe you need to set up a non-profit, where folks who want to help along the process of inspiring more boys to read can help you and benefit their businesses at the same time." So not only will I now use the ULP to give books away for urban boy reading programs, but I will also bring in other writers to speak to them about what we do, and why knowing how to read and write will always be important, whether they like to do it or not.

#10) - Candace - What about the film projects based on your books? Are there any updates on that? When can we expect to see anything in the theaters?
Omar - Soon. Very soon. We're working on that very diligently as we speak. But the thing I've learned about making major films is that it's not a one shot deal. Which means; you don't sign a contract, get the money and join the team to make the film. And I wish it could be that simple. But movie making is about having a thousand meetings trying to make sure everyone is on board and all of the pieces are in place to write, produce, cast, direct, pitch, market, screen, and sell the film, all with other people's money. And that's the hardest part. Many investors are simply unfamiliar with the process. So it takes a lot of energy to keep at it until you've raised the finances, wrapped the film, and you've made money from it. Then you can do it again with more confidence from your investors. But right now, it's all about having the patience and fortitude to convince folks to back the franchise.

#11) - Candace - You also have the Flyy Girl magazine and clothing line?
Omar - Flyy Girl has been a strong national brand for years now, with over three million readers. So, a few years ago, I began to pull together the logo and franchise ideas. And while we're working patiently to pull together the film projects, I'm definitely ready to get back in bed with the creation that brought me here. So expect to see the clothing, the accessories, and the logo on trendsetting sisters near you, starting this spring. And the magazine will be coming back out on a national level shortly.

#12) - Candace - Well, it sounds like you'll be extremely busy this year. Are you getting involved in the vitamin water endorsements? It looks like you're gonna need the extra energy.
Omar - Yeah, let me call up 50 Cent and see what we can work out. I even saw Shaq in a vitamin water commercial for the SuperBowl. But that's part of my program for this year. I have to get out there and give the people more of my face and personality time. I've been so busy writing book after book over the years, that I haven't really allowed myself a chance to ah, experience my success. So this year I want to be able to sit down and meet and greet a lot more than I have in the past. And that's all a part of business. People have to get to know who you are outside of your projects.

#13) - Candace - Speaking about business and getting to know people, you're now setting up an annual Respect Your Wealth Tour to discuss the money issues of the urban American community. Now how did you come up with the idea to do that?
Omar - Well, I had successful event in Philadelphia during my book tour last summer, where UrbanPhilly.com were able to charge a fee to hear me speak about The Equation to the business community. So that got me to thinking about how to organize an event where it was not just me, but other successful business people, artists, athletes, and entertainers to discuss what they've learned about success and money. And once the Michael Vick and T.I. situations went down at the end of last summer, where they both put their careers and millions of dollars in jeopardy, I just figured that it would be timely and beneficial for all of us to start discussions on how best to protect, respect and more importantly, how to build and create more our opportunities to acquire wealth. And each year, depending on who's hot in the moment, I can invite new people to the discussions.

#14) - Candace - Well, that's a great idea.
Omar - Thank you. Now we have to go about executing it accordingly.

#15) - Candace - In your closing comments, what message do want to leave our readers with today?
Omar - Life is a long journey. And if I figure that I've already lived half of it at age thirty-nine, then what do I do for the next thirty-nine years? So, I'm just trying to stay busy doing progressive things for the time that I have on earth. But what are you trying to do with your time? That's something that we all need to think about when we're sitting around doing nothing.