Meet Jodi Zeramby

We recently connected with Jodi Zeramby and have shared our conversation below.

Jodi, first a big thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and insights with us today. I’m sure many of our readers will benefit from your wisdom, and one of the areas where we think your insight might be most helpful is related to imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is holding so many people back from reaching their true and highest potential and so we’d love to hear about your journey and how you overcame imposter syndrome.
Since I was a latch-key, neglected little girl, I watched others. I watched people interact: I watched them succeed, I watched them fail, I watched them coast along and try hard, and use others and assert themselves. I watched the strong and the weak, the leaders and the followers. And I learned. I learned about human nature. I learned about compassion and ruthlessness. About how the world owes no one anything. I learned not only how to survive but how to thrive.

I didn’t learn only by studying others. I also read. As I matured, I lost myself in books about other places, other lives, other outcomes. I learned about the rich, the adventurous, and the free. Free from poverty. Free from abuse. Free from drugs and guns and hunger. I used that knowledge—of people, of opportunities—to break away from my humble beginnings and improve my life. I learned how to use words effectively, and whenever I wondered whether I was good enough, I reminded myself that others had walked the path I was traveling. Others had started out as writers, become published, and honed their crafts until they could say with authority that they were experts in their fields. I’m not reinventing the wheel. I use the lessons I’ve learned through my education, my experiences, and my observations. I know how to find the information I need and synthesize it. I know my origin story and how I pursued my goals to get here.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Over the last thirty years, I’ve reinvented myself several times. I am the owner and publisher of two imprints: Launch Point Press (LPP), which I took over in January 2023, and Desert Palm Press (DPP), which I took over in January 2025. In some ways, it seems I’ve trained all my life to become a publisher. I graduated from Boston University, earning two degrees—English and Education—simultaneously with honors. I taught English for a decade to inner-city, underprivileged middle school and high school students, giving back to my hometown and the school system that helped me. During my years of teaching, I encouraged countless students to explore their artistic sides and express themselves through their writing.

While teaching English in the public schools, I attended Suffolk University Law School at night and worked at a law firm in my “spare” time. Law school drove the creativity out of me, but as time passed, my artistic instincts reasserted themselves. After moving to Arizona with my wife—we traded the snow for the sun—I taught real estate law to real estate professionals for over a decade, and during that time, I became a published author.

My writing has evolved through poetry, short stories, fanfiction under the name Jazwriter, and novels. Each project has taught me how to integrate what I’ve observed. I’ve warned loved ones that anything they say or do may show up in my next novel. Lee Fitzsimmons, the former publisher of DPP, gave me the chance to become a published author in 2015. She was already familiar with my writing after reading several of my fanfiction stories. In fact, under my pen name Jazzy Mitchell, DPP published five of my books and a short story called “Scheduling Happiness” that I contributed to a DPP-produced anthology called <i>Tales Under the Desert Palm</i>. My five books are <i>Lost Treasures</i>, <i>Musings of a Madwoman</i>, <i>You Matter</i>, <i>Undertow</i>, and <i>Leveling Up</i>. The only reason I left DPP was to become the publisher of LPP. My books are available through all the usual book platforms for eBook and paperbacks, as well as at the launchpointpress.com website.

Since 2022 I’ve interviewed authors across the lesfic community and championed other writers. My goal is to support and lift up others. I’m currently the executive board vice president for OPUS Literary Alliance, a non-profit organization that focuses on advancing literary and educational opportunities for members; preserving their legacies; and celebrating, promoting, and supporting lesbian, women-loving-women, and sapphic literature. It is my absolute pleasure to provide opportunities and support to the lesbian writing community.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
One of my best skills is my ability to multitask. Since my childhood years, I’ve always had the ability to juggle several responsibilities simultaneously. I learned how to switch from one obligation to the next without wasting time. I still use that ability today as I navigate running two publishing houses. To aid myself with keeping track of my various obligations, I create lists. I am a list fiend. I create them at the end of the day, and they help me keep on task.

Another skill I’ve cultivated is a mastery of the English language. I am fascinated by the challenge of putting words together to evoke a mood, a reaction, or a visualization the reader hasn’t experienced before. To do that effectively, though, it’s important to know how to punctuate, capitalize, spell, and choose the best words to create the best sentences that make up the perfect paragraphs—all building up to the best story. I continue to review writing materials and attend classes to keep my knowledge updated and to learn more.

The third skill is more of a quality—I’m hardworking. That’s a positive way of stating that I’m always working. I’m a practicing attorney, a publisher for two presses, a writer, a senior loan auditor, an instructor, an executive board member for a non-profit, a small business owner (separate from the publishing houses), a mother…gosh, I’m getting tired listing some (not all) of my responsibilities. And I take each role seriously.

My advice for those who are early in their writing careers is to keep trying to improve. No one is perfect. Everyone can learn more. During editing rounds, put aside the ego to really look at the constructive criticism. Learn from your editors. Learn from panelists and presenters and other writers. Keep learning.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking to collaborate with writers, publishing houses, and organizations that seek to champion lesbian women-loving-women, and sapphic literature. Ours is a small, often overlooked niche, and we need to help each other. It still confounds me when others within our community try to undercut those they view as competitors. I want to support those within these communities and provide them with opportunities to connect, grow, and enrich their lives. I can be reached at [email protected].

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