Nayia Moysidis

Bio:

CEO and Founder of Writer's BloQ, Inc. Writer, Life Coach, Entrepreneur, Adventure Capitalist. I live in New York City; graduated from Columbia but haven't left the Upper West Side. I love meeting new people and creative brainstorming. I understand languages I don't speak, but maybe that's just because I don't speak them. Oh, and I have a ridiculously strong affection for watermelon.

• Title: CEO and Founder of Writer's BloQ, Inc.
• Age: 22
• Location: Upper West Side
• Contact: nayiaisms.com, @NAYIAisms, about.me

Back in September you wrote on the Hack/Hackers Meetup board that the aim of your company, WB, Inc. is to reduce the barriers to entry for new writers in the publishing industry.  Can you talk a bit about how your product and how you plan to disrupt this industry with your platform?

I graduated with a degree in Creative Writing from Columbia. During my four years there, I wrote a book and attempted to publish it by composing 93 individualized query letters to agents, publishers, and editors. I received 34 responses, 30 of which were uniform rejection letters. Naturally, this was deeply frustrating. When I spoke to my professors – many of whom are my mentors – all of whom are phenomenal, known writers now, they reassured me. They said that it took them many years to break into the industry and that's just the way publishing goes. I didn't take that well. I spoke with hundreds of writers, went to work for a publishing house, researched the industry, and developed a solution.

Writer's BloQ, Inc. is a platform created for the writer by the writer. We aim to reduce barriers to entry in the publishing industry for new writers and create a marketing solution for established authors. In the long-run, we hope to create a platform where all members of the literary community can pursue their individual literary goals. Check us out!

You mention that you haven’t left the Upper West Side.  What’s your favorite place to have a meeting in that area? 

Le Pain Quotidien on 91st. I'm a bit of a cheese addict.

You recently wrote a post titled Lonelieness loves company, where you say that entrepreneurs should counteract solitude by surrounding themselves with positive people and entrepreneurs that get it.  Is everything that you said in your post based on personal experience?  How did you go about finding the people that you should be surrounding yourself with?

Even in a fiction piece, there is always some personal truth. As grown-ups, our natural instinct is to doubt others. We've lost the most important thing from our childhoods: hope. Most people believe that it is safer to be cynical than hopeful; that way, if failure comes, it hurts less. But this cannot be the attitude of an entrepreneur.  No one will believe in you if you don't believe in yourself.

The New York tech scene is buzzing with events where you can meet entrepreneurs, tech whizzes, and everyone in between. Not all of these people will be a good fit for you - some might not believe in you at all. It's important to remember not to be pulled into the shade of doubt. We must seek others who are just as crazy and foolishly optimistic as we are, in order to shine down on ourselves with positive light. If you give off positive vibes, you will attract the same. If you believe unconditionally in the things you aim to accomplish, people will believe unconditionally in you.