Burned by her experience with the publisher, Al-Khouli offers aspiring authors some sound advice – research, research, research and lastly, more research. “Also, talk to book store owners and try to get commitments on wholesale orders in advance, especially if you are self-publishing,” she says.

Now, left with all the books to sell on her own, Dania is reaching out like never before, attending any open-mics she can find and asking people from the community to host an evening of poetry.

“With all the troubles I had to and am going through, I still smile when I see the book with the beautiful cover and my name on it. It makes you feel good to see your accomplishment compiled up in something official,” she says.

Although wearing your heart on your sleeve is not an easy feat, writing from the heart without feeling ashamed is a common challenge many writers face.

“Innocently Pink and Searching has to be my favorite poem,” Al-Khouli says. “And that’s kind of what I was missing back when I wrote it — the confidence to feel what I wanted to without being ashamed.”

With all the tribulations faced, Al-Khouli has not given up hope and continues steadfast on her dream of making it into Barnes and Noble.

For now, Al-Khouli’s book can be purchased directly by contacting her directly at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .