Our 2026 Publishing Journeys Grant recipient shares an update on her debut novel, made possible through Gatekeeper Press’s partnership with Black Writers Weekend.
“Becoming a first-time published author has been a dream of mine for a very long time.”
For Milli Dineá, that dream is beginning to take a visible form.
Since receiving the 2026 Publishing Journeys Grant, presented by Gatekeeper Press in partnership with Black Writers Weekend, Milli has been working with our team to bring her debut novel, When We Were Seventeen, toward publication.
In her latest video update, she shares what it has meant to watch her story take shape, particularly through the creative development of her cover. Her excitement offers a personal look at what happens after a grant is awarded: the conversations, collaboration, and decisions that help an author’s vision become a book.
An Opportunity Built Through Partnership
Black Writers Weekend celebrates Black literary creatives and connects emerging voices with opportunities to advance their careers. Gatekeeper Press’s partnership with the organization brings professional publishing support to that community through the Publishing Journeys Grant.
The purpose is practical and personal. An author receives support to move a completed manuscript toward publication while sharing their experience along the way. Other writers get to follow the process through the perspective of someone taking those steps themselves.
For Gatekeeper Press, this partnership reflects a commitment to making professional publishing support more accessible and building relationships with the communities where authors create, connect, and grow.
A Community Helped Choose the Next Chapter
Milli was one of five finalists for this year’s grant. The community was then invited to vote on Instagram, helping select the author who would receive publishing support.
Readers, fellow writers, friends, and supporters had an opportunity to participate in the journey before the winning book reached publication. Milli emerged as this year’s recipient with When We Were Seventeen.
Now, the people who supported her can follow what comes next.
That continuity is central to Publishing Journeys. Sharing the work after the announcement allows the community to see how an opportunity develops into a publishing experience, with an author’s own perspective guiding the story.
Meet Milli Dineá
Alongside her writing, Milli identifies herself as a college student and member of the Tennessee Army National Guard. She is also preparing to become a published novelist for the first time.
In her video update, she speaks openly about how much this milestone means to her. Becoming an author has been a long-held ambition, and the experience of moving closer to publication still feels surreal.
Her anticipation is focused on the story itself, too. She is eager for readers to meet the characters she has created and enter the world of When We Were Seventeen.
Inside When We Were Seventeen
Set in 1995, Milli’s young adult coming-of-age novel follows Mia Buchanan and Pierre Baptiste as they navigate young love, family expectations, and the uncertainty of growing up.
Seventeen-year-old Mia has a clear picture of her future. A gifted student and talented track athlete, she dreams of attending Howard University and becoming a doctor. She has always imagined Pierre, her best friend and first love, beside her.
Pierre’s future is less certain. As his choices pull him toward a dangerous life, Mia faces the possibility that loving him may not be enough to save him, and that trying could put her own ambitions at risk.
When Mia is sent from Philadelphia to Savannah for the summer, the distance opens her life to new friendships, family secrets, faith, and unexpected possibilities.
At its heart, When We Were Seventeen explores a difficult question: how do you care deeply for someone while learning to protect the person you are becoming?
Seeing the Story Take Shape
For this update, the cover provides a tangible glimpse of Milli’s progress.
Handwritten notes, cassette tapes, photographs, and a bus ticket from Philadelphia to Savannah introduce the novel’s nostalgic world. Mia and Pierre appear together in a photograph, placing their relationship among the objects and memories that surround the story.
The design connects the book’s setting with its emotional stakes. It gives future readers an introduction to the world Milli describes while giving her a chance to see her ideas interpreted visually.
“Working with the Gatekeeper Press team on the creative development of my cover has been such a wonderful experience,” she shares.
She adds, “Seeing the visions I had in my head and seeing this novel come to life has been incredibly special.”
Those reflections capture the significance of this stage. A story that has existed in an author’s imagination and manuscript begins to have a presence she can share with others.
What This Means to Gatekeeper Press
The grant announcement marked the beginning of our work with Milli. Each stage that follows gives our team an opportunity to listen to her vision, offer professional guidance, and collaborate on the book she wants to create.
That is what makes this update meaningful to us.
Through our partnership with Black Writers Weekend, we have the privilege of supporting an emerging author and sharing her progress with the community that helped select her. Milli’s experience brings a human perspective to the publishing process, including the excitement of seeing a cover develop and the anticipation of introducing characters to readers.
We are grateful to Milli for sharing this part of her journey, to Black Writers Weekend for the partnership, and to everyone who participated in the community vote.
When We Were Seventeen is moving toward publication. For now, we are celebrating this milestone with its author and looking forward to sharing more as her journey continues.
Follow Milli’s Publishing Journey
Watch Milli’s video update for a first look at the cover of When We Were Seventeen and hear what this milestone means to her.
Follow Publishing Journeys on Substack for more author stories and updates from the Gatekeeper Press Family.
Have a publishing dream of your own? Explore Gatekeeper Press to discover how professional guidance and creative collaboration can help you bring your book to life.
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