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     Dakota First Time Poster Username: Dakota Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
I read about author Millenia Black cancelling a Florida booksigning because the bookstore owner sent her an enail asking her if she was black. I found it at: http://www.thebacklist.blogspot.com Do you think she made the right decision. On the Back List blog, this incident opened up a discussion about AA authors and the struggles we face. In my blog, I posed the question: Do I want to be known as an AA author. I really do think its time for a good discussion on the topic. From my blog: Do I want to be known as an African American Writer? Part I I read the most recent entry from one of my favorite blogs: The BackList. Felicia, the blogger, wrote about an author who cancelled a book-signing after the owner of a bookstore emailed her to ask her if she was black. A discussion ensued about the author and eventually about the pitfalls of being an African American writer. AA writers want the same thing almost every writer wants: To become a bestselling author with legions of fans. There are some who enjoy the craft and just want to make a living doing what they love. There are some that just want to get their stories out there. I'm one of those people who believe that everyone has a story in them (some more than others). Every couple of months, I read or hear a story about an AA author who is mad about their books being placed in the AA section. These authors want to be mainstream, and they believe that their blackness is hurting their chances at success. "I want to be in the mainstream section," these authors say. "I want my book to be with all the other books." I understand their position, but I also believe their concerns are in someways misplaced. In fact, I believe that AA authors have a unique opportunity to become successful authors because we do, in fact, belong to a niche market. Believe me, there are white authors out there that would kill to have the sales numbers of some of their black counterparts. But I can't help but pose the question: Do I want to be known as a African-American author? The answer is a resounding yes!!! As someone who has been involved with literature for some time, I've tried to understand the publishing world. Right now, publishers are only interested in one thing - the bottom line. If your book doesn't have potential, it doesn't stand a chance. Publishers are looking for the next big thing or focusing their efforts on proven authors. This mentality doesn't give many authors a chance at success, no matter the race. What AA authors have to understand is that they are a part of an emerging market. Not so long ago, if your name wasn't Toni or Maya, you weren't getting published by the big houses. Of course, Terri McMillian changed the game, and many authors tried to duplicate her success. Some came close, but many have failed. AA Literature is, in fact, a separate genre. The truth is that it has a separate set of rules and a separate set of readers that are different from the mainstream market. Publishers are only now beginning to make attempts to understand the AA market and what makes AA fiction successful. Unfortunately, we authors have to bear the brunt of this "experiment." It seems that a lot of AA authors have to self-publish and sell a certain number of copies before a publisher will consider them. I used to think this was wrong, but then I started reading about white authors who had the same experience. Then I understood. It all goes back to the bottom line. If an AA author is out there busting his butt to sell 10,000 copies through aggressive marketing and promotion, surely this author will do the same once he is picked up by a major publishing house. At least, that is what the publisher thinks. Since the publisher doesn't yet understand the market, it thinks that the author does, and it hopes to utilize the author and his experience to make money. Most of the time, the author is thinking, "I'm busting my butt to sell all these copies so I can get that elusive six-fugure advance and the publisher can take care of everything after that." The hard truth is, it doesn't work that way. If you study the AA literature market, or any market for that matter, you'll discover that the key to success is an innovative marketing and promotion plan that will boost sales and name recognition. So the key is marketing. And why should an AA author seriously consider using their race as a plus to achieve success? More on that in Part II. Would love to hear comments on this subject. | ||
| Dakota Newbie Poster Username: Dakota Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
Oh, and my blog is: http://www.dakotaknight.blogspot.com | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 4232 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
I found what you had to say on this subject very interesting, very informative and very pertinent, Dakota, which means I agree with you. IMO, however, although AA authors think they have the option as to how they are labeled, they don't. As far as FICTION goes, it's fairly simple; if you are a black person writing books about black people that black people are going to buy, then you're a black author. Is this a sitgma? As long as a book sells what's the big deal? I realize that writers want to share themselves and their stories with the world, but this is a "bidness" and unless a book is sensationalistic or by Maya or Toni or Teri, then white readers are not going to rush out and buy black books. And many black customers appreciate having an exclusively black section in franchise book stores. Of course the argument can be made that if black books are released into mainstream pool, white browsers may pick them up and purchase if interested but that doesn't change the race of the author. Not wanting to be labled a black author is just another example of the ambiguity of being black. | ||
| Emanuel "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Emanuel Post Number: 165 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: N/A |
Hell yeah I want to be known as black author! I'm proud to be black. I write for a black audience. I believe AA fiction will become the mainstream just like hip hop is the mainstream now even though it was orginally created for a black audience by black people. I have black people on the cover of my novel. The subtitle of my first book is Confessions of a Corporate Negro. Is that black enough for you? Too many black people before me had to struggle in order for me to be able to do the things I can do now to try to hide my blackness. What's great about being a black author is that we have avenues that a lot of other authors don't have to gain exposure, like this site, Rawsistaz.com, TheGritsbookClub.com, Book-remarks.com, etc. etc. Then people on the streets will support you when you hit those barbershops, beauty salons and even the church. It was ignorant for the bookstore manager to ask the author if she is black. It would have been more pertinent to ask how the book is published and distributed as well as what the author is doing to promote the signing and the book itself. I would ask why it matters before up and cancelling a signing. Let's face it, authors and bookstore owners need each other but bookstore owners have the advantage because there are far fewer of them than there are of us. So I would try to keep the relationship as smooth and as professional as possible. Being a self-published author, I make a lot more money if I get my books printed and have a signing at coffee shop or the library instead of the bookstore because I don't have to split the profits. There's more risk involved that way versus simply telling the bookstore manager to purchase the books through the distributors though. Like they say though, nothing ventured, nothing gained. Anywho, like my man said in the movie CB4: I'm black ya'll I'm black ya'll I'm blickity black I'm black ya'll | ||
| Msprissy Newbie Poster Username: Msprissy Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
Dakota, my comments on: Do I want to be known as an African American Writer? Part I I can make this short or write you a short, short story...which is my usual MO. I think I'll make it short. The answer to your question is no, I don't want to be known only as an African American author. I'm an author and will venture into any territory that my passion leads me. I don't like the idea of being defined as an African American writer, which in some people's mind invoke pictures of urban lit. Just look at all the black bodies on book store shelves and tables. They scream Black. I've been in book stores (often) and watched whites, and some AAs, browse the Urban Lit tables and keep moving on to the shelves of many books. I want to be considered as a writer, period. And I want my book to be found beside white authors' work. I know there's an argument going on about this issue right now. I'm a rebel about these matters. We (AA writers) have started to build a niche, but will we benefit from limiting our sales to AAs only? When you look at the percentage of AA readers to the over-all readership, it's just a drop in the bucket. I don't have those figures, but sure they're out there. This IS my short answer. LOL Ms Prissy. | ||
| Dakota Newbie Poster Username: Dakota Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
Msprissy: Although I plan to write more about this later, I will say this, the key is marketing. If you want white people to read your book, then market to them. Are you sending your information to white book clubs? Are you studying how publishers market to white and mainstream audiences? I think a lot of AA writers make the mistake of believing that the book buying public is going to pick up their book just because it's among the other masses, when in fact, they have less than a chance because they have to compete with the 100,000 mainstream books being published each year. So, how are you marketing your book? Obviously, white people don't have a problem reading books with black characters. And black books do make it to mainstream bestsellers' list. Recently, I've seen Carl Weber's and Kimberla Lawson Roby's books there. Malcolm Gladwell has been on the NYT nonfiction list forever. And readers eat up James Patterson's books (he's white, but Alex Cross is black). The list goes on and on. So, look at these authors and what they're doing to make it happen. I'll bet you'll see the difference is marketing... More later... | ||
| Emanuel "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Emanuel Post Number: 166 Registered: 03-2004 Rating: |
Right Dakota. Plus when you segment the market and focus it on, it may be a lot better than trying to go after the entire marketplace. There's nothing wrong with wanting mainstream success but I don't think I would hide my race to achieve it. I guess it could work both ways. Everyone knows Terry McMillan, Carl Weber and Kimberla Lawson Roby are black. Nobody really knew about Alex Cross's or Malcolm Gladwell's race. They all ended up on bestseller lists. It all depends. There's probably no right answer. | ||
| Cocowriter Newbie Poster Username: Cocowriter Post Number: 4 Registered: 04-2004 Rating: N/A |
I'm thinking that most people here do not realize that Millenia Black is white. I don't know the race of the bookstore owner, other than it caters to a large AA crowd. She has heavily targeted black audiences for her book and in fact is a Black Expressions pick. I'm told her charactes are "colorless." | ||
| Dakota Newbie Poster Username: Dakota Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
That actually proves my point. Millenia has decided to target an audience in order to solidify a base of reading fans. She's definitely knows what she's up against if she's a white author trying to make it in a mainstream audience. If she is on Black Expressions, she's on her way to achieving her goal. A clear case of marketing if I ever saw one. | ||
| Exthug Newbie Poster Username: Exthug Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2006 Rating: N/A |
I'ze beeze black but if I wrote a book entitled The Dichotomy of Harry Potter's Journeys and their Reciprocal Effect on Pre-Teens, (if you take my idea, I want 5%) then I am sure some white folks will pick it up. I don't think too many black folks would pick it up. Six in one hand and half a million in the other I guess. You just gotta know how to play the game. Quite like my man Montez DeCarlo, the author of Black Chameleon Memoirs(www.blackchameleonmemoirs.com). His main character played the game on two fronts- in the hood and in the boardroom. It's all a game and the winners are the ones who keep playing....peace. | ||
| Cynique "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Cynique Post Number: 4238 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
The plot thickens. A white author whose last name is "Black" pens books about colorless characters and becomes indignant when a face-less book store owner asks what her race she is. Nothing worse than a writer who takes herself too seriously. Forget the particulars, lady. Just take the money and run. | ||
| Snakegirl AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Snakegirl Post Number: 86 Registered: 05-2005 Rating: N/A |
Not to mention---anyone writing "colorless" characters can't be much of a writer. All Humans come in color---even the pink and milk colored ones. So many people delude themselves into these Politically Correct absurdities about a world without "race/color" that they end up with the mentality of this poor woman. I'm certain that she named herself "Millenia Black" so that AA readers would just assume--along with the content of her black books---that she was black. SO SAD the store owner ruined her big surprise entrance. LOOOOOL  ISN'T THAT...after all...REALLY WHAT HAPPENED? Shame black women authors can't just name themselves---"Bicenntenial WHITE"---and write all-white novels and then be seen and accepted as White by the White folks attending the book signing. Only "Black" receives that kind of blatant disrespect and are supposed to CHEER...like trained seals....that such a good, progressive White Lady BE-Honored them by writing a "colorless" book to go atop their BLACK EXPRESSIONS book chart. HAHA!!!! The HILARIOUS thing.... is that Toni Morrison and Alice Walker always insisted during interviews that they were "black women writers" who wrote for "black people". And yet at least 40 to 50% of their books sales are by WHITE PEOPLE. Ditto for my book sales. Word got out that I'm a Militant, groundbreaking, half-naked EVIL BLACK foreigner....and BAM.....it's getting to the point where I receive more Email and Fan Mail from WHITES than from my intended audience---black women. A White Jewish woman in South Africa has just started a "fan club" for me--and a White MALE journalist in N.Y. has gotten about 22 people to read MORE THAN ONE of my books. P.S. I request that my books be placed in the "AFRICAN AMERICAN SECTION". But for some reason---all of the Los Angeles Barnes and Nobles have been placing my autobiography in the "WOMEN'S LITERATURE" section with broads like Joan Didion, Ann Colter and Oprah. I did a walk-in at the City of Industry store and the Clerk didn't recognize me---I asked her why they had this naked African WHY-N-CH in Women's LIT....she said, "Oh, she's really a trip. Trust me. She defies description. You've gotta read her." NOOOOOOOO!!!!! Put me wid my peeeeeple!!! | ||
| Snakegirl AALBC .com Platinum Poster Username: Snakegirl Post Number: 87 Registered: 05-2005 Rating: N/A |
Important Note: My book sales at that store went from 3 copies in February ...to 8 copies, so far, in March...AFTER I insisted that they put the book in the African American Section. I don't see why being placed next to white authors makes us more legit (ie. human). Are they the standard bearers? | ||
| Linda "Cyniquian" Level Poster Username: Linda Post Number: 158 Registered: 01-2004 Rating: N/A |
What's really wierd is when you have written a book you believe to be for your race and to be accepted by your race and you find out it is better received by the whites. I ran into this with Althea and at first was disappointed. Though it sold moderately well at AA events and bookstores it paled in sales that I made at white events. But like you said Cynique I took the money and ran...glad somebody was willing to pay to read it and have it signed. Color had nothing to do with it then or now as I know I am an AA writer, but first I am a writer that wants to be read by the masses. | ||
| Zane Newbie Poster Username: Zane Post Number: 8 Registered: 11-2004 Rating: N/A |
I do not usually post a lot on this site, although I read the posts from time to time when I take a break from writing and/or publishing. This site is an invaluable resource for those trying to make it in the industry or those who are simply avid readers. I commend Troy and Thumper for keeping it going for so long and enhancing it all the time. I decided to chime in on this one, from both the perspective of an author and publisher. First of all, Millenia Black is a dark-skinned black woman; not a white woman. I know this for a fact because I hooked her up with my agent and have met her in person before. I wanted to clear that misconception up since she may not have seen these posts. To me, it should not matter but she is definitely not white and that is the gospel. Secondly, some bookstores do tend to shy away from black authors signing at their stores. That is unfortunate but for them, it is a consideration if they know that their AA market is slow in their particular store. We have had many Strebor authors rejected for the obvious reason and I have stepped in and gone off a few times by calling the managers of the stores out. However, I can also tell you that as a publisher, AA books sell better in stores where they are in a confined section instead of intermingled with all other books. Apparently, blacks prefer to be able to come into a store and go to the AA Section. There has been extensive research on this and I have the figures to prove it. Ultimately book sales are what matters and if separating the books helps, then it is what it is. As an author who has not only cross-cultural appeal but one who has been translated into several other languages including Thai, Japanese, and Danish, I can testify that you can be openly known as a black author and still make the NY Times List time and time again and sell millions of books with black people on your covers. If people want to read your books, they will seek them out; no matter what section they are in. In fact, my books are stolen so much that often times they are not on shelves at all. They are kept behind the counter and people have to actually walk up and ask for them. On more than a few occasions, I have gone to bookstores and saw none of my books. After asking, they were all behind the counter so they would not grow feet and walk. At first, that upset me because I wondered how I could get new readers if the books were not even displayed. Yet, my book sales have constantly grown so I stopped worrying about it. I have people come to black bookstores to my signings of all races and have had white men stand in line for hours to tell me that I am their favorite author. I am black or there is not a dog in the entire state of Georgia. This is just one of numerous debates that will continue to go on. Debating is never a bad thing because it generally leads to some sort of progress. Blessings, Zane | ||
| Technic First Time Poster Username: Technic Post Number: 1 Registered: 06-2006 Rating: N/A |
Zane: Let the more universal and logical observation, sit in judgment of the racial issue. The reason for saying that is simply because too many Black folks are suffering from post- slavery psychological disfigurement-- they have lost or never had, sensible perspective as to where they're coming from, what they're entitled to or what directional path they should take, as pertaining to their civil rights in the USA. I've seen many comments by Blacks about the race issue, that go very far afield from what the real context of the matter is. To argue the issue of race in publishing in such subjective manner, where black authors have to do all kinds of things (cutting tracks around the rightful entitlement of equal treatment) just to survive selling their books, because of the color of their skin-- does abort the nuclei of the broader fault affecting race issue itself. For example, in the case of Millenia Black, it's said that she's a debut author. From what I've heard it appears that she's a young person who came into the publishing business with a colorless expectation of equal treatment, but found the opposite. Based on her very own words it seems to suggest that her umbrage is about forceful "AA" niching of her genre in fiction/general and not about subjective ethnic stuff. The question is whether or not she's right. Is there a white niche market as well where publishers niche white authors for whatever reason in kind? |
