Calling white (or otherwise non-black) readers!
Wednesday, December 10, 2008Posted in: AA authors, AA romance, AA romance book promotion, Azteclady Speaks, Racism in romance, rambling racism shelving and marketing
Tags:Carleen Brice, Farrah Rochon
Come one, come all, to meet black authors of romance, mystery, poetry, science fiction, and every other genre and subgenre of writing, fiction or otherwise! Many of them are hidden away in the African American (also known by some as black ghetto) section of most bookstores.
Via Farrah Rochon’s blog I chanced upon this wonderful idea (brain child of author Carleen Brice) to start changing the tide, to dispel preconceived notions (both among readers and book sellers) about writing by blacks. In her own words, from the White Readers Meet Black Authors blog:
Welcome readers of all races, shapes and sizes. Here is where you’ll be safely, carefully introduced to books written by black people. Now, don’t be alarmed. The books are written by black people, but like other books, they can be read by anybody. In fact, we WANT you to read our books. Don’t let the fact that publishers and booksellers put us in the back in the special section of the store scare you. They do that because they want African American readers to be able to find us easily, which is a good thing. However, it has come to our attention that it also puts some of the rest of you off.
So we are extending an official invitation for you to check out our section of the bookstore. Much like in the rest of the bookstore you’ll find books about thugs, hos, murder, revenge, sex, sisters, mothers, daughters, friends, husbands and wives, children, and God. You’ll find romance, mystery, deep thoughts about the meaning of life and death, tear-jerkers and belly laughs.
I’m foreseeing actual in-store parties around the country one day. But first our humble little blog here will introduce you to some of the writers you may never otherwise know about, but I promise you will like. At least, I promise you will like or hate as much as any other writer or any other book you’ll find in the rest of the store.
Now, some of our readers may be slightly hesitant–perhaps even scared!–about venturing into such an out of the way place such as the AA section in bookstores. Never fear! Our hostess has created this short introductiory video just for you. Watch it, and prepare yourself for your very own trip to the AA section in your very own local bookstores! Go forth and discover new authors!
Oh and… disregard the blatant self promo…
or not 😉
Stacia Kane/December Quinn
December 10
12:56 pm
Oooh, what an awesome idea! I’m totally blogging this tomorrow.
vein
December 10
4:38 pm
I like the idea, but I must admit that as a non-black regular reader of AA romance that the text seems to assume this demographic larely doesn’t exist. It could be more inclusive with a message of: read it if you don’t, read it more if you do.
Jessica
December 10
4:39 pm
This is fantastic. The bit about Richard Wright and Zora Neale Hurston hit very close to home. I’m adding a new book or two to my TBR pile!
Alice
December 10
5:23 pm
Beverly Jenkins. She writes awesome hot romances. Love her.
Audre Lorde wrote beautiful and really touchings stuff.
Someone I really admired that you can read about is Fanny Lou Hammer.
And Jessica’s recommendation of Zora Neale Hurston is another wonderful writer.
I think this is a wonderful idea.
Diane/Anonym2857
December 10
6:50 pm
~~ Watch it, and prepare yourself for your very own trip to the AA section in your very own local bookstores! ~~
Actually, that IS one of my local bookstores! LOL That’s filmed in the Tattered Cover in Denver.
Not one I usually go to for romances, since the romance section is sadly anorexic, but still… had to laugh when I saw that. Maybe that’s the key — the AA secion is considerably larger than the romance section.
Diane :o)
easily entertained today
Lori
December 11
4:46 am
“It could be more inclusive with a message of: read it if you don’t, read it more if you do.”
Great point! But, it’s a great idea nonetheless. Combine it with the Buy Books for the Holidays campaign, and you might have a winner! Here’s hoping for its success.
Jen
December 13
4:38 pm
Persia Walker is giving away the free PDF ebook of her book “Darkness and the Devil Behind Me” here. I can’t wait to start reading it–1920’s Harlem isn’t a time period often seen, and a female reporter during that time period sounds absolutely fascinating. I dunno if the book falls more in the “romance” category or “suspense” or even “general fiction” but I’m looking forward to trying it out. And if I like the story as much as I love the cover, I’ll go out and buy me a hard copy to have as well.
Review: Quade’s Babies, by Brenda Jackson | Racy Romance Reviews
January 3
4:20 am
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