Our special guest writer Ebony LaDelle joins MN Business for three stories this month focused on the published industry. LaDelle works in marketing at Simon & Schuster, specializing in the education & library space, as well as an advocate of literature of color. You can connect with her on Linkedin. Click here to read LaDelle’s profile of book publishing exec, Malaika Adero.

Regina Brooks

The world of publishing can be intimidating and implausible for those who know little about the industry.  However, breaking into the publishing industry —whether as a new writer or an aspiring editor — is easier now than it’s ever been according to these experts.

Todd Hunter considers himself one of the lucky few. After graduating from Temple University and getting a job in a communications firm specializing in employer branding, Hunter decided to switch careers and pursue publishing.  He entered Drexel University’s Publication Management program, where he decided to make his mark in editorial.  Shortly after graduating, Hunter joined Atria Books as an assistant editor.

Diane Patrick’s story is a bit different.  She received her job through an organization called Black Women in Publishing. A good friend and colleague in the group suggested Patrick to someone at Publisher’s Weekly and Diane started there part-time.  She’s been there for over 17 years.

Regina Brooks entered into the publishing world through the Howard University Publishing Institute. This publishing program is no longer available to students, but Brooks would like to see it be brought back to life. “I would love to be able to reactivate that program because it was very instrumental in activating some of the leaders in the industry [like myself and Malaika Adero],” she says.

According to Brooks, some areas of publishing are more difficult for people of color to break into than others. As a literary agent, Brooks’ job is multifaceted; she represents writers and pitches their manuscripts to publishing houses. For writers looking to receive a book deal, going through a literary agent is typically the best way to get noticed by the big six publishers.

“As an agent, I have to make sure the editor knows how to position the book, how to sell it, how to market it to the right audience,” says Brooks. “Being a literary agent is one of the toughest jobs in the industry because you work strictly on commission — just the structure and the business model behind agencies is tough for African Americans because many of us don’t have trust funds.”

Todd Hunter

While Hunter’s entry into the publishing world wasn’t as hard, he can attest to seeing how difficult it is for his peers. “Interestingly, it’s after working in the publishing industry for a few years and witnessing firsthand the challenges with diversity that I’m convinced that the opportunities for African Americans aren’t as robust as other groups. I’ve heard many times by my African-American peers that ‘I got an interview, but didn’t get the job.’ That level of rejection has a residual effect,” he says.

Hunter also adds that many people of color don’t see working in publishing as a viable option, especially among the younger generation. “I believe if the publishing industry was more visible, more open, more willing to engage you’d find the sentiment reciprocated whereby book publishing becomes a career of choice by the next generation of African-American professionals.”

With regards to publishing a book, Patrick feels the Internet makes it easy to publish just about anything.  “Anybody who has a story can publish online somewhere, or put a book online,” she says. “Non-fiction. Children’s books. Bios. Paranormal. I see black authors writing about all these things. There [just] needs to be marketing for them or by them.”

Patrick advises up-and-comers to take their writing seriously and be selective about what they choose to publish online.  “It’s one thing to write a book, but its another thing to write. Writing is a craft and you have to treat it as a craft,” she says.

Image courtesy of Caroline McGill

Caroline McGill is the president of Synergy Publications, an independent book publishing company launched in 2004 that has sold her own books, including the “A Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent” series and the work of Justin “Amen” Floyd, author of Anything for Profit. Her latest novel HBIC: Head B**ch In Charge is based on her life story. Her first book, the semi-autobiographical A Dollar Out of Fifteen Cent tells a story mixed with love and betrayal.

As a business owner, Caroline continues to solicit the work of talented writers to help bring their creative works before masses of urban book readers.

Madame Noire: What type of work were you doing before you launched Synergy Publications in 2004?

Caroline McGill: Prior to launching Synergy Publications I worked a few odd jobs and also did lots of illegal stuff I’m not proud of. I am fortunate to have bypassed death or a lengthy prison sentence. I wanted money the fast way, and didn’t apologize for the ways I earned it. Then in 2000 I had an “a-ha moment” and realized that enough was enough. I was getting older. Age 30 was approaching. I was determined to get my life together.

I enrolled in a community college in North Carolina full-time [and] earned my AAS in business administration in 2002. Armed with blind faith and eager to make a positive turnaround in my life, I started working on a novel that was loosely based on the crazy life I had lived.

I wanted to be my own boss so my dream was to form a legitimate business. I moved back to New York and obtained a real estate license to supplement my income while I figured out what my calling was. I rented out apartments to pay the bills meanwhile brainstorming to come up with a product to sell. I continued to work on my novel in my spare time and then made the decision to self-publish A Dollar Outta Fifteen Cent. I formed Synergy Publications in 2004 and haven’t looked back.

MN: Over the past decade the numbers of self-publishers and small publishing houses have grown. How does Synergy Publications distinguish itself from the myriad of other publishing houses?

CM: Synergy Publications distinguishes itself from other publishing houses by choosing to publish only conscious literature. I believe that life imitates art; therefore we are socially responsible about the material we put into the universe. We strive to have our readers not only be thoroughly entertained from our books, but to also become enlightened in some form or another. When folks are armed with knowledge they tend to make better decisions.

[...]All of the books I write and publish contain underlying messages. I make it a point to raise awareness by touching on issues that matter. I get calls, emails and messages from readers all the time. They get it!

MN: What resources did you use to finance your business?

CM: I used the earnings from my real estate ventures and some savings I had. I invested $5,000 or $6,000. After my first print run I just kept reinvesting the profits.

Source: Feministing.com

Though some say they wouldn’t put it past Jay-Z, the plagiarism lawsuit (handwritten mind you) that was conjured up against him and author Dream Hampton for his Decoded memoir was clearly bogus from the beginning. Just in case you didn’t know that though, Dream took a little break from her Twitter hiatus to speak on the rumors and why no one should pay them any mind, tweeting:

“Proof” from the guys suing me and Jay for plagiarizing Decoded. Amazing. More amazing are the asses who made this a real story. Thanks for gvng an unwell stalker more attention than they’ve ever had in their lives…..smaller circles. stay safe. It’s actually mid morning in London and I’m signing off again…xoxo Much as I miss this space s’times I like my peace more love

The last part of her tweet made it sound as though Dream was sticking to her choice to leave Twitter altogether, which she decided after some disrespectful Beyonce fans criticized her young daughter on the Internet at the end of last month. But, it turns out she had a few more things to say about the situation, the Twitterverse, and the blogoshphere as a whole. She tweeted:

If you’re blogging about my tweets you shouldn’t be blogging. Straight up. Supreme Court on the other hand is worth a looksie. They thuggin

If you made news out of the handwritten lawsuit against Jay & I, feel free to apologize after reading this http://redskunks.blogspot.co.uk/2012/06/my-life-decoded.html

You can send your apology to Hov to the North pole.

Thank you everyone who’s tweeting me they missed me. truly. I missed this space the 1st two weeks too. Happy Summer!

Considering it’s been nearly a month since Dream Hampton stopped tweeting, I think we can take that last message to mean followers will have to continue to get their fix of the author elsewhere.

Do you miss Dream Hampton’s tweets?

Brande Victorian is the news and operations editor for madamenoire.com. Follow her on twitter @Be_Vic.

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Source: Eurweb.com

Did Jay-Z plagiarize parts of his best-selling book “Decoded”?

That’s what Patrick White is alleging in a lawsuit he filed against the superstar, Dream Hampton and Random House last week.

AllHipHop.com reports:

The lawsuit, which was filed in United States District Court, Central District, claims that White’s laptop was stolen in 2009.

“In 2009, my personal computer was compromised, resulting in my personal work to be used in Jay-Z’s book Decoded which was released in 2010,” White claims.

In the hand-written lawsuit, White claims he was shocked when he saw that portions of a book he had been working on were strikingly similar to portions of “Decoded.”

“The book contains various expressions/colors/phrases, which correlates to my work,” White alleges. “After contacting or attempting to contact the co-author, I got no reply.”

White is suing for copyright infringement and invasion of property.

The first questions that arise are who is Patrick White and how does he think his laptop landed in the hands of Dream Hampton and Jay-Z? This story doesn’t even seem plausible and it will be interesting to see if the court even pays it any attention. If a judge determines this complaint has no merit it won’t be the first time Jay-Z is the subject of a bogus lawsuit.

Earlier this month, an Ohio woman attempted to sue the capital city for $500 billion dollars after her car was impounded and sold. She claimed that Jay-Z and Diddy were “known to have government influence” and were likely involved in her car troubles. Not surprisingly, the judge dismissed the suit on grounds that it’s frivolous.

It’s likely this plagiarism lawsuit will reach the same fate.

What do you think? Did Jay-Z really steal content for his book or is this guy just looking for 15 minutes of fame?

Alissa Henry is a freelance writer living in Columbus, OH. Follow her on Twitter @AlissaInPink. Or check out her blog: This Cannot Be My Life

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Source: Terezowens.com

Ever since Dwyane Wade won sole custody of his sons last March he’s become the poster child of single fatherhood among celebrities. There’s no doubt the Miami Heat player’s situation is a rare one, and he’s decided to share more personal aspects of his experience in an upcoming book, “A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger Than Basketball.”

Dwyane will talk about his transformation as a child of a single parent and playing basketball in Chicago where he grew up, to becoming a single father of two young boys as a part of the Heat’s Big Three and an American Olympics Team.

The book will be published by William Morrow of HarperCollins Publishers in September, and falls in line with the need for positive examples of fatherhood Dwyane says he observed, particularly in the past few years. While he was going through his custody battle with ex-wife Siohvaughn, he says so many people came up to him asking why he fought for custody of his kids and why he thought he could handle being a single parent. For him, it was pretty much a no brainer.

“As a child, I grew up with aspirations to one day be a professional basketball player, and I am living that dream every day as a proud member of the Miami Heat,” he said. “However, the daily role I play in the lives of my two children is the single most significant undertaking of my life, and the job I take most seriously.”

Gabrielle Union’s found herself a good catch. This book definitely sounds like a great read. Will you check it out?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: MTV

Nicki Minaj wasn’t playing when she told Jay Z “I’m coming for your spot, Mr. Mogul.’” The rapper recently told Allure magazine in her April cover feature that she had a little chat with Jay about expanding her empire at the Victoria Secret Fashion Show last year, and now it seems she’s making good on that promise. According to Eurweb, Nicki was recently asked whether she’d ever consider writing a book, and she tweeted that she’s actually already working on two.

The jump isn’t totally surprising since most artists eventually drop a memoir, and Nicki has already expanded her scope far beyond music with a MAC lipstick line and nail polish line through OPI. Nicki didn’t say what the focus of her books will be, but whatever they are, I’m sure they fit in perfectly with her carefully crafted career. She told Allure:

‘I never thought about music as just being the end-all, be-all. I always looked at it like a business, something that I could create an empire out of. So that’s why I’m only about to put out my second album and I’m already thinking about this.”

What do you think about Nicki Minaj as an author? Would you check out her books?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Source: kplr11.com

I’ve pretty much come to the conclusion that Steve Harvey is the black version of Ryan Seacrest…or better yet, the black male version of Ellen. These are people who a lot of other people seem to like, and therefore, they get asked to hold like every job available in entertainment. Already  the host of a highly popular radio show, an author, and the host of “Family Feud,” Steve Harvey is now set to host a syndicated talk show in Chicago that will be ready in the fall. According to a statement given to the Chicago Sun-Times, Harvey’s show will bring a “funny, fresh, insightful and common sense approach to life’s everyday moments.”On top of that, he’ll be covering everything from family issues, to parenting and you guessed it–dating and marriage. Sounds like we will have a TV-version of Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man on our hands. The 55-year-old TV and radio personality will definitely be trying to save some relationships and doing so in a comedic manner. Sounds like a pretty good idea and not too many people are doing it anymore…but I’m just saying, can he share some of the many forms of employments he’s got? Next thing you know, he’ll be trying to be a judge on American Idol…

Will you be watching Steve’s new talk show?

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Source: rap-up.com

One of my favorite rappers and men in general, Common is one of the few lyricists out there who can make the ladies swoon, sweat, and still talk respectfully about them all at the same time. With his glistening bald head and adorable cheesy smile, he’s as hot as he is talented. So glad to know his “beef” with Drake is over, because I always looked at him as more of a lover than a fighter. And if you haven’t read his book, One Day It’ll All Make Sense, OMG, please do! Check out the beautiful b-boy and romantic.

Craving  a way to give back and tell the stories of black women in a unique way, Nicole Sconiers, a former senior web producer at Dr.Phil.com, decided to put her master’s degree in creative writing to work when she penned “Escape from Beckyville: Tales of Race, Hair and Rage”— a collection of 10 short stories.

While writing a book would’ve been enough of a massive undertaking for most people, Sconiers knew she didn’t want to stop there; she wanted to travel and speak about the ideas in her book. So, Sconiers quit her job in June, and over the summer she set out on the road with her mother and 34 boxes of her tales inside the Beckyville Bookmobile, a purple van wrapped in the book’s cover design. Together, they traveled from Philadelphia to Los Angeles, stopping at cultural centers and Indie bookstores along the way to discuss the book.

“I talk about controversial, taboo issues but in a way that is accessible, not preachy,” Sconiers told The Times Herald. She explained that much of her writing is a “play on how society sees women of color not being able to have any type of righteous rage.”

“I have a story called ‘Happy Black B****es,’ and the Rage Patrol is this police force that goes around policing black women to make sure they’re not angry. Black women can’t walk around with a frown because they’re being policed with their emotions. There are all types of issues — homelessness, domestic violence — for us to be angry about, and I wanted to explore that we can’t be righteously angry.”

Beckyville, she said, refers to a place filled with clueless, antagonistic people who have not “critiqued [their] privilege.”

So far, Sconiers has managed to sell her book in more than a dozen stores across the country and the Purdue University Department of Anthropology has decided to include the text in their Blackness and Culture curriculum next semester.

Despite a few snags along the way and advisement to those thinking of taking a similar path to at least draft a six-month plan before making any major moves, Sconiers says she would’ve missed out on these opportunities, “had I just stayed at my cubicle at ‘Dr. Phil.’”

“You can create your own opportunities and be your own boss.I left my job in the middle of a recession,” she said. “When you see the job market, opportunities are shrinking. You have to think of creative ways to generate income.

“You have to just get out of your comfort zone and create the images you want to see.”

Have you heard of Escape from Beckyville? Could you see yourself quitting a job to pursue a dream like Sconiers?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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Identity is something many biracial children and even adults struggle with. The issue of not being black enough, white enough, Latina, enough, etc., can weigh on a child’s self-esteem, especially when one parent fails to acknowledge one part of their child’s racial makeup.

That was Tiffany Rae Reid’s experience. She was raised by her Hungarian mother and because her African American father was absentee, her mother led her to believe her darker complexion and other black features resulted from darker completed Hungarian ancestors she was shown photos of as proof. When Reid eventually found out her real father was black and only lived 20 minutes away from her, she struggled to forgive her mother and the way she made her feel devalued by denying her black ancestry. The experience motivated her to write  “Color Blind — A Mixed Girl’s Perspective on Biracial Life,” as a guide to help parents of biracial children understand the struggles they deal with.

“Unless a child’s parents are both biracial, it will be hard to understand the life experiences that are going to be unique to their biracial children,” says Reid. “Halle Berry is not the end-all-be-all mixed chick. We come in all different sizes, all different colors and all different textures.”

Biracial children who are raised to be ignorant of certain parts of their heritage especially struggle with identity and develop feelings of alienation, anger, and powerlessness, as well as confusion about how they’re supposed to act, Reid says.

“By not seeing color, you’re not honoring my history, you’re not honoring my culture and heritage, you’re not honoring the challenges and obstacles I have because of the color of my skin that you will never face. For anybody raising biracial children, whether they’re adopted or naturally born, I get that it’s love and I absolutely honor that. But love is not enough.”

While Reid was eventually able to forgive her mother, she knows her story is not unique and she want to help other children and parents who are going through the same things that she did. “My life’s experiences — all the challenges, all the nights I was up crying, all the arguments with my mom — they were all for a reason. This book shows people that truth is freedom. Parents need to be that beacon of truth for their children so they can live their authentic lives.”

Can you relate to Tiffany’s experience growing up as a biracial child? Do you struggle as a parent of a biracial child to help them develop an identity?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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