Yuri Arcurs /Shutterstock

Back in 1773, Phillis Wheatley, a slave, became the first African American to publish a book. Now a new online social network is hoping to help develop more African-American female writers. Black Girls Write Online Network was recently launched with the goal of supporting black women with writing aspirations with things like networking events and webinars. The group is open to black women who have written a book or want to write a book, as well as anyone who wants to work with them.

According to a press release, Maryland businesswoman Teleah Scott-Williams founded Black Girls Write was started to “provide women with the resources, tools, information, motivation, and networking opportunities to help facilitate their growth as accomplished authors.”

“We have got to support each other. I talk with so many African-American women who erroneously believe that publishing a book takes a lot of money, or they think if they write a book, no one will buy it, or they think they are not good enough to be a successful author,” said Scott-Williams in the  press release. “Nothing is further from the truth and Black Girls Write can show these same women how they can write and publish their book professionally and inexpensively.”

Caroline McGill is one author who took the self-publishing route and not only publishes her own books but books by other authors. We wrote about how McGill, who is the president of Synergy Publications, did it. Zane is another contemporary writer who has taken an unconventional route with her incredibly successful erotica novels.

African-American female authors are continuously making the bestseller lists. Among the 2012′s bestselling African-American books from Amazon.com (and compiled by Books of Soul) as of September 2012 were The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, which came in at number one; The Cutting Season by thriller writer Attica Locke; Salvage the Bones by award-winning author Jesmyn Ward; The Cartel 4 by Cash Money’s New York Times bestselling writing duo Ashley and JaQuavis; and Home by the legendary Toni Morrison.

Do you have a book in you?

fresnobee.com

Don’t ever count out a media mogul!

Just when you all thought she was ruining her brand with OWN (and yes, some of you do think that so don’t front), Oprah pulls a rabbit out of the hat: she’s bringing back “Oprah’s Book Club.”  That’s right, one of her most popular creations is finally being revived after being placed on serious hiatus since her talk show went off the air.  This time, things are going to be a bit different since she no longer has the talk show.

Oprah’s Book Club 2.0, as it will now be known, is going to be interactive and online book club.  In a video she made from her office in Chicago, she explained why they were revamping the book club from its old format:

“This is way different from the old book club because as we know, there are so many new ways we can read and discuss and get together and connect these days.”

The first book for Book Club 2.0 is Wild by Cheryl Strayed and Oprah said this book was the main reason she decided she needed a book club again. You know how Oprah gets excited about reading and books she deems great.  Wild is the real life story of one woman’s 1,100 mile traveling journey…on foot. Real life story, huh? I bet the team researched it so there wouldn’t be another James Frey situation (remember he’s the one who wrote A Million Little Pieces which turned out to be a million little lies but Oprah didn’t know until after she’d named it a Book Club choice of the month).

If you pick up the book via e-reader, you can expect lots of extras such as notes from Oprah on certain portions of the book that stuck out to her.  The author will also be taking questions online at some point and an interview with Oprah and Cheryl Strayed will air on OWN July 22nd.  Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 officially launches on Monday at noon.

Source

Wayetu Moore shows off her books. (Credit: Wayetu Moore)

Wayetu Moore has always been curious about how and why things are the way they are. At age 8, she was so fascinated with the financial and social benefits of product/service trading that she began to sell candy in school as an experiment, not knowing that the experience would kickstart a lifelong pursuit of entrepreneurial ventures.

Now, at 26, Wayetu is the founder and chief executive of One Moore Book, a one-year-old publishing house that develops and distributes books for children in countries with low literacy rates and underrepresented cultures.

Keep reading to learn how she built it.

MN: Launching a business is hard work. Who or what was your inspiration?

WM: My parents are the two most inspiring people I know—both individually and as a team. They are both so selfless but also understand how important their lives and legacies are to the people around them. They have such an inspiring love story and are such brilliant and rare people.

MN: Do you have any business partners and/or employees?

WM: My 4 siblings and I are business partners. They were the first ones I asked to join in this venture. They make up the creative team and assist in writing and illustrating our books. In total, there are 7 employees.

MN: At a time when the print industry is being called an antiquated form of media…you decided to launch a publishing house. Why not just go 100 percent digital?

WM: If I were publishing young adult or adult books, I may have considered that, but I don’t see children’s books or the children’s book publishing industry becoming completely digital any time soon.

New parents and parents of elementary-aged children enjoy the tradition of filling their child’s library with stories they will remember. Children’s books are an opportunity for parents to interact with their children, and to physically chronicle their child’s growth.  Also as a writer, I appreciate the emotional and psychological value of holding a book.

MN: How does One Moore Book make money? One Moore Book sells and distributes children’s books. We also partner with non-profit organizations to create culturally sensitive literature for their programs.

Read the rest of this entry »

(Black Enterprise) — When you think of an author, the term entrepreneur doesn’t necessarily come to mind; but more book writers are beginning to realize that being an author takes a certain entrepreneurial spirit if you really want to move volumes. Just ask 14-year-old Chental-Song Bembry, who sold more than 500 books last year and is aiming to double that with the release of her second book this fall.  The teenpreneur has the hustle it takes and attends trade shows, events, conferences, writing camps, and holds book signings at her church to market her book.

Read More…

by Sue Naylor

Some of the books that have been written by African American authors like Bill Cosby, Brenda Jackson, E. Lynn Harris, Tavis Smiley, Karine Steffans, Farrah Gray, Terry McMillan, Zane, James McBride and Eric Jerome Dickey are best-sellers. Some of the black authors who made a mark in history through their amazing achievements in black literature are Booker T. Washington, who wrote his autobiography ‘Up From Slavery’ where he talks about blacks having no feelings of hatred and bitterness against the whites and his pity for people and nations who were enslaved. Other works include Sojourner Truth’s ‘The Complete Narrative’ and ‘Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral’ by Phillis Wheatley.

Most of the black authors write books that are mainly targeted towards African American readers. More often than not, these books are urban novels or novels that are based on street fiction. However, some of them write books that are designed for all readers that belong to the category of health, business, etc. Aisha Ford writes inspirational fiction, Alex Hairston writes poetry, Angela Benson has won awards for her work on multicultural romance, Anthony Asadullah Samad publishes columns in African American journals, Gloria Mallette was featured in USA Today, Bernadene H. Coleman writes about the post-prohibition times, Farrah Gray is the author of ‘Reallionaire’ and ‘Get Real, Get Rich,’ ‘How To Get Out of Debt’ is written by Harrine Freeman, Barbara P. Fleming’s forte is mystery, Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a political writer and an analyst for CNN and Omar Tyree is a contemporary black author.

The blogosphere has introduced many folks to self-proclaimed feminists, perhaps for the first time. However, to truly understand the concepts of feminism and womanism and why these passionate and outspoken men and women attach these titles to themselves, we advise that your hit your local library, bookstore (or e-book store) for some research. Here are five great books to get you started: