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Thumper
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 451
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: 
Votes: 1 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, May 22, 2006 - 10:00 pm: | 
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Hello All,
What a year! Personally, I got a German shepherd puppy named Sasha. She’s a year and one month old and crazy as all hell. She has big wing shape ears, big horse hoof size paws that at times go one way while the rest of her growing body goes the other way. My 13 year old cat, Lady, can’t stand Sasha. Sasha goes to play with her, Lady spit and hisses. Every time Sasha’s long snout gets in cat paw reach; Lady tags it. By the time Sasha gets her large paw up and moving in Lady’s vicinity, Lady has tagged Sasha five times and moved across the room.
Personally, I went back to school last fall to get a degree in biomedical technology. It sounds impressive don’t it? *LOL* I’ve been knee deep in resistors, transistors and the like for a year. Professionally, I ain’t did shit. I can’t read fiction and two chapters on Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Law at the same time. I’m good, but I ain’t that good. I finished my first year of school, and working a full time 40 hours a week job BROKE DOWN!! Needless to say, I was looking forward to this year’s BEA.
To say that I’ve been out of the loop, as far as AA literature is concerned, is putting it mildly. Disappointingly enough, after attending the BEA, it didn’t take me long to catch up.
The big publishing houses, from my understanding, have finally caught on to the “urban” literature and are now pursuing, pushing the genre. I guess this is the point where I laugh to keep from crying. It’s not the subject matter that I object to. I am not a prude. I rather like the subject matter of “urban” fiction. We live in black America. There is always more than one side to any life, or lifestyle. I would much rather bathe in the richness of all that being black in America entails than taking a shower in one specific socio-economic stature. What I dislike about the genre is that one, the storylines are all the same; and two, most of the authors of “urban” fiction can’t write worth a damn.
A sad part of this tale is that it is evident that the big publishing houses can only see us in one aspect at a time. A mere few years ago, the U-go-girl books were all the rage. The black female reading audience was being recognized and catered to like never before. There was the U-go-girl books, which brought the Christian U-go-girl books, aka “I was a ho but now I found Jesus” books. The big houses heard your cry and oversaturated the market with the U-go-girl books…until the sales dropped off. Then the “new” books, the thug books, hit. Watch out now. The big houses have to cash in. So, did the black female reading audience in the 25-55 age range stop reading all of a sudden? I don’t think so. Like the years before, the publishing industry is beginning to recognize that young black people read. Should this have been an indication that the black reading audience is as diverse as the white reading audience? I would think but, I guess seeing the black reading audience as a composition of more than one demographic is too much for them to take in.
The die-hard U-go-girl book fans, who swore you, would never read anything else BUT U-go-girl books; who never bothered to look beyond that genre (never mind BUY any book that landed outside that genre); who swore you would never get tired of those books BUT you wound up getting very tired of those books; how’re you doing? *eyebrow raised* You don’t have to worry about reading those pesky books that you always believed were “too hard” for you, they’re not around anymore. But, hey, the good news is you can always pick up a thug book. Now instead of saying “U go girl”, you can say “U go gangsta” or “that’s my gangsta” or “Pimp that ho, son”, or whatever pops up in your mind at the time.
The way I see it, those of us who love AA literature (you know the good stuff), mysteries, science fiction, or anything other than the thug and dwindling U-go-girl books, I hate to be the one to tell you, but you heard it here first; we are in the beginning stages of a literary drought! Due to the fact that no one else but us few read and/or bought these alternative books, any new offerings from any of these little read AA genres will NOT be forthcoming! Our numbers are not great enough to persuade the big houses publish these books. I’m sure there will be a few trickling in, every now and then, but for the most part, stock up and pray for rain.
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Urbanreviews
Newbie Poster
Username: Urbanreviews
Post Number: 21
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 10:06 am: |
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Hello Thumper,
Good luck on going back to school. As far as AA literature goes publishing houses are just focused on what's selling right now and "urban" Lit is it. A few months ago I interviewed Bernice Mcfadden on my website and she said herself that the reason she does the Geneva Holliday books was for financial reasons. Gloria Mallette said some of her friends in the book industry told her to start putting more sex in her books in order to sell more. I guess that authors may have to resort to non-traditional advertising(i.e magazine ads.) in order to get the word out about their books. |
Emanuel
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 191
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 10:51 am: |
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While I do believe authors must cater to a paying marketplace, I don't belive they have to sell their souls to make a buck. Sex and/or Thugs in ficion is hot right now but if you have no desire to write it or it affects you morally, you shouldn't write it. There are books that are selling pretty well in the African-American marketplace besides urban street lit and sexed up love stories, including Christian fiction. Take a look at this month's bestselling fiction on Essence:
Fiction - Hardcover
1. In Sheep’s Clothing by Mary Monroe (Dafina Books, $24)
2. So You Call Yourself a Man by Carl Weber (Dafina Books, $24)
3. Changing Faces by Kimberla Lawson Roby (William Morrow, $23.95)
4. The Interruption of Everything by Terry McMillan (Viking Press, $25.95)
5. Baby Brother’s Blues by Pearl Cleage (One World/Ballantine, $24.95)
6. Video Cowboys by Yolanda Joe (Simon & Schuster, $23)
7. 72 Hour Hold by Bebe Moore Campbell (Knopf, $24.95)
8. Nothing Ever Felt Like This by Mary B. Morrison (Dafina Books, $24)
9. Sex, Lies, Murder, Fame by Lolita Files (Amistad, $24.95)
10. Nowhere Is a Place by Bernice L. McFadden (Penguin Group, $24.95)
Fiction - Paperback
1. Candy Licker by Noire (One World, $13.95)
2. Keisha by Darrell Debrew (Triple Crown Publications, $15)
3. Dutch II: Angel’s Revenge by Teri Woods (Teri Woods Publishing, $14.95)
4. I’m Still Wifey by Kiki Swinson (Melodrama Publishing, $15)
5. G-Spot by Noire (Strivers Row, $13.95)
6. The Coldest Winter Ever by Sister Souljah (Pocket Books, $14.00)
7. Married to the Game by Chunichi (Urban, $14.95)
8. Nasty by Rahsaan Ali (Black Pearl Books, $14.95)
9. Grown Folks Business by Victoria Christopher Murray, $14)
10. The Known World by Edward P. Jones (Amistad, $13.95)
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Urbanreviews
Newbie Poster
Username: Urbanreviews
Post Number: 22
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 01:03 pm: |
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I agree with you Emanuel. I think some authors feel that they are between a rock and a hard place. They want to stay true to their writing style and their fans but they want to make money also. There are alot of great books out there but the market has become so crowded that many authors are getting lost in the shuffle. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 4430
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 02:46 pm: |
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Things go in cycles. Maybe mainstream lit about mainstream people will be the next big thing in the black genre, and the big houses will latch onto that trend. We have a new breed of black readers out there and they are working their way through the reading experience. Hopefully, they will graduate to the next level of fiction, and diversify their tastes. |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 1247
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 23, 2006 - 07:05 pm: |
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emanuel:
Excuse me, but . . . which literature are you speaking of, besides epj and BMc? I'm not familar with the other titles or authors . . . which does not say much, but do tell . . . |
Emanuel
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 192
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, May 24, 2006 - 10:33 am: |
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72 Hour Hold, The Known World and Nowhere is a Place are definitely not sexed up love stories or thug books from what I've heard. I've read So You Call Yourself a Man and Changing Faces, which do have some element of sex but it's not in the realm of erotica. Can't comment on the other titles but I know the majority IS thug/street or love/sex stuff. |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 1255
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:47 pm: |
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Emanuel: I mentioned the same ones as you:
epj= the known world
Bmc=Nowhere Is A Place
and there is Pearl Cleage and Moore (never read either).
My point is that you claimed that "There are books that are selling pretty well in the African-American marketplace besides urban street lit and sexed up love stories, including Christian fiction. Take a look at this month's bestselling fiction on Essence," well that doesn't seem the case even from your own list.
Though, I'm don't think sales is the proper barometer for literary fiction. . . . but that is another discussion.
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Soul_sister
Regular Poster
Username: Soul_sister
Post Number: 49
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 11:42 am: |
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Hey All
I have to agree with Thumper there is a drought -- the Essence listing has several u-go-girl books that to me are crap. Once again there are a number of great authors out there that no one is talking about Angel of Harlem Kuwana Haulsey, Sea Island Summers Sandra Jackson-Opoku, Unburnable Maria-Elena John, Strange Bedfellows Paula Woods and a South African brother Zda Mkeda, Madonna of Excelsior,
I too was at BEA and the big publishing house Af-Am stuff out there was trite -- There was a session on Their Eyes Were Reading Smut... with Nick Chiles, Nikki Turner, Benilde Little and an editor - name escapes me - good comments and from their discussion one could be possibly change camps on this issue -
Except when the floor was opened and the book dealers talked dollars and personality -- urban sells and those writers engage their readership - whereas other genre writers were often difficult to engage or reach --
One line sums up the whole issue to me - where one woman said we all have a voice and can sing but evrryone don't need to record a CD.
We can go on for pages about this - but I stop here - peace
Soul Sister |
Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 1257
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 04:41 am: |
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SOul Sister:
These people that you have listed have received some acclaim, especially Zakes Mda. Essence generally covers important writers, but they will rarely make the Essence List . . . many of our socalled professionals (general Essence readers) are functionally illiterate and/or were never taught to appreciate literature, so we have people who are college educated who barely have the educational wherewithal of high school students one hundred years ago . . . but of course, those folk learned latin, greek, etc . . . and the liberal arts programs that we had then we can only find now in the small expensive, private college and high schools . . . i'm rabbling cuz its early, so bye! LOL!
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Jmho
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Jmho
Post Number: 157
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 10:28 am: |
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Yukio, you may be on to something, but the best seller's list is based on reporting, from bookstores and sellers, across the country, (From the website: ABOUT THIS LIST: The Essence Best Sellers list is based on reports of retail sales. Respondents are African-American bookstores.) so it's representative, of those who buy books, at those stores, and not necessarily about the Essence magazine subscribers and / or readers. But, I do agree, the books that are selling are very telling of the buyers / readers, and certain writers rarely make the list.
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Yukio
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Yukio
Post Number: 1258
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 11:30 am: |
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Gotcha! Makes sense! |
Abm
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Abm
Post Number: 4624
Registered: 04-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, May 27, 2006 - 11:49 am: |
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"Nielsen SoundScan is an information system that tracks sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada. Sales data from point-of-sale cash registers is collected weekly from over 14,000 retail, mass merchant and non-traditional (on-line stores, venues, etc.) outlets. Weekly data is compiled and made available every Wednesday. Nielsen SoundScan is the sales source for the Billboard music charts."
http://www.soundscan.com/about.html
Is there the equivalent of what's listed above in the book/publishing business? Such might provide some clarity and authenticity to the myriad Best Seller booklistings. |
Thumper
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Thumper
Post Number: 452
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, May 28, 2006 - 03:48 pm: |
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Hello All,
If I forget to reply to anyone, I apologize.
Cynique: I totally understand that these things happens in cycles. But since this is really the first time AA literature has been put into this unique position that it never had before in the marketplace, I am reluctant to state that this is a cycle when this has not happen before.
Urbanreviews: I see your point as well, and I believe it. I recently heard that many of our authors have been asked (rather strongly I might add) to put more sex in their books in order to make the books marketable. That's sad. My thing about that is I feel sorry for the author that does that and the book is a major hit because then that author will be stuck writing those books and not free to indulge in his art.
Soul Sister: I was there for the BEA discussion of the thug vs. literature books. It was very telling.
Re: bestseller's list: As far as I know, there is no Nielsen SoundScan for books. I would like to see an accurate representation on what we are reading. |
Dakota
Newbie Poster
Username: Dakota
Post Number: 23
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 03:34 pm: |
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Just adding my two cents:
Neilsen has BookScan for books, which monitors sales from the major booksellers, including B&N and even Target and Wal-Mart. It's very hush-hush, but I know that you can get reports on individual books for $ 85.00 a pop from Book Reporter.com |
Dakota
Newbie Poster
Username: Dakota
Post Number: 24
Registered: 03-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, May 30, 2006 - 03:45 pm: |
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My mistake!!! I meant you can get individual reports at:
http://www.thebookstandard.com
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Born_critic
Newbie Poster
Username: Born_critic
Post Number: 3
Registered: 06-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, June 06, 2006 - 11:01 pm: |
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Those of us who read (I don't count the people who only read The Coldest Winter stuff)have to keep hope alive by supporting the real AA writers.
Soul Sister, I will be checking out the authors you mentioned.
I'm not worried about a drought as long as Pearl Cleage, Connie Briscoe, Tananarive Due, and Shauna Austin Grice are still writing. If things get real bad, I'll just reread everything Octavia Butler and Nora Deloach ever wrote. |
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