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Kola Boof
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 16, 2002 - 11:15 pm: | 
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Since this is my home base, I just had to congratulate myself...as Troy Johnson just told me that my book "Long Train" just became the #1 bestselling book at aalbc.com for the entire YEAR of 2002!!
I'm so ecstatic..and I thank all of my family here at aalbc.com for supporting me and being happy for me. I feel very blessed by GOD to be doing what it is so important to me. No matter how vicious and unfair the attacks have been...I intend to be around for a very...VERY....long time.
I have people like Troy Johnson, Derrick Bell, Joe Madison, Ajowa Ifateyo, Keith Boykin, Alicia Banks and Danny Glover to thank for that.
Peace. |
Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 17, 2002 - 06:22 pm: |
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Congratualtions Kola. As I told you in an email one day we'll have an award for this honor. Until then accept my congratulations on a job well done.
Peace |
Kola Boof
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 18, 2002 - 02:54 pm: |
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Troy, I promise someday to repay you for your kindness and loyalty. I am not the easiest to support, I know this.
In the meantime, I hope you'll understand my new poem "Kola Boof Fraud". Here's a link:
http://mirrormax.i8.com/custom4.html
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Carey
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 19, 2002 - 08:05 pm: |
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Hello Kola
Thank you so very much for the books. They arrived just as you said they would.
Everyone that has been visiting Thumper's Corner's over the years knows that I have been ....lets just say collecting *smile* (Thump might call it something different) books of AA authors that visit our site. As I've mentioned in the past you'd be surprised at the number of those requests that have been meet with open arms. Kola, as you all know has been described in an assortment of ways but when I asked her for an autographed copy of her book she didn't hesitated one minute and said yes. Not only did she send me one, she also sent along a copy for Ann. I hope I didn't start something by mentioning this but I just wanted to share this little story to express my feelings that there's a real, honest and caring person behind all the gossip and bad press. Some have requested that I post a review after reading thier book. Kola only asked that we enjoy it.
Thanks again Kola, you've jump started our Christmas Season.
I guess this is a good time for me to thank all the authors that have sent me and Ann books over the years. I remember one year in particular in which Ann wasn't feeling to well and out of nowhere up popped a book from Sis E. along with well-wishes and words inspiration, it made our day. I can't say enough good things about this board and the people that visit, thank you all. Keep on doing what you do, we're loving it. Have a Merry Christmas!
Carey
Carey |
Amitenejah
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 02, 2003 - 12:23 am: |
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funny how live has it's ups and downs, and how what take you up at times takes you down, what a shame.
For the joy that Kola expresses in that frozen space in time, I say, Congratulations, now.
I suppose you've learned not to put all of your 'eggs in one basket', as well as not to 'burn bridges' by now, the trick to life is living, 'going with the flow', yet creating some of your own waves.
Do your thing gurl, because you are a Nubian Queen. |
Morris J. Peavey, Jr.
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 10, 2003 - 03:59 am: |
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Dear Troy:
I am new at this game although I have self-published two books. The first Mah & Family Values by Dorance Publishing Co. PA The most recent Ghettonomics Man & Myth The religion of Racism by 1stbookslibrary. From my reading it cost some money to join this book club and like I said I am new at this game of publishing books and selling books and it seem to be a tough game. I paid to publish my first work at Dorance and it costed my family $14,000 and I would have gotten $5.60 a copy from each book they would have sold had they sold any books and man that was some donkey ride. I was expected to pay for book parties, interviews and hell out of that $5.60 I was expected to feed them all over again.
And some people just don't read. Before TV they didn't read and hell some people don't read.
I am sure you read as well as write Troy. If you happen to stumble upon this note let me know how you do it. Make it to the top I mean. How do you sell books. What is the advantage of paying to join book clubs and all that kind of stuff. What is the break that even situations and please don't jerk me around like the citics give me the straight stuff. Do I have to go out here and buy up all my books to drive the points up and make the bookstores place it up front. And do you think prople are interested in a true story about the economics of the ghetto and how racism drive the whole situation. See I don't write to pander to the quims or notions of what I think others want to read. A situation is there and someone asks me and I look at it and write reality. See My mother was institutionalized in a mental hosp for over 40 years and wondered off from a nursing home and foze to death in the snow in Georgia. She died in 1995 and My oldest sister was paralyzed a few months after. She asked me to tell the world about her problems the race and sex discrimination that she suffered while working for the US States Department of Justice and I wrote MaH & Family Values. You would think people would want to understand how a family survives such crap and down right evil. Nope they don't want to know or maybe its me. Maybe I just have to pay some more dues. Maybe it like three card molly and I am just on the wrong side of the game. I think I am as good a writer as Stephen King and since I haven't read your work--maybe you. Well some have compared my work to Claude Mckay but that don't tell me how to make it sell. Should I join book clubs. If so let me know. Again as a fellow writer I wish your continued success.
Sincerely,
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Anonymous
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 02:00 am: |
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What is stopping you from marketing your books directly to the public? |
Tough Love
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 18, 2003 - 10:06 am: |
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Mr. Peavey:
Troy's claim to fame is not as an author. He is more involved with the entrepreneurial aspects of the book business.
From what you say and how you say it, you come across as being incredibly naive, someone who should've done some research before jumping into the book pool. Then you wouldn't have wasted your time and money going with a place like Dorance, just one of several "vanity" companies that exploit unsuspecting authors by appealing to their egos. And the online e-books like 1stBooks are not much better. These outfits take advantage of people who are eager to see their work in print. There are much cheaper and more effective self-publishing options available, and had you researched the matter you would've realized this. Furthermore, the market is flooded with books on the subject that you have chosen to write about, and there's not that big of an audience for it anymore. So try and be more original and quit deluding yourself into thinking that you are as good a writer as Stephen King. Get real. Hone your writing skills by taking some courses, and from what you say about what has happened in your life, you might do better fictionalizing your experiences in the form of a novel, or maybe even a memoir. |
Morris J. Peavey, jr.
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 20, 2003 - 11:39 pm: |
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Dear Tough Love:
Perhaps you've read Stephen king or perhaps you have read me. I stumbled upon this discussion board and all that is required or me is to be honest and sincere. I am not crying to you about the publishing industry. Tough as it may seem it all appears to be about money and I wouldn't attempt to compare myself to Stephen King in the sense of being anything except a writer. I won't be reduced to making it all about money. I assume you have read Stephen King's work and mine and can be qualified as a critic willing to make the statements you make. If not I think your criticisms are unfair. Perhaps after you have read more than these messages I have written to this board you will understand my statements. What I have to say at this time is clearly not fictional. It's not to be entertained as such. If you read my message to Troy a little closer you will see that I am requesting information related to marketing [i.e. the cost AALBC charge authors for services.] As you say that's Troy's forte [the business end of books]. Now can I be so far off tract. So you get with the program and help a brother out if you got all this refined info. "Horn my writting skills?" Get an editor maybe? Get an agent at about 20% maybe? Do my research---What do you think this is just another quiery letter of something like that. I am in print so this conversation is not from a person naive or egotistical. Your Tough love may just be another acronymn among the many realities existing out here that flood the market like the many real stories fictionalized to entertain those destine to sleep walk in a world where men will say anything--do anything for a dollar. In a world where Biggy Smalls is a Prophet to some. I have a poem on Linda's board which was written about ten years ago called old shoe. Check it out tell me what you think as an honest critic of the written word. In the works Ghettonomics and Mah & Family Values there are few poems in the woice of the Griot but every word is based upon truth and although I have some unpublished fiction every work that I attempt must be true to the spirit of the work. I mention Stephen King to relate to success as a writer nothing more. You use him as a paradigm and nothing less. Now be real with me at least read something I have written. This board advertises as an Afro-American literary book club. Am I naive to think this is about reader? I'll be diligent and send Troy copies of my work to review. I'll engage with the board and any other boards and in the end I will make a decision about membership, Tory's claims to fame and the likes.
I am determined to use my mind to determine what is real to me. Thank's for your premature observations. I will give more weight to them when they are either instructive or rational criticism [with a basis].
keeping it real
Love and reality |
Tough Love
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 12:13 pm: |
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"horn my writting skills" should read: "hone my writing skills." Your bad.
Speaking out of turn. My bad.
Stephen King's body of work. Priceless. |
Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, December 21, 2003 - 03:16 pm: |
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Hi Morris:
I see this is the post you were referng to on the Culture board. A couple of comments...
There is no AALBC.com "membership" in the traditional sense. Sure the "Book Club" part of the name may imply that a memebership is necessary, but it is not. Our name was created back when the book club was much more a focus.
To have your books considered for review visit http://reviews.aalbc.com/reviewer_guidlines.htm for more information
In terms of marketing your books. We offer many services most of which are catered to the authors specific needs and the budget. Much of this you will not find described on the site. Please send an email to sales@aalbc.com or call our sales manager at 908-233-2399.
Morris publishing, in the final analysis, is about the money. Unless you are intending to provide a public service out of your pocket; your revenue from selling books must exceed the cost of production and your fixed costs (food, housing, etc). As Tough Love implied, this is diffcult to do through a vanity press. I know you already know this.
I state the obvious here simply because many of the decisions required would have ideally been made before the book was written. In fact, the answers may have resulted in a decision not to write the book.
You may find the target audience is too samll to have justified the original proudction of the book. If this is true, then spending additional resources for promotion can not be justified.
It just becomes very diffcult to make the right decision regarding whether additional money should be spent on promotion after the time, money and energy have already be spent producing the book.
I definitely feel you on your desire to share a message and to contribute to enlightening our people. I hope AALBC.com can help.
Finally, we can all can use some Tough Love sometimes. |
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