| Author |
Message |
    
Linda
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Linda
Post Number: 147
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 12:43 pm: | 
|
Hello all
After reading all the many titles you all supplied on the "what are you reading post", I was wondering...what if any) are your methods of choosing what you read? I know it is part word-of-mouth for some and the reading bug for others. But what really is it you look for when deciding on what book you would like to read next? Does your genre diversify or do you just stick with one? Are you looking for only AA or a mixture? Where would you like AA authors to explore next, once urban has become boring and romance not so romantic. What do you see as the next genre of mass readership and do you expect to see many AA authors going there? I know...I have a lot of questions...take your pick and let me hear some of your thoughts... |
Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 209
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 12:54 pm: |
|
Hi Linda,
Ok, i pick a book, sometimes based upon word of mouth, recommendations and other times subject matter. I read both AA books and all the others. Most of the books that I read that are non-AA, are in the mystery/suspense/thriller/horror category, because we have very few AA authors writing in this genre, but the ones that do, I read. Like right now I'm reading Brandon Massey's "Dark Corner" and will read "Within the Shadows" next. I purchase books from other authors as well, whether its a genre i regularly read or not, but because i wish to support them in their endeavors. In fact i have so many books, and not even enough time to read them, but I plan on getting to them all, for instance i purchased "Dark Corner", over a year ago, and i am now just getting to read it. I would love to see AA authors do more mystery/suspense/thriller/horror/paranormal/fantasy and sci-fi. I'm even trying to break my way into the suspense/thriller genre, a lot of non-AA's publishers, agents ain't hearing that though, it seems they just want us all to be jump on the same bandwagon of street lit or erotica, but I think we are a diverse group and our interests are just as diverse, in other words, whats good for the goose is surely good for the gander. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1272
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 01:49 pm: |
|
hey linda, sisg
I pretty much will read anything by any author whose writing catches my attention. As for genres of the future--I'd like to see an AA author tackle the politics of the world at large--how current events are shaping our future and what our future will look like even five years from now.
Hey Sisg! how have you been? I've been away from the boards taking care of business so did your book ever get published? If so, how are your sales doing.
Also Linda, are your books published by a major publishing house? If so,Did you have an agent broker the deal for you? How many books have you written?
If a well known agent who has brokered major deals for other authors tells you they want to represent you--what is the minimum advance you should accept for a first novel they sell? Is there any amount that is too small?
What about agent's cut--is 15% the norm?
Thank you for any info you can give me on this. |
Linda
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Linda
Post Number: 148
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 08:28 pm: |
|
Hey Sisgal and Awoman
Sisg: Hmmm...interesting you mention mystery/suspense/etc., and the lack of AA authors. I noticed it a while back and I have been toying with it for a minute now and find it very challenging, though most of the authors I have been studying are white. I must admit it is a job keeping all the elements of such a story intact and am in no way ready to release it. I wish there were more AA authors writing in this form so I could have the experience of their expertise as well...shhhhhoooooot!
Awoman: Wow, so many questions. You starting to sound like me girl. Let's see...(1) No, I'm not with a major house. I like my freedom of creativity too much to fit in a cookie cutter mold. (2) I have written two novels and several poetry chapbooks as of date. My next two will be released in November and my next one in Febuary. (3) This is why I like my freedom. The advances for a new relatively unknown author is much too low for my expectations and I don't need the pressure of knowing I have to write what a major house wants, that I need their approval, must sale as much as they want, do just as much work/marketing as I would if I self-publish or have to give back the advance in the event the book fails. I take my own loss and gain...no middle man. However 15% is pretty much the norm and the decison to give up part of your duckies is truly one you should explore through a lawyer. Know your rights and what you are getting into before you sign on the dotted line. Remember all that glitters is not gold. The world of writing looks pretty glamorous when you are on the outside looking in. It's a different scene once you get inside. LOL |
Sisg
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Sisg
Post Number: 210
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 09:18 pm: |
|
Heyyyy Awoman,
How you been? Yes, it's been a long time and it's good to hear from you. No, my book hasn't been released yet, but i'm told, soon! Linda, i am seriously toying with the ideal of publishing on my own. Tired of searching for agents, and submitting to publishers who are looking for what is in now. My next book, and probably a re-release of another book i've done will be published under my own umbrella, my publishing company i just formed. I've got at least two other authors who are ready and willing to publish under my umbrella. It's a risk, i know, but i hear you on the freedom thing, and this way what i put in, i get out, plus i write what i want and publish what i want. So tired of these mega institutions dictating what we should be writing. Hell, i'm shooting for the stars, maybe even becoming the mega-publishing house for AA fiction...why not! I'm still learning, a little wet behind the ears in publishing, but i've done my research, learned from others mistakes and i've got FAITH! |
Linda
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Linda
Post Number: 149
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, October 11, 2005 - 11:31 pm: |
|
Sisg
Congrats on taking that leap. I know it is a lot of work, but well worth it. The only limit is you as to how far you go. (lol) I look forward to seeing your name on the stars. I plan on being in that constellation myself. |
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1278
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 08:26 am: |
|
Hey Linda, Sisg,
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INSIGHT!! I really appreciate the tips and I will consider them. There really is a lot more to this business than writing a book and getting it published! So much to consider, Linda as you say, BEFORE signing on the dotted line. I haven't read your books yet, Linda but I'd like to. Where can I get them?
I emailed E. Lynn Harris and he was kind enough to share his views of life in publishing, but I guess it's a whole different set of rules once you've "made it".
Sisg,
Good luck with all your ventures! Who knows--I might come knockin on YOUR door some day! Take care. And I will be looking for your books soon. |
Linda
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Linda
Post Number: 150
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 03:58 pm: |
|
Awoman
You can order Althea, by Linda Watkins, through AALBC.com or amazon.com or Borders.com. The others are out of print. You may also pre-order my next two, Keep It Moving and On a Dime, by sending me your adress so I can send you an order form and place you as well on my mailing list.
Linda@aalbc.com
|
A_womon
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: A_womon
Post Number: 1286
Registered: 05-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 05:17 pm: |
|
Thanks Linda,
Im going to email you the information either later tonight or tomorrow.
I want to talk to you offline anyway. |
Emanuel
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Emanuel
Post Number: 99
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, October 12, 2005 - 09:53 pm: |
|
Hi all,
I'm going to take a guess and say that the next hot genre will be spiritual and religious novels. As we're starting to see more natural disasters such as hurricanes, tsunamis, and major earthquakes that effect us more, and people will be searching for answers-not just in religious texts but in literature. Now that would be a total 360 from the hood, hip hop books huh?
I choose the books I want to read by reading bestseller lists on Amazon, BN.com, Essence, and NY Times. I also read recommendations from messageboards like this one, electronic newsletters from authors, and reviews, mostly from my home newspaper.
I prefer reading for information more than entertainment. I mostly like books on sales, marketing, and business (relevant to my career) but I also like different genres from African Americans (even some street lit) and the occasional humor book. Books that decribe the human condition and what we can do to make it better are great. I love spoken word but cannot stand to read poetry. I prefer not to read religious-based books. And I will read anything by bell hooks-brilliant. |
Blkmalereading
Veteran Poster
Username: Blkmalereading
Post Number: 63
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 01:50 pm: |
|
Hello All:
I think I will jump in on this subject. Emmanuel i think the religious/spiritual books are already an established genre. Like so many of the other genres in the AA lit community it's at the point of saturation.
I do agree with you that the back to back national disasters will spawn a few books. I believe they will be more in the non-fiction arena and maybe a few 'new age' type books (a la Dan Brown), now I'm not sure if AAs will jump on this bandwagon.
We are already seeing the celebrity memoirs and tell all books: I think we see many AA celebrities jumping on this wagon in the next year. (Dennis Rodman's new book is suppose to be a tell all hoot). I hope we will expand with all sorts of books: the field is wide open for political type books, both non-fictional and satirical. I think Africans not from America will write the next few attention getting books (as we see with Zadie Smith and the Nigerian sister). There's a good book coming out or out dealing with the Rwanda situation written by someone in the Rwandan parliament. The field is wide open for cookbooks, relationship building books, social commentary within fiction and non-fiction. Speculative fiction will continue to grow (hopefully), AA travel books are in dire need of a few good writers, home improvement, self-help etc. The field is wide open and I hope our authors will explore some different subjects and themes.
I usually choose the books that I read by just browsing the library shelfs. The cover or title of a book captures my attention, I also have a few friends in America and aboard who share my same reading taste and will make sure to tell me about a must read type of book. I read all genres (rarely erotica, romance, chick lit, street etc). I read a lot of AA authors but also enjoy African, caribbean and other cultures, Asian authors are writing some interesting books.
I wanted to give you guys a list of AA authors who write speculative/horror/sci-fi type books:
Octavia Butler
Steven Barnes
Nalo Hopkinson
Tananarive Due
Brandon Massey (horror)
Samuel R. Delaney
Charles Saunders
John Faucette
Walter Mosely
Derrick Bell
Jewelle Gomez
These are some of the better known authors but I also have a list of small press and self-published if you need others names. There are quite a few new authors that are doing some interesting work with this speculative fiction genre. I think in order to write well in this genre, you really have to have an imagination and interest in the future or a vision of a different type of world. You also need to do your homework, reading science books, finding out what's the next thing that's happening in that world and using your imagination to bring it all together. IMO a good speculative/sci-fi writer is able to write an imaginary world or characters but make it believable. That is the trick and to tie all of that together in a good and interesting plot. Not many are able to this - and do it well. But I would LOVE to see more books written by AAs in this genre. |
Blkmalereading
Veteran Poster
Username: Blkmalereading
Post Number: 64
Registered: 02-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, October 13, 2005 - 02:00 pm: |
|
oops. fictional - should of been non-fiction.
and shelves (geeze didn't I learn that in the 3rd grade).
Sorry about that but you got the point. |
777
First Time Poster
Username: 777
Post Number: 1
Registered: 10-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 01:00 pm: |
|
Hey folks, I'm a 1st time user. I think the next popular genre will be Church Drama (not Christian inspirational, but Christian church drama) and also what I think will be a popular movement is novels for the young AA audience. So all those that write for the teen and young audience, get your keyboard fired up!
|
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 2848
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, October 21, 2005 - 05:18 pm: |
|
I think you're probably right about the teen novels. (a black Harry Potter?)I'm also wondering if there will be rash of "disaster" novels. BTW, glad you adopted 777 as your screen name rather than 666. LOL |
Libralind2
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Libralind2
Post Number: 228
Registered: 09-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Sunday, October 23, 2005 - 10:53 am: |
|
I hope the next genre is well written (anything). I am so tired of poorly written books. As far as genre, Im all over the place. I like a smorgasbord of books that sometimes depend on a mood. For example, I may need a distraction from "life" so I dont want to read any street fiction/urban drama as I work in that daily and frankly the stuff I see is "almost" better than anything I read. Also, when I do read something I think is poorly written or the subject matter is not something Im interested in, I pick up a book I consider to be literary like Baldwin or such. Im about to read The Invisible Man after readding such a book to "clean" my palate if you will.
LiLi |
|
Email This Page