Real Talk Magazine along with Ross~Michel Publishing have collaborated to bring you what we think are 10 classic books African-Americans should include on their reading list. The following books are a great foundation on which to build your personal library. For a list of more Books That Empower CLICK HERE.
1. Destruction of Black Civilization by Chancellor Williams
2. Stolen Legacy: Greek Philosophy is Stolen Egyptian Philosophy by George G. M. James
3. They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America by Ivan Van Sertima
4. The Isis Papers: The Keys to the Colors by Dr. Frances Cress Welsing
5. Breaking the Chains of Psychological Slavery by Na’im Akbar
6. Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome: America’s Legacy of Enduring Injury & Healing by Dr. Joy Degruy Leary
7. The Mis-education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson
8. Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys by Jawanza Kunjufu
9. The Spook Who Sat By the Door by Sam Greenlee
10. The Autobiography of Malcolm X – As Told to Alex Haley by Malcolm X
Author: Deborrah Cooper
Self-publishing is the hottest trend in books, as it provides creative thinkers turned authors with a fast and easy way to get their work on the market. With the added option of “print on demand”, and desktop publishing and design software, the initial cost to get your book out can be very minimal.
Self-publishing is also the most profitable since you get to keep all the profits for yourself. IF you are committed to the work it is going to take to sell your books that is.
One of the most difficult challenges a self-published author faces is getting their book into the hands of people that will appreciate it enough to pay their hard earned money. I recall reading an article on the self-publishing industry that reported the average number of self-published books sold per author is about 100 copies!
With that horrifying number in mind, you need to roll up your sleeves and prepare to launch a focused marketing and promotion program that will have you doing at least 3 things per day every day for the next 6 months to promote your book. Remember, no one can dream your dream but you, and ultimately, you are the only one responsible for the success or failure of your book.
Start by arming yourself with as much knowledge on the subject as possible. Check out these books and websites on marketing and promoting for self-published authors:
THE SELF-PUBLISHING MANUAL by Dan Poynter is I think hands down, the best promotional book and guide to successful self-publishing for a first time author. It is easy to read and understand, and organized in a fashion that make it a valuable reference as you go through the writing and publishing process.
GUERILLA MARKETING FOR WRITERS by Jay Conrad Levinson is another easy to follow guide with more than 100 ideas for marketing and promoting your book. There are like a zillion Guerilla Marketing books covering a wide range of markets.
THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO SELF-PUBLISHING by Tom & Marilyn Ross guides authors through the entire self-publishing process from writing the first word to wildly creative ways to market the finished product.
1001 WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BOOK by John Kremer is top notch. John Kremer is a legend in the book marketing field. But there are SO many ideas presented this 3″ thick book that I found it to be somewhat overwhelming. His websites are much easier to go through for people that are A.D.D. like me!
Leveraging the power and global reach of the Internet is the next step you must take.
Every author needs a web page. Do you have one set up for your book or books yet? This site will serve as the foundation of your marketing campaign and is a step you cannot afford to skip. Your website will be used as a vehicle to promote both yourself and your work 24 hours per day. It will also display or link to book reviews, to provide the media and press with an avenue for contacting you for interviews, and will of course help you sell your product.
Your website does not have to be fancy and expensive. As a matter of fact, it is better if it’s rather non-dynamic. You want the key focus to be on your book and YOU, not your fancy FLASH intro.
After that, you need to get your book reviewed. There are mainstream book reviewers, and there are many niche market reviewers as well. Check out John Kremer’s list of newspaper reviewers at BookMarket.Com.
Authors of Black books have many options available.
When seeking reviews, be prepared to send out a copy of your book along with a headshot photograph, author contact information, and information on where your book can be purchased. This is when you would mention your wonderful new website! Here is a list of Black book reviewers and sites:
QBR The Black Book Review
QBR is a reliable source for what is current in Black books. QBR also produces the Harlem Book Fair, the largest African American book Fair nationally, held annually in New York City.
Felicia Pride’s Black Books Blog – More Than Words
Felicia reviews and blogs about Black books on AOL’s Black Voices channel.
African American Literature Book Club (AALBC)
The largest site on the web focusing on Black books.
The RawSistaz
This group of ladies provides casual reviews of a wide variety of books, all written by African American authors.
Let’s Talk Honestly with George Cook
George provides free interviews with Black authors which are posted as pod casts each week on this popular website.
The Black Issues Book Review
This the only nationally distributed magazine devoted exclusively to covering the latest news and reviews on black books.
Now you have a published book and a couple of great reviews. It’s time to contact Black bookstores in your area. Go visit them with your book in hand, introduce yourself, and ask if they will either carry your book or allow you to have a book signing in their store.
Book retailers usually receive a rather large discount from the cover price (as much as 60%). Since each independent retailer has its own sales agreement and terms, all I can tell you is to be sure to read each carefully.
Make sure the terms regarding book returns, payment dates, and merchandise delivery are spelled out clearly and to your satisfaction before signing on the dotted line.
Writing, researching and editing your book is certainly a lot of hard work, but that is just the beginning. All that work pales in comparison to the long hours and the effort you must put into getting your name out there and your book noticed every single day until you reach your sales and financial goals.
I cannot describe with words the deep sense of satisfaction one gets when you open up a package from your publisher and find the first copy of a real book that has your name on it. And selling thousands of those books is certain validation that what you have to say has value and is important to others.
Get busy making it happen!
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/self-publishing-articles/african-american-authors-promote-and-sell-your-selfpublished-black-book-416740.html
About the Author:
Deborrah is a relationships expert and self-published author of the hilarious guide to modern dating entitled: “Sucka Free Love – How to Avoid Dating The Dumb, The Deceitful, The Dastardly, The Dysfunctional & The Deranged.” Order your copy today at http://www.suckafreelove.com
In the past few years the topic of homosexuality became a hot-button issue within the African-American community (AAC).
Everywhere you turned we were talking about the so-called “Down Low” phenomenon. Down low is slang for males who have sex with other males as well as with women, but they don’t consider themselves gay or bisexual.
In talking about the “Down Low” or homosexuality there was one question that got little attention:
Has homosexuality always been a part of African/Black culture or is it a form of cultural genocide orchestrated by the system of racism/white supremacy?
It’s a provocative question and one worth exploring especially now since gay rights are taking a prominent place on the political, social and cultural landscape. And it’s a question that is addressed by the book Homosexuality and the Effeminization of Afrikan Males.
The author is professor and scholar Dr. Mwalimu K. Bomani Baruti. Here’s a snippet from the Introduction:
This book is a discussion of only one assault on Afrikan manhood. It is an analysis of the attempt by Europeans to turn many Afrikan males into females. This conscious act is twofold. One, remove Afrikan men as a threat by having them internalize a powerless, immature malehood instead of a strong, conscious manhood as adults. Two, elevate the highly questionable ‘manhood’ of adult European males to that of the model manhood by lowering our standards of manhood beneath theirs.
The book is very well-written and well researched. It does not attack gay people. Rather it offers the reader an insightful look into homosexuality from a historical, social, cultural, psychological, and political standpoint and how it impacts Black men in particular and the AAC in general.
Check it out for yourself…Homosexuality and the Effeminization of Afrikan Males.
Well, according to the video below the answer is yes. The African-American community (AAC) has lost its righteous mind – and its way.
This is especially true since the social engineering experiment called integration. And what is integration? The ILLusion of inclusion.
Since then the AAC has only gotten worse spiritually, morally, culturally, educationally, and economically.
The following is a video for There Was A Time (Love, Peace & Soul) which is taken from the book Face Tha Fiyah.
You can purchase, download and/or learn more about Face Tha Fiyah by clicking on the tab above or clicking HERE.
Plantation Love Song (Remix) is one of the poems from the book Face Tha Fiyah. It takes on the “jungle fever” phenomenon among African-American male athletes.
You may purchase, download and/or learn more about Face Tha Fiyah by clicking on the tab above or clicking HERE.
