I am publishing a book this spring entitled "Why Men Fear Marriage." It is written by a very talented author, who has a bunch of successful novels. As a man, in his thirties who has been running away from the altar, he wanted to put the reasons why in a book for women -- all women -- to gain some insight into the mind of a man. It's brilliant. There's only one problem. He's black.
The College Survival Guide
A Fridge
Regardless of whether you have a wonderful sized meal plan, your fridge may come in handy with leftovers or when you feel like stocking it with bottled drinks.
Computer
The convenience of a computer is essential when sending your kids off to college. Forget the hike to the computer lab across campus students need a computer in the comfort of their room. A printer comes in handy as well. Depending on whether your child plans to carry his laptop around campus, you might opt for a desk top since they're lighter on the pockets.
Snacks
You will surely survive with off of a meal plan but it doesn't hurt to stock up on snacks when you don't feel like leaving your dorm room. Bottled water, pop corn, cereal and Ramen noodles are all low budget snacks to stock up on. Just be weary of the freshman 15.
Things from home
Some college students suffer from homesickness the first year. It's best to surround yourself with things like photos of the family, pillows or even stuffed animals. Anything that reminds your child of home.
MP3 Player
With all the stress that comes from school and exams, sometimes it's nice to block out the chaos in your life and even your roommate with music. It's nearly impossible to find students walking to class who aren't jamming to tunes.
Budget
Students who enter college often come in at the ripening age of 18. A great time for credit cards. Parents beware, your child may end up ruining their credit at a young age
Alarm Clock
When you're in college you don't have the luxury of getting awaken by your parents. It's now your responsibility to get to class on time so alarm clocks are a must. But keep your roommate in mind. You shouldn't wake him up ever morning with a blow horn alarm.
Cleaning supplies
Now you don't necessarily need to bring in the rubber gloves, mop and gas mask but it doesn't hurt to bring along Clorox all purpose wipes for spills or dust. Vacuums and brooms come in handy too depending if you have a carpeted dorm.
Bedding
What most parents aren't aware of is that most college beds are twin sized but extra long and require special sheets. When shopping keep your eye open for sheets that clearly state 'extra long' or else your child may come up short.
Shower shoes
You really don't know what some people do in the shower these days. College showers are known to be creeping with germs so spare yourself the fungus and purchase flip flops for the shower. You'll thank us later!
I had lunch with a major publisher yesterday and we discussed the placement of this book. She suggested selling it as a "black" book because he has an audience and a track record there. But I feel it will be a disservice to him. Aren't there millions of white women who aren't married and want to know why? And would they pick up this book if it were in the black section?
So the larger question then becomes, do white people buy "black books" or books by black authors? We know they buy black music. But it hasn't yet been proven in book publishing.
Penguin released a very powerful money book last year entitled "Get Real, Get Rich." The cover is very generic, no author photo, and no references to any ethnicity or race. The author, Farrah Gray happens to be black, but Penguin decided to sell it as a mainstream money book.
It didn't sell well, despite being excellent. Would it have done better if it were a black book?
"The ghettoizing of books can actually help sales," said Tracy Sherrod, of the Tracy Sherrod Literary Agency, once a senior editor at Pocket Books and Henry Holt. "It makes it easier for an audience to find that author. I believe if black people knew that a black man wrote 'Get Real, Get Rich,' it would have done much better. You find oftentimes once we put our stamp of approval on something, white people-even if it's out of curiosity-will try it. That's what happened with Terry McMillan."
I'll admit, when I go into a bookstore, I do head to the African-American section first to see what's there. But I also get a little annoyed that the section is buried somewhere in the back of the store. And I wonder what would happen if we eliminated the black section. Categories are necessary. They have Religion, Young Adult, Self-Help, Financial and a bunch of other sections.
But Black or African-American, is that necessary? Or should our books be mainstreamed in according to the subject matter just the way everyone else's books are?
Comments: (31)
Add a comment
By: Danette Chavis on 11/11/2008 12:28PM
There may be millions of white women who aren't
married and want to know why, but it is highly
unlikely they'll turn to a black male author to
find out why. If the author has an audience in
the "black book section" why should he abandoned it
in favor of going mainstream? Good information is
good information and if that is what he has, he
can't help but to branch out into mainstream via word
of mouth -even if he remains in the "black section".
In the case of Terry McMillian, "word of mouth" played
a huge part in getting the author's work known, that
coupled with the curiosity of whites concerning the
sexuality of black females. "How stella got her groove
back" was indeed of interest to whites and to blacks.
We should indeed put our stamp of approval on books
we find beneficial to us - and then spread the word.
If whites are able to benefit from the reading of our
authors - fine. But the focus should be "For us by Us". If they want to read, let them read. Let them come in "search" of our "knowledge" our "wisdom" and our "understanding" which is able to shed "light" in "darkplaces". "Light" that can be found in "The Black Section".
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Carleen on 11/11/2008 4:24PM
In a tight marketplace, I'm grateful for the "black book" designation. Anything to get my novels in front of folks who might want to read them. However, it saddens me that it seems necessary, that while I read authors regardless of race, many do not. Many readers, black and white, said that Orange Mint and Honey was "universal." Hoping that maybe as our nation's consciousness seems to have been raised during the election the trend might trickle over to books. There's lots more that's universal out there. We'll see....
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Chenise Lytrelle on 11/11/2008 6:38PM
I celebrate the accomplishments of authors...a good book is a good book...end of discussion. Do publishing companies post books in a "white" section? Of course not! Do black people buy books written by people of other nationalities? Of course we do! Why then must we be placed in a corner and marketed to ONLY a set group of people? The answer is clear, our voice is not appreciated, our green dollars are apparently not recognized and our words (according to publishers like the one referred to in this blog) are only important to a specific group of people. The truth is that yes, we may appeal majorly to one market, but it by no means diminishes our ability to touch the hearts of anyone, regardless of the color of the people in the story we're telling, the poems we're writing, etc...we, too, are America, and our voice is relevant to ALL!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: RM Johnson on 11/11/2008 8:47PM
As a black author, I'm torn on this issue. Early in my career, I was strongly opposed to the serparation of black books from white books, at least as they are displayed and sold in stores. But what I've come to realize, is that the separation makes it much easier for our books to be located by our fans. But again, it's at the sacrafice of all other ethnic groups reading and buying our work. As an author who wants to go "mainstream", not sellout, or crossover, but simply appeal to as many readers as possible, I believe, consdiering the bias that many whites have for books written by blacks, it might be necessary to conceal the identity of our authors till those hesitant, or ignorant individuals realize the information is just as valuable, despite the race of the writer.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Kimberley K. Baker on 11/11/2008 9:18PM
I'm black but first and foremost I'm an author. Some of my main characters are white and/or of other nationalities. I think it limits the author when we only market them to black comsumers. I feel it should be the author's choice and if at all possible the book should be place in both sections African American and mainstream. Publishing World for black authors is still an uphill battle. I honestly feel of the biggest problems is we don't have enough representation in large publishing firms to be a voice for us therefore we are confined to one section.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Michael "Bart" Mathews on 11/12/2008 10:31AM
I was a Black American basketball player, playing in Europe, one of two Blacks allowed per team. Very few people of color attended the games, press conferences etc. I or we as a team was marketed throughout the MAINSTREAM MEDIA. Now, as a black author, I use the same markering system to market my book. The Black book section adds world wide exposure for people of color that only shop in that section. Markering in mainstream book sections adds a better world wide market place for the Black author to have his/her work accepted by mainstream readers. I read books because of my needs reguardless of the nationality of who wrote it. First, I view the small tiny section that is reserved for Black authors because I want to support people of color just like I am seeking support from them. Mainstreet is like having no blue states, no reds states, just one United States.
WHY CAN`T WE HAVE BOTH!!!
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Linda A. Haywood on 11/12/2008 12:11PM
I vote for having both. As an African American reader I do not confine my reading to books written by African American authors. As an author, I'm happy to have my book available to African Americans. However, I don't believe that the things that I have experienced in my life (domestic abuse, substance abuse, etc.)are experiences experienced only by African Americans. I would hope to my books marketed among African Americans and mainstream audiences.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Tierra on 11/12/2008 1:15PM
Personally, as a reader, I enjoy the convenience of being able to go right to the Black section of the bookstore to pick up my favorite authors. However, I know all my authors by name, so it doesn't agitate me to have to go to the D's to look for Eric Jerome Dickey or to the M's for Walter Mosley. I think putting them in the Black section is a disservice to the author because it limits their exposure. It seems to me that if their work was located in their respective genres and not off to the side, they would be able to pull more readers of all backgrounds... which is essentially the point of writing a book, for people to read it. I also think that we would be exposed to more authors. When I shop in certain bookstores that don't have a Black section, I occasionally walk out with a novel from someone other than those found on my Black List. And I enjoy them just as much because they're just as interesting as the books I typically read. Integrate the books! LOL
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Harriet on 3/04/2009 5:28PM
I remember reading of James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni protesting in the late 50s and early 60s. They were trying to find thier niche as Black writers who wrote for Black people while facing white literary criticism. They wanted, and deserved, respect for being Black authors whose work reflected the loves, llives and concerns of Black People. Today, much hasn't changed. Black authors are now trying to find their niche on the bookshelves. I don't really understand this. I would think that a Black author would be elated with a special section in a bookstore designed especially for them and their particular readership. But that isn't the case, because we want our books placed alongside the white authors books in the bookstores. Why is that? Do we believe that it will increase sales and cross over into mainstream (white) America? This is certainly what many of us hope, but it is not the case. White America has never "sought out" our stories or particular brand of wisdom. What the Black Author must do is write with passion, promote with tenacity and share thier work with the world. This involves public readings and interaction with the community. This will do far more to boost your appeal to mainstream America than will shelf position. Wanting to be placed next to "Becky's book" will not be beneficial for the Black writer. Just as have our children in the classroom, the Black book faces getting "lost" in the crowd. I personally prefer to go into a bookstore (especially the larger ones) that have a designated Black Book section. I like the convenience. Most of my reading is by Black authors and for Black audiences so I find this tremendously helpful. I mostly read non-fiction works and they are easily found by subject. When it comes to novels, most people look for author's names. I read books by authors whom aren't Black, but when I get ready for those I mostly peruse the discount or markdown tables. Since the internet, the value of the printed word has dropped drastically, and during the holidays, many gifts are extracted from these discount tables for no more than two to three dollars. When I consider that I purchased a copy of Hillary Clinton's autobiography for three dollars from a discount table in a major bookstore, I realize that bookshelf status means very little. Perhaps Black authors should be more concerned with writing good literature as opposed to shelf postition, when nine times out of ten, their books are going to end up on the discount table anyway.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Ronald R. Hanna on 11/14/2008 8:40AM
I write fine literature. I'm black. Many of my characters are black, and the settings are in black neighborhoods in a few. I also worked for an international organization in D.C., with 70 percent foreign nationals. In a novel about how terrorism affects internationals here in D.C. and in NYC, most of my characters were foreign nationals.
I'm black. I write mainstream fiction, mostly action adventure. They are not "black" novels. They are considered fine mainstream literature, some having black characters.
Reply to this Comment | Report This