Exposure

Hello! Hope you all are having a great new year so far ; ). As I mentioned in a previous post, I'm plugging away at book #4 and planning promo for book #3, DIVA'S LAST CURTAIN CALL. In planning promo for my third book, I've been noticing all of the new avenues that are popping up for black authors to promote books. Our books don't seem to get the review coverage or attention in mainstream media that other authors are getting. So, I'm especially pleased to see the following new opportunities available highlighting black books and authors.

Blacks and Books-a monthly insert focusing on books by or of interest to readers of African descent. The insert will appear in The Baltimore Times, The New York Amsterdam News, The Philadelphia Tribune and several others.

Literary Living-is a new show on the Black Family Channel. The show targets the African American book buying market. The half-hour program will take viewers on a journey through the offices and streets of New York City; will introduce some of today’s greatest publishers, authors, writers and poets.

More Than Words- is the official Books Blog for AOL Black Voices. Each week BV features a new author interview in the Books Channel, along with an excerpt from the book and five facts about the author. All interviews are done by BV's Ken Gibbs Jr.

Written-is a bimonthly black lifestyle supplement which debuted in early 2006, is aimed at a consumer market of middle-class African-Americans and reaches nearly 60,000 readers through African-American newspaper distribution.

If you're an author, I hope you can take advantage of some of these opportunites to promote your books. If you're a reader, you should be able to discover some great new authors!

Angela

Hello 2007!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a happy holiday season. To be honest, I had a really hard time getting into the holiday spirit. But, by the time Christmas rolled around I was feeling very festive. Looking back on 2006 I have to say that I'm pleased with the way things are going in my writing career. I can't say the same for my love life but I guess I can't have everything, or more to the point, everyone I want. Oh well, I'm happy to have signed a new contract for more books in my series and I'm FINALLY reaping some profits from my writing. Translation: I got my first royalty check! Talk about a Christmas present I truly was not expecting to get. But, even though I'm pleased with the way things are going so far doesn't mean I can't wish for some improvements.

My goal for 2007 is simple. I want to double my readership, which of course means I'm going to have to do lots and lots of promotion. Those of you in the book business know that book promotion is just a shot in the dark. No one seems to really know what works. I know word of mouth is essential but how does one generate that almighty BUZZ? Another goal of mine is to finish the standalone thriller I was working on before I got the greenlight for more Kendra books. I've got about four chapters of that book done and would really like to finish it. It's completely different from my series with multiple plotlines, points of view, and a more multicultural cast of characters.

My last major goal for 2007 is to raise my profile in the mystery writing world. A lot of people who read and write mysteries think that Walter Mosley is the only black person who writes mysteries. There may not be a ton of black mystery writers, and our books are mainly marketed to black readers, but our numbers are growing and we need to make our voices heard, which is why I'll be participating in the revived Authors of Color Chapter of the Sisters in Crime organization. As for what else is in store for me in 2007, I guess only time will tell. It's a mystery what the future holds and you all know how I love a good mystery ; ).

PS: Diva's Last Curtain Call won't be out until June 1st but it's already available for pre-order on Amazon as well as the mass market paperback version of Tangled Roots!

Angela