@ Anastasia Ashman ... I totally get what you mean. In fact, that's the marketing angle I'm taking--I'm trying to "normalize" my work. I do understand the perspective that I'm going to be labeled as Af Am fiction by booksellers, publishers, etc., but for me, it's important that my own personal brand reflect a more macro strategy. It's a Catch-22.

I absolutely agree with Anastasia and I think it was very well said. Why does race need to play a part in this discussion at all? Why was it not an option to just tell us about your book, give us excerpts and encourage us to tell all our friends? Ultimately people will buy a book or tell their friends about it based on the story and its merit, not because of the author's race or because of their friend's races. I agree that the publishing world is still stuck in the segregated 1950s in many ways, however posts like this only encourage people to reproduce the same stereotypes. As a woman of color myself, I feel we should be challenging the publishers on these issues, not soliciting supporters based on their race.

Just a note to say that I admire your post, too, (and frankly it made me giggle, at least in the beginning: "And people, even my husband is White. Actually, he’s Spanish, but if you saw him walking down the street, you’d definitely peg him for a White guy"--great use of tone, here!), and will tweet your book. Actually, I'll tweet this whole discussion b/c I think it's important. Anyway, good luck!

I believe I understand the tongue in cheek you were going for Lori. But then, I would, wouldn't I? :)

Lori,

You sparked such a feeling in me yesterday that this is what today's post is on my blog...I hope you don't mind!

www.themanyshadesoflove.blogspot.com

Amy

Thank you for sharing this issue. I'll be honest, I didn't even know black authors were placed somewhere different in the bookstore. That is a real shame to be honest.

I'll gladly let me book group know about your book. We read The Help earlier in the year and had one of our best discussions to date, so it's a good bet they will love your book.

Hi Ladies,

I'm so thrilled at the number of comments. Thank you all so much for adding your voice to this conversation. I'm sorry I don't have enough time to address each person individually but I would really like to say thank you to all of you who have jumped on my bandwagon and offered to buy, support and or promote my work. I really, really appreciate it.

I do want to clarify a few things that some of you hinted at. I really don't walk around placing my friends and acquaintances in a color box. In fact, my life's work is about doing just the opposite. Feel free to check out my blog to see what I mean. But since this column, Countdown to Publication, is about the launch of my first novel, I had to dedicate a post to this very delicate issue.

As a person who grew up mostly with White friends and very few Black friends, it is the Universe's greatest joke that as an author I have to somehow convince the publishing industry, booksellers, and the media that my work would be of interest to people who don't have the same amount of melanin as I do. But again, this is the world we live in so I am aware that I need to make a conscious effort to reach out to non-Black tastemakers so that they know my work exists. That being said, I know that I do already have a wonderful fan base of readers of every hue, and I do cherish them. I do not take them for granted.

And why am I bringing up this topic to the SheWrites family. Somebody suggested that I'm kind or preaching to the choir. And I hope that it is clear that the purpose of my column is to showcase what I'm doing to prep for my book's release. My reasoning for writing this post was to explain yet another component of my publicity campaign, reaching out to non-Black readers. My hope was to enlighten but also to solicit shared experiences or even suggestions on how to capture the attention on non-Black readers. My plan is to build by word of mouth or word of blog as the case may be, but again, since we still live in a segregated America, (Did you know most book clubs --like churches -- are color coded?) like a game of operation with a missing link, the word of mouth never crosses over to the other side.

At the end of the day, I wish I could just write my books, and let the world discover them on their own. But that's never going to happen. I, just like every other writer out there, have to do my part to promote my work to the audiences I think will enjoy the book. And truth be told, I'm probably going to make some special efforts to reach Latina and Asian readers as well because I know my work isn't being marketed to them either.

Anytime we talk sales and marketing people get shoved into categories. And while I abhor the practice, I know it works (I used to be a publicist in a former life.).

Thanks again all of you for your excellent remarks and food for thought.

Hi Lori, I will order your book and if I think it's engaging and a 'must read' will recommend it. Thanks for the heads up. The Best, j.d. daniels

I appreciate that this dialogue has been happening more frequently. I am in the same boat, Lori. I like that my White friends are excited about my forthcoming novel, Bloodlines, but I also understand that they are a small segment of the market I'm trying to reach. As you said, not every book is for everybody, and I would consider my book, but for the fact that I am classified as "African-American fiction," is more contemporary, mainstream fiction. My books feature characters of varying backgrounds. I admit that I've always been disappointed in books labeled "African-American fiction" when the characters are all black--frankly, that is not real life and I like believable stories.

I will promote it on my facebook and I am white. I have many friends who are ethnically diverse but I hear and understand what you are saying. Good luck.

Everything I had published, I wrote as a man! But, I'm older person...Remember George Sands?

I looked at your book on Amazon, and they have bunched it with other "black" books. I have never published, but I know how to sell things. My black friend, who does write, and has been published didn't like "The Help" as she said the white southerners didn't have a dialect, yet the blacks did. I agree. I've lived all over the place, and know that is true...My black friend had a black maid! She lived in a mansion in Maryland. Due to bad circumstances, she had to move to Mississippi, where race seems to be talked about all the time!
Why don't you write a book under a different name and just be white? I once wrote a piece for my boy friend so we could hurry and go on a date. He was on the football team. It took me 1/2 hr. to write his piece and for mine, I took three days...same class...He got an A and I got a C...that's predjudice. If you wrote like Jodi, or Kathryn, it will sell. Our book club bought those books. Just that you got published is wonderful! I believe some authors who became famous later wrote books under a pen name, and some under their own name that didn't sell. In Amazon it says it hasn't been released, as I wanted to "peek" inside. It's all in the merchandising! There are books on the best seller list that are not that good! Good luck!

@Sweepy, nobody has a built in audience. You have to woo your readers-- whatever color they are. My black female readers are not a starter audience. I think of them as my base.

I forgot to add, that I am looking forward to the publication of "Substitute Me." It sounds like a great book.

I meant to write NOT referring to yourself as a Black Author...it's hard to see exactly what I'm typing on this tiny iPhone!!!

"And the sad fact is, I can’t change anything without some White friends. It is a statistical impossibility that Substitute Me will have a chance to shine, if only my Black friends spread the word."

Does shine=sell?

I do think that only readers can change other readers' habits, but this really hurt my heart to read. It's really disturbing that a black writer has to sort of roll out her white credentials to her appeal to market her book. This really made me feel sad. I know the tone is sort of tongue-in-cheek, but it reminded me of the early slave narrative when authors have to have a white person to vouch for them.

I would like to just say that I do feel very loved and supported by the readers that I have. They are not all black women, but many are. They take excellent care of me. When I seem blue on my blog, they may send presents to my work address, that they found on line. I want better numbers for business readers, but I do feel satisfied with the connection that I have with my existing readers. They mean a lot to me and I am so grateful for what they contribute to my life. They make my books-- and me-- shine and shine and shine.

The reason I am adding this, although it is off-topic, is that it is easy for black writers to accidentally marginalize the black women readers that have been there since day one and will be there until the end.

Interesting post...
The first thing you may want to consider doing is referring to yourself as a Black author. For example, I am an author - who happens to be Black. In my opinion, there are "Black Authors" who purposely write about the Black experience, historical Black facts, Black culture, African-American contemporary issues- this is their chosen purpose for writing; they are "Black Authors" by niche. I understand racial lines in different industries (to include books) and am not discounting quantitative facts, but perhaps those lines are unintentionally drawn thicker with this appeal??? Think about the description and marketing of your book so that it will more naturally appeal to wider audiences: What venues are you advertising in, is there a racial predominance in those venues? How are you describing your book, are you focusing on the racial differences between the women as a significant phenomenon of the work? Are you referring to yourself as a "Black Author" in interviews and (other) write ups? My book, SHEgo, bears no significance around race - the main character could be any one of us and is described so that one can understand her person, yet imagine her in any form the mind crafts. I've been shown a lot of love by She Writes members (to include Black, White, and the rainbow alike). I feel the sisterhood of support this site provides. I trust all my She Writes sister will buy and refer SHEgo because the description sounded interesting and the loved it when they read, so they passed the title along to their friends. Let us not pretend that each and every one of us is not different from the other, but let's not perseverate on it either. Trust in the merit of your work my sister, don't make pleas from fears that others may not have a part in and alienate them, thereby possibly isolating yourself from the love of these members. Let's all continue to support one another- that's what She Writes has been about for me. Best of luck to you in selling lots of books! :0) Sincerely, Tania Zaverta Chance , (just) Author. Check out SHEgo at: www.taniazavertachance.com

Reading your story, I couln't help but think how similar our lives are, Lori. I'm from Jamaica and my grandmother was caucasion( I didn't know that because in Jamaica, race is irrelevant). My best friends were indian, caucasion and latino's but were were all marry into each others family so there's no need for racism,...so think of coming to the US where most people expected you to date within your race or where regular conversations was an eye-opening. It was awful for a while until I realize that I didn't have to shoose. That the two wonderful women of the two different races who created me were phenomenal women and I am proud of both of them and the strength, courage, patience and tenacity they both bestowed. I am glad I was born in Jamaica because it allowed me to never see color. Our motto, out of many, one people and my wonderful son has adopted the same principle. I will certainly pass your title on to my friends and will pick up a copy. Thanks for the inspiration. Also, I'm looking for romance writers for a new genre so if you are interested, tell your friends and drop me a line.

Hello, Lori,

I am a White person, though I tend to think of myself as white. I am all over this one. I have two kids, also white and also Jews. Through their pre-school community, we have a very open, dialogue-oriented approach to race (as to gender and gender issues, economic class, ability or able-ness, however you choose to say it, and religion/faith). I am proud to say I have not made any attempt to raise my children "race-neutral.'" We want them look at race as a critical part of everyone's experience, to look at differences with out placing value on them.

The sentence that caught my eye was "I love White people." One of the things our project has discovered (through 'Nurture Shock') is that it is important for white children to hear their parents say, "I like brown people."

I have been itching to get my hands on this topic in a broader way. If you are amenable, I think I may have found my way in. Can we talk?

I would love to read your book to see if it is a good one for me to submit for review. (You can check out page page or my blog to see where I publish.) If not, or perhaps even better, let's talk about some sort of profile piece.

Thank you for opening this discussion to white people.

Alle C. Hall

PS. to Britni, below: I feel the same way in regards to writing about surviving childhood trauma.

It's sad that this is what book promotion has come to for black writers. It actually pains me, especially as an aspiring novelist, that I have to think about luring white folks to like my work. I hope they (and everybody else) like my work because they find it interesting.

GOOD Luck! I'm sure your book is amazing and i CAN'T wait to read it!

~britni
www.thissideofthewall.com

I appreciate your willingness to ask and will be delighted to help buzz. Also since you touch on women and their power relationships and my book, No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think About Power is a nonfiction look at women and power, I would love love love to have a guest post from you for my Heartfeldt blog, which I would then promote on social media. If interested, message me at [email protected].

I will read your book and if I like (which it sounds like I will) I will gladly refer it to all of my white friends. I understand and it's sad that you had to have that conversation :(

We feel you. We support you. We applaud you. We too have many, many white friends and a number of white readers who don't see color in our books, but rather story...story they can relate to about characters living lives they understand. Sigh. All we can do is keep writing what we write---and talking about this dirty little subject out loud.

My life, my life! Awkward race converstion is what I live on a daily basis. It's still crazy to me but it's life. I write about this very fact at www.themanyshadesoflove.blogspot.com. I am also starting a book based on just that! So I get you, I know exactly what you are saying, and I will be happy to be your "white friend!" =) I just finished reading "The Help" and loved it. I would love to read your book as well! I will pass the word to my "white friends" book clubs, my white Mother who works in a book store and many more! Ha ha, I am laughing as I keep writing "white." It's so silly even though it's reality! Good luck and I look forward to reading!

Sincerely,

Amy.....Your new "white friend" =)