Literature, Writers
Published on July 14, 2016
Comments 25

5 Black Publishers You Should Be Supporting

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When Margaret Busby launched her publishing company in 1967, she was the youngest and first black woman to do so in England.

Decades later, when she was asked why she’d fought so hard to launch an indie publishing house, she said:

“So that you don’t only get one perspective all the time, with everything filtered through the usual gatekeepers— we know who they are, whether in London, New York or wherever… Other voices need to get a look-in, not just those that already have the power.”

Trinidad and Tobago Guardian

In 2016, the ‘usual gatekeepers’ means the Big Five – Penguin Random House, Hachette, Macmillan, HarperCollins, and Simon & Schuster.

Yes, they do publish black authors, but the volume doesn’t begin to reflect the diversity in our day-to-day lives. And with largely white commissioning editors, you have to wonder, how does that selection process work? What is their gatekeeping criteria? Which black stories do they choose to tell?

Author, Tia Williams wrote an interesting piece in Cosmopolitan magazine earlier this year about her experiences finding a publisher for her romantic comedy, The Perfect Find. Her agent shopped the rom-com to major publishers and was told the heroine didn’t explore her racial identity enough.

Williams was shocked.

“How could these non-black women decide that I, a black woman, hadn’t adequately explored my character’s race? Jenna [the heroine] isn’t struggling with her blackness, in fashion or otherwise. She’s struggling with starting over and her ticking biological clock and hiding from her boss that she’d just had an orgasm in the fashion closet with the guy three cubicles down — all multilayered, real situations that white characters are allowed to experience, no apologies.”

So, how do we tell and enjoy the stories we want to? Self-publishing is certainly one solution. Building independent publishers is another.

Here are 5 black indie publishers you should be supporting.

1. Brown Girls Publishing

This is the publishing house Tia Williams eventually signed with. It was founded by bestselling authors: ReShonda Billingsley and Victoria Christopher Murray and has a roster of over 40 authors.

2.  Cassava Republic

The African publisher is headquartered in Abuja, Nigeria and publishes everything from young adult to crime and literary fiction. In 2014 it launched the imprint, Ankara Press to focus on African romance stories. This year it opened a UK office to further its mission of introducing great African writing to the world.

3. Genesis Press. Inc

Genesis was founded in 1993 by attorneys, Wilbur and Dorothy Colom and is now one of the largest African American book publishers in the US. It started out publishing four books a year, and had climbed to 28 books after just seven years. Genesis now has eight different imprints, so whether you’re into Christian romance, erotica, interracial relationships, romantic comedy or paranormal, there’s a book line for you.

4. Farafina Books

Farafina Books is part of the non-profit Farafina Trust. The Nigerian publishing house has published over 30 titles from award-winning writers such as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Ben Okri, and Ngugi wa Thiong’o. In 2009 they collaborated with a British production company, Slate Films, to produce the movie, Half of a Yellow Sun.

5. Ayebia

Becky Nana Ayebia Clarke was Submissions Editor of the acclaimed imprint, Heinemann African and Caribbean Writers Series, for 12 years. There she helped publish luminaries like: Wole Soyinka, Ama Ata Aidoo, Chinua Achebe, Nadine Gordimer, Ayi Kwei Armah, Derek Walcott, Ngugi wa Thiong’o and many others. Once the series closed, Becky and her husband founded Ayebia. The publishing company strives to continue the work of unearthing African and Caribbean writing talent and sharing it with the world.

 

Can you name another black-owned publisher? Please share in the comments. Let’s lift each other up.

 

25 Comments

  3. Kristance says

    Black Classic Press, Inc., based in Baltimore, MD has been in the publishing business for the last 40 years. We are a family owned business. In 1995, we began our print-on-demand business, BCP Digital Printing. We work with independent book publishers who are seeking ways to control inventory, print in smaller quantities, and ultimately save money. We print and bind in-house. We also work with self-publishers, as their voice is also essential to telling stories of people of color. Black Classic Press can be found at http://www.blackclassicbooks.com and BCP Digital Printing can be found at http://www.agooddaytoprint.com.

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  9. Alicia Webb says

    Sable SiStars Publishing (www.sablesistars.com) currently offers titles in African American Contemporary Romance as well as Romantic Mystery and Suspense.

    Sable SiStars was created out of the appreciation for African American culture and the desire to present our literature in the most positive and powerful light.

    Our goal is to assist, support and spotlight authors who have interesting and creative stories to tell, in addition to providing readers with literature reflecting the best of our culture.

    We are committed to showcasing the best books in Contemporary Fiction, Romance, Mystery & Suspense as well as titles for African American children and teens.

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  12. Marie Antionette says

    Cauzing Elevation Publishing, LLC, is a multi-genre publishing imprint launched by Trenton, NJ Author Marie Antionette in 2009. To their credit they have published 16 titles between 9 authors, 7 of which are written by Marie herself. “I launched Cauzing Elevation Publishing because I didn’t like the idea of someone else having the last say over my passion and creativity. I learned the hard way the vanity press publishers didn’t have my best interest at heart and the big names weren’t even entertaining the thought. Yet I knew my stories were stories everyday people could relate to and I wanted to help everyday people get their stories out without taking them to the cleaners. I also wanted to have the freedom of gifting books to those who had an interest in reading but maybe not the means and that has become the greater reward for me throughout the entire 7 year process.”
    You can find Cauzing Elevation on the web at: http://www.cauzingelevation.com/index.html

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    • Shade Lapite says

      Thank you for sharing details of your publishing house, Marie Antionette. It is very much about the stories of everyday people, our common truths. We appreciate you.

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    • Shade Lapite says

      New Season Books’ tagline – stories that transform – says it all. A really life and faith-affirming line-up of books. Thank you.

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  14. Cxandra says

    Life Changing Books and its founder Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood–going on 15 years strong and just released her first movie SECRETS THE MOVIE to great acclaim!

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  16. Sharyn Gray says

    Just us books, publisher of children’s books, founded by Wade and Cheryl Hudson

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    • Shade Lapite says

      Thank you, Sharyn. It’s so inspiring seeing what Wade and Cheryl Hudson have built.
      Folks, go take a look at the Just Us Books website and order the AFRO-BETS (R) A B C Book for an adorable child you know.

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