Zane's Claims---More Race Venting
"Zane, Toni Morrison and Terry McMillan are the only three African-American women to make the print list of the New York Times Fiction Bestselling list this century."
I don't think so. In fact I know that's not so. What about Bebe Moore Campbell? Dr. Maya Angelo? I think Zane's left them out.
At any rate, it's a crying shame that we can so easily count the number of black women that have made the list this century. I'm sure it's just as easy to count them from the inception of the list. How about we count the number of white female authors. Anyone see a problem here? Publishing house presidents? Vice presidents? Acquisition editors?
Why are you doing this to black authors? Why?
Now, I must digress a bit>>>>>For an author with such a horn-blowing biography, why does Zane's website scream: AMATEUR? No organization. Just a bunch of stuff centered in a line straight down the page. The bio page is anything but reader friendly. God, I was crossed-eyed by the time I got to the end. No spacing. No organization of information. Just one big blob! And the whopper----what the hell is with the ridiculous red scroll running across the top of the page?? I don't know.....Maybe no one's got the guts to tell her, so take it or leave it, I'll throw it out there from behind the alligator. Here it goes.......
New York Times Bestselling author Zane can afford to have a professionally designed and maintained home on the web! Despite the fact that her primary audience is filled with the masses of horny teenagers and marginally intelligent adults wanting a good source for their smut-fixes, she really would benefit from losing the unpolished presentation & appearance. Your website is you. It REPRESENTS you. 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Even while you sleep. Give up the self-maintenance Zane. It looks awful. Like something you'd find at www.hometown.aol.eroticanoir.html. Not good.
You're in the big league now. Let's look like it. Especially with the kind of traffic her bio says surfs through there. Let go of the "I'm self-published and can't afford it" website reins. It's okay. Time to turn it over to a professional.
Disclaimer: No disrespect to Zane. Just keeping it real. With all due love and respect. And I think I'll help some other folks out and do some more wake up call posting/critiquing in the future.
posted by Bestselling Author, Pontif. at 1/20/2006
8 Comments:
I'm with you on Zane's website....it is kinda cheap lookin for an author that brags in groups about being a millionaire and all. Dang.....
Hmmm, I believe there are other black females to make the New York Times Bestselling List. I am guessing the print list means top 10 and not just the extended list...but if you were to include non-fiction, toss in Karinne Steffans, author of Confessions of A Video Vixen. And probably Fantasia's book would be included as well. I know there are others...
I think Zane is letting her success get to her head. There have been several other women to make the NYT list since 2000 just like Cydney said.
I just went to her site. Where is she getting that there are only three? Puleeze. Get over yourself, Zane.
Ewww, my comments aren't against Zane -- because she's very supportive of me, etc., but I do believe (almost positive) there are other black females in the NYT Bestselling Authors club.
Zane does need to up her game on her web site. What is she thinkin'?
The woman is not stupid. The content matches the appearance. It's graphic, earthy and down home with nothing fancy about it.
I wondered if her website was a studied attempt to put her readers at ease, to be down home or something?
It's just conjecture, because the woman could easily afford to drop a few thou on a decent web designer.
Well - I don't have a negative thing to say about Zane. I think she's a great inspiration to all authors with goals to succeed at what you're doing.
Her website is her deal. I cringed when I read this post. It seemed a bit harsh. Obviously Zane is happy with it and feels it's professional enough for her, so if it suits her, it suits her.
And that's all I'm going to say about that. ;-)
I don't know if I fully understand what difference it makes-the color of one's skin. Isn't it the story that matters? There are plenty of black authors who have written white characters and tons of other culture mixes. It's about authenticity. It's about who and what the author WRITES. Some time ago I read a book by a black male author and I was appalled by the characters. I hated all of them. They were shallow, simple-minded, and ignorant. But they were well-developed in that style. My problem with this? My first reaction was that this is exactly how I see alot of black males being portrayed in every aspect of the MEDIA. Not my brother, who is a black male and very articulate, polite, intelligent, and considerate of other's feelings. Not my father, who despite his drinking, was a fairly good man who loved deeply, and longed to better his life. I fail to understand why the image of "blacks" has changed so much since I was brought into a "colored" family. I don't get why it is so "in" to play up the slang and the "bling" hype. There are so many intelligent and powerful people out there, yet we place so much emphasis on those who are not and then cry because it stirs the discrimnation pot.
On another note, I was surprised by Millenia's statement that the design of Zane's web site would have anything to do with her being an inspiration. The content of her web site is no more important in the publishing industry as the color of her skin. Or at least it shouldn't be.
Hi Karen,
Where did I say anything about Zane's website being an inspiration? I said she is an inspiration to any author.
I said her website is her deal, and she can present it any way that suits her.
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