On the Wrong Side of the Alligator

Jackie Collins on the Racial Divide in Publishing

2007-12-29T22:13:00.000-08:00

This is noteworthy....BSA Jackie Collins comments on her website about Penguin Group's race discrimination against Millenia Black:

"I’ve never heard of such a thing! Oh yes, actually I have, because when I first wanted to make the movie of Chances I was told I was going to have to make the black family white for one of the networks. I refused, and eventually I made the series with a half white cast and a half black cast. There should be equality in the world, and there should never be discrimination of any kind."
-- Jackie Collins, author

A quick note---I've been so tied up lately, but I hope to get back to spending some time in blog land (and back on my soapbox) shortly after the new year. Until then, Happy New Year!

Writing White?

2007-09-07T10:37:00.000-07:00

Co-authors Donna Grant and Virginia DeBerry examine the subject and ask some very interesting questions:

"When an African American writer or entertainer achieves success with a wider (read White) audience, a la Will Smith or Terry McMillan, they are said to have cross-over appeal. Why isn’t the reverse true? When Blacks watch CSI, Spiderman 3 or pick up he latest John Grisham, no one attributes that to cross-over. Is it assumed that everyone will find these diversions entertaining? That race doesn’t matter as long as it’s White? That Blacks, Mexicans, Chinese, Lakhota Sioux, Lebanese and whomever else the census separates out will “get” the storyline and generate the dollars requisite for success?

Even in the racially diverse “Grey’s Anatomy”, the central character, intern Meredith Grey, is a White woman, despite the fact series writer/producer Shonda Rhimes, is African American. Happenstance or economics? Quiet as it’s kept, in our first novel, Exposures, we “wrote White”, deciding it was the surest way to test our joint writing chops--and get published. It worked; the novel sold in two weeks. It took a lot longer to find a home for our first book with Black characters. At the time we didn’t fit the established categories (we weren’t Toni or Terry), so many editors didn’t believe we would find an audience. They were wrong."

I think the observation about the blockbuster show "Grey's Anatomy" reveals much about the state of our union. Shonda Rhimes knows the key to reaching the largest audience is doing what works. Clearly her interests weren't in merely targeting African Americans and becoming marginally successful when compared to the "mainstream" TV echelon. She wanted to produce something that could reach all people......Which leads to an interesting question: suppose the suits and cuff links at ABC had refused to air "Grey's" if Shonda hired a white actress for the lead? What if they'd demanded that Meredith Grey and the other main roles be black so they could target AA viewers? Sound familiar?

I think it's great that Shonda Rhimes was allowed creative freedom without any apparent regard to her race. Why even bother pointing out that she's black, yet has a white female lead? I'm sure this ticks off many black racists as much as the day is long, but the bottom line is we shouldn't deny people freedom we've spent hundreds of years fighting for.

Join the discussion!

Something to Whine About

2007-08-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

The wonderful Tess Gerritsen blogged recently about the insecurities of successful writers and their right to whine about them. The post ended with:

"Writers love their jobs. But sometimes, they deserve to whine."

Tess also blogs about a "fan" who's intent on ruining TG's career because one of her old romance novels was re-issued.

Oh, to have the problems of a Gerritsen, Clark, Steele, Roberts, Brown, etc.

Now granted, I'm sure even JK Rowling has her share of writer woes, but I just had to shake my head at Tess' line up there when I finished reading her post. I mean, when I think about how much Millenia Black, Monica Jackson, and many others who are being denigrated in publishing--not allowed an equal shot at their job--deserve to whine, my heart moves. How about when folks who are in a position to make some difference insult writers, calling them liars when they whine about it? And others totally ignore you as if you aren't worth the time?

How about when the disparity is glaringly obvious-- but there's dead silence from anyone who can help raise awareness and/or make some difference? If similar affronts were being thrust upon certain others, it's all we'd ever hear about from the more popular literary venues and notable peoples.

Now there's something writers deserve to whine about. Something real, of painful gravity. Something substantive.

A Book of Many Faces

2007-08-24T20:41:00.000-07:00

Millenia Black's been MIA from blogland for a while now, and I'd begun to wonder about her lawsuit and how things were progressing. While she's understandably silent on any of those details, she's posted for the first time in months to share the Turkish cover of THE GREAT PRETENDER, her debut novel, named in the lawsuit as being 'blackified' by Penguin/NAL when they acquired it and found out she was an African-American writer. This is despite the fact that the book contains no black characters whatsoever! This still outrages me to no end.

Anyway, before I get carried away.....just wanted to comment on Millenia's recent post. Her post says she's been out of energy, no doubt from the stress she's under. Who wouldn't be when you self-publish a book that attracts foreign editors, only to have those doors closed by racist treatment from a NY publisher? From the look of the covers, her foreign publishers clearly had a different, more commercially viable interpretation of THE GREAT PRETENDER. It's a book of many faces......too bad Penguin had to choose one that unfortunately made a non-black book marketable only among blacks.

"The Unbearable Whiteness of Publishing"

2007-06-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

It's not my title, I swear.

Check out this great observation from Bella Stander over at "Reading Under the Covers":

"The bigger picture is that the publishing industry is overwhelmingly white. Don't believe me? See the photo above for Exhibit #1. That's Book Promotion 101 workshop alum (and Harvard man!) Baratunde Thurston, my perennial date for the Saturday Book & Author breakfast, holding a spot for me in the endless line (more about that in another post). Every year we joke about how easily I'll be able to find him in the crowd; every year the joke gets less funny."

And EditorMom, Katherine O'Moore-Klopf, chimes in with another great inquiry:

"How skewed are the worldviews presented in American books if most of the authors who get published and most of the publishing professionals who work on those books are white and if authors of color who do get published see their books placed in ethnic sections in bookstores? And how do we make it possible for more writers of color to be published by the big publishers? How do we make mainstream book publishing more accessible and desirable as a career to people of color?"

An Observation

2007-06-23T08:13:00.000-07:00

This may already be out there somewhere as a point to note, but I just have to comment. I just finished reading this NYT bestseller cover-to-cover at the very enthusiastic recommendation of a friend I meet up with at the local Starbucks each morning.

Now, if you plan on reading "Something Borrowed" by Emily Giffin, DON'T READ any further because I'm going to spoil it by going into the details of the plot. You've been warned.

Okay. Girl (maid of honor) carries on affair with fiance of her Best Friend--complete with sneaking around, lying, backstabbing, manipulating--you get the picture. But Best Friend is also cheating with guy Girl is loosely dating but only pretending to be interested in to keep Best Friend off the scent of the affair she's having with her Fiance. Best Friend gets pregnant with guy's baby, but pitches a fit when she discovers affair between Maid of Honor and Fiance.

Now, this was the first book of an unknown, and it hit The List, labeled and marketed as chick-lit because its author is snow white. What if Emily Giffin was black? Would "Something Borrowed" have been categorized as chick-lit? Would Emily Giffin's debut novel have been likely to land on the bestseller list and be the runaway success that it and its sequel are?

I think it's a legitimate question. AA relationship fiction is often criticized as being "soap opera" material, but when "soap operas" are penned by a white author, it's good chick-lit.

When was the last (or first) time you saw a black author's debut novel land on The List when the characters do nothing but bed hop?

Author Jennifer Weiner Whines on Oprah

2007-03-30T19:16:00.000-07:00

Well, she obviously wishes she were the one on Oprah instead of "dead white males" like Cormac McCarthy. That much is clear from this very bitter rant I read on a visit to Weiner's blog.

"By choosing The Road, Oprah demonstrates the folly of believing that she'd revive the book club and emerge as the savior of literary fiction in general, and lady-penned lit fic, specifically.

She picked a book that’s already reaped a lion’s share of acclaim and critical attention…and, in the time since she’s revived the club, Oprah hasn’t picked anything written by a woman (yes, there’s THE SECRET, which is another animal altogether).

Not that there should be gender-based quotas, or affirmative action, at the Book Club. Not that Oprah has to answer to anything except her own taste. But maybe it’s time for the Big O to look to the ladies again.

After all, it wasn’t a girlie author who held her nose and complained about the low-brow, stay-at-home, soap-opera-loving nature of Oprah’s audience, a la Jonathan Franzen.

It wasn’t a girlie author who made up outlandish tall tales in her memoir of addiction, like James Frey.

Surely, in the wide, wide world of books, there’s something that would appeal to the big O that was written by someone with ladyparts."

Why denigrate Oprah for her choices? Because I'm betting that if one of them had been one of Weiner's chic-lit books she wouldn't be waxing condescending on how "the big O" "did not turn a disaffected generation of non-readers into fans of important works of fiction," but rather, "Oprah turned a disaffected generation of non-readers into consumers of all things Oprah."

I visit Weiner's blog every so often and I'm aware that her tone tends to be snobbish, but this particular post annoyed me. The tone implies that Oprah herself has proclaimed to have some huge, booster effect on the literary world. It's a given that it's the audience of people watching her show that are going to be influenced by her choices. Duh. The only reason anyone would need to spew that and dress it up as some type of insightful point is because their just plain bitter.

Race Discussion Paradox

2007-03-18T12:01:00.000-07:00

What is wrong with some people?

Why do they insist on wasting prime opportunities?? I posted about this before. Now another great example has cropped up and brews hot over at blogger Karen Scott's spot.

This sort of happening is very discouraging to anyone who may even think about opening their mouth to talk about race discrimination in the publishing industry.

Why does the opportunity to bring about positive change always have to be wasted? Watered down to an ego-laden, pride-filled, idiotic slug-fest?

Karen Scott is making a valiant effort here. Why must people start throwing negatives at the positive? They start slinging mud and talking about WHY racism exists as it does. Why not contribute to continued improvement? Why not set out to inspire people (no matter their race) to do the same? Why not use this opportunity to illustrate the harm being done and what needs to happen for it to change?

This is precisely why I take my hat off to writers like Monica Jackson and Millenia Black for standing their ground in the face of all the criticism and proverbial lynching. If it weren't for that type of determination and courage, we'd be doomed.....and maybe not even yet have the freedom to do anything about it. We'd still be right where we were in 1807, not 2007.

Karen Scott's Discrimination in Publishing Survey

2007-02-05T07:04:00.000-08:00

Racism In Publishing, How Does It Affect You?
Are you an African American author who’s been published for at least one year? If so Karen Scott wants to hear from you.

She’s conducting a survey based on the racism within the publishing industry, and whether or not it’s as prevalent as some believe. She’s looking for black or African American authors who have been published for at least one year.

She would like to know about your specific experiences within the industry thus far. She wants to know how AA authors feel about the current shelving policies, and niche marketing. She wants to know who you feel is to blame for the problems that you face. She also wants your suggestions on how things can be improved upon.

In all, there are twenty questions in the survey, and all that she asks is that people be as honest as possible. Confidentiality is assured if requested, but for the findings to yield more weight, she would request that she be granted permission to directly quote from the answers given by the authors.

She’s hoping to poll at least 100 AA authors, in an effort to ensure that a fair representation is achieved.

If enough authors agree to partcipate, (and depending on the findings) the results may well be sent to representatives within media and press. No promises that Oprah will hear about it, but all efforts will be made to get the message out.

If there are AA authors out there interested in particpiating in this poll, please e-mail Karen at hairylemony @ gmail. com (without the spaces) with the subject header ‘Please send me the survey'.

The deadline for the survey to be completed and returned to Karen is March 1st 2007

Penguin's Answer to Millenia's Complaint

2007-01-31T08:25:00.000-08:00

This is wonderful. The full complaint and answer have been obtained and posted by On Point News!

I read Penguin's entire answer. A blind bat could see them struggling to split hairs. The result is a tangle of contradictions that clearly mean unmistakable guilt.

Pay very close attention to #16 in Penguin's answer. You want my opinion? I think for all their denials, the fact that they had to admit to the editor asking the author's race means there's no way they can get away from the indictment that the answer to that question would be used to determine how the author and her work would be handled. There's your racial discrimination point of origin! Clear as day.

Why is the editor asking about the race of the author? What relevance will the reply to that question have? Will it mean a cover with black models and a classification of AA fiction despite the fact the manuscript does not have black characters? I'm just asking.

They deny asking MB to change the race of her characters, yet we know Millenia has written proof to the contrary and obtained a lawyer who strong-armed them into backing down from that......where, oh where are Goliath's legs to stand on?

Stick a fork in them, people. I think they're done. Now I'm positively sure this will have a positive outcome for equal treatment of manuscripts in the industry without regard to the race of the author. God Bless Millenia Black for not backing down.

Relative Point From BSA Nora Roberts

2007-01-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

I wanted to addendum this to the previous post, but figured it was long enough as it is. I saw Nora Roberts make a very relative point in a comment over at Karenknowsbest:

"I tend to doubt many writers--unless they have big muscles--have any particular say in how the publisher labels the book.....

But I just can't see Sally Author, selling her first or second book to Publisher X being consulted about the label. But it will be Sally who takes the heat from the annoyed reader if that labeling isn't correct.

The reader plunks down her bucks for a book, and settles down to read it with certain expectations due to where it was shelved, how it was packaged, how it was labeled and marketed. If those expectations aren't met--particularly any of the key expectations in genre--books and IPAQS fly. Sally has disappointed and annoyed the reader."
(Nora Roberts)

I was reading reviews over at Black Expressions this morning and noticed the cover of Millenia Black's The Great Betrayal. I have a copy on its way to me, so haven't read it yet, but this is supposedly the story of a white family right? All white characters? So why is Black Expressions (still?) using this cover?

Has anybody visiting read The Great Betrayal yet? What did your cover look like? From the acid some of the BE reviewers are spitting, it appears the characters are indeed white. I'll post an update when my copy arrives from Barnes & Noble (their .jpeg doesn't have the couple on it.)

At least Millenia's complaint raises the issue of the negative impact of the wrong cover being sent to various places. I don't think this is very good for Penguin's defense, whatever it may be. Talk about misleading! Talk about pissed off readers! They're already ripping it to shreds on Black Expressions because the cover leads you to believe one thing, but when you read it....it's nothing of the kind. And as Nora points out---the author will be the one to take the heat for "disappointing and annoying" readers. Poor Millenia.

Updated 1/16/07

Just got an email that the book cover has been updated........now it looks like this.......think my blog had anything to do with it? Nah, more than likely the lawsuit.

I received my copy and it doesn't have the AA models on the cover. I plan to try and start the book by the weekend. I'll post my thoughts once I've finish.

Millenia Black's Complaint

2007-01-06T14:53:00.000-08:00

I've been meaning to sit down and write this post for a few days now.

Are you ready for this? It took some effort, but I finally got my hands on a copy of Millenia Black's (aka Nadine Aldred) lawsuit against Penguin Group. My curiosity was at an all-time high and I was in NYC last month on business so I figured, why not? Let's see what exactly is before the court.

Without reciting the entire complaint, I'll skip through and share the sections/allegations that I find most notable. It's pretty heavy stuff, folks. Here goes........

INTRODUCTION
"This case involves racial discrimination by Signet, a Division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc., and by Penguin Group (USA) Inc., against Nadine Aldred, an author who writes under the pen name Millenia Black, in the making and enjoyment of all the benefits, privileges, terms and conditions of a publishing contract. Defendants have engaged in discriminatory conduct in violation of federal and state law, as well as misleading advertising in violation of the Lanham Act and violations of New York State common law."

FACTUAL ALLEGATIONS
8. In or about September of 2002, plaintiff Aldred self-published her first novel, entitled The Great Pretender, under the pen name Millenia Black. The work of fiction centers around the topic of marital infidelity, and contains an additional subtle component, in that all of its subject matter and characters are devoid of racial characteristics.
9. The cover art for the self-published version of The Great Pretender shows two wedding bands in flames and does not portray any people.
10. Aldred is not described by race anywhere in the self-published version of The Great Pretender and neither does her photograph appear.
11. After it was self-published as mainstream fiction/literature, The Great Pretender was well-reviewed, began to sell nationally in bookstores, garnered several inquiries for the sale of foreign rights and film rights, and garnered the sales of translation rights to publishers in Turkey and Poland.
12. In the latter half of December 2004, and as a direct result of the successful marketing of the self-published edition of The Great Pretender, Penguin became interested in Aldred’s current and future work.

16. On information and belief, defendants’ employee and agent, Kara Cesare, who was assigned by Penguin to be Aldred’s editor, asked plaintiff’s agent, Sara Camilli, whether she had ever met Aldred in person and whether Aldred was black or white. Camilli responded that Aldred is black.
17. For its version of The Great Pretender, Penguin revised the original cover art by superimposing two non-white women over the image of the burning wedding bands. Penguin published and marketed The Great Pretender using the revised cover art.
18. Plaintiff objected to the use of false racial identifiers on the cover art of The Great Pretender, but Penguin published the work as such over Aldred’s objections.
19. Although The Great Pretender contains no racial classifications of its characters, for the purposes of distribution and marketing, Penguin classified and styled the novel as African American fiction/literature and marketed the work as such to bookstores and the general public.
20. On information and belief, the classification African American fiction/literature is generally understood by the public to refer to the content and subject matter of the work.
21. On information and belief, novels classified and styled as African American fiction/literature are generally understood by the public to target a smaller audience than novels classified as general fiction.
22. On information and belief, novels classified and styled as African American fiction/literature are typically purchased by a predominantly black, minority audience.
23 . On information and belief, novels classified and styled as African American fiction/literature are not typically purchased by a white, majority audience.
24. On information and belief, novels classified and styled as African American fiction/literature are marketed to a predominantly black, minority audience.
25. On information and belief, the subject matter of infidelity is understood by the general public to be a universal topic.
26. Penguin classified, styled and marketed The Great Pretender as African American fiction/literature based solely on Aldred’s race, and without regard to the subject matter of the novel.
27. Aldred objected to such misclassification, but defendants refused to re-classify the book.
28. On information and belief, Penguin would not have classified, styled and marketed the work of a white author as African American fiction/literature if such work’s content and subject matter had been racially neutral.
29. On information and belief, if The Great Pretender had been written by a white author, Penguin would not have classified the work as African American fiction/literature.
30. On information and belief, if The Great Pretender had been written by a white author, Penguin would not have altered the cover art to add women of color.
31. On information and belief, Penguin knowingly and intentionally treated plaintiff Aldred differently from white authors due to Aldred’s race.
32. On information and belief, as a result of defendants’ conduct, The Great Pretender was deprived of many commercial, mainstream marketing opportunities.

43. The Great Betrayal focuses on marital infidelity and family secrets. As initially written by Aldred, The Great Betrayal’s characters are described as white.
44. After reviewing the manuscript, Penguin demanded that Aldred re-write the characters so as to render them African American or race-neutral.
45. Thereafter, Penguin showed Aldred its intended cover art, which portrayed an unmade bed with the face of an African American woman and the back of an African American man superimposed above it.
46. On information and belief, Penguin intended to classify and style The Great Betrayal as African American fiction/literature, based solely on plaintiff’s race and without regard to the subject matter of the book.
47. On information and belief, Penguin intended to market The Great Betrayal with the African American fiction/literature designation, which it knew would have the same limiting effects as the designation has on The Great Pretender.
48. On information and belief, if The Great Betrayal had been written by a white author, Penguin would not have demanded that the author edit the white characters to render them black or race neutral.
49. On information and belief, if The Great Betrayal had been written by a white author, Penguin would not have placed an African American couple on the cover.
50. On information and belief, if The Great Betrayal had been written by a white author, Penguin would not have planned to classify the book as African American fiction/literature.
51. On information and belief, defendant Penguin knowingly and intentionally treated plaintiff Aldred differently from white authors due to Aldred’s race.
52. After plaintiff threatened to sue Penguin for racial discrimination, Penguin withdrew its demand that Aldred rewrite the work to change the race of the characters, and advised that it would remove the African American couple from the cover art.
53. Despite these representations, Penguin sent the cover art with the African American couple to African American Web sites including, but not limited to, Urban-Reviews.com, and retailers including, but not limited to, Amazon and Barnes & Noble, both of whose Web sites advertised The Great Betrayal for pre-order with the misleading cover art for several weeks.
54. On information and belief, advance sales of The Great Betrayal have been negatively impacted, and Aldred will continue to experience economic harm as a result of such false and misleading advertising.
55. On information and belief, a white author would not have been subjected to such racially discriminatory treatment by Penguin.

FIRST CAUSE OF ACTION
58. Plaintiff repeats and re-alleges the allegations contained in paragraphs 1-57 as if fully set forth herein.

60. Defendants violated plaintiff’s rights to make and enforce contracts without regard to race, as guaranteed by 42 U.S.C. §1981.

SECOND CAUSE OF ACTION
62. Defendants engaged and continue to engage in false and/or misleading descriptions of fact and false and/or misleading representations of fact with regard to The Great Betrayal as more fully set forth above.
63. Defendants engaged and continue to engage in false and/or misleading descriptions of fact and false and/or misleading representations of fact with regard to The Great Pretender as more fully set forth above.
64. Defendants’ conduct, as more fully set forth above, violates the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. §1125(a).

66. Plaintiff was subjected to discrimination in her civil rights because of her race and color, as more fully set forth above.
67. Defendants’ conduct violated and continue to violate New York Civil Rights Law §40-c.

FOURTH CAUSE OF ACTION
70. Defendants violated the implied term of good faith and fair dealing in The Contract by, as more fully set forth above, treating plaintiff differently, based on her race, than they would have treated a white author with the same contract who had written the same books.

WHEREFORE, plaintiff respectfully requests that this Court:

D. Permanently enjoin defendants from further violating plaintiff’s rights, including, without limitation, not applying any racial designations to The Great Betrayal or any future work, and not engaging in any retaliation against Aldred;

E. Order defendants to re-publish The Great Pretender, forthwith under the following conditions: (i) a book cover with race-neutral art; (ii) classification of the work as mainstream/general fiction; (iii) a foreword containing an apology and explaining that the re-publication is due to the original misclassification and misrepresentation of the book as African American fiction/literature, and (iv) sufficient marketing resources for the re-publication of The Great Pretender to make plaintiff whole;

F. Award judgment for all the past and future economic losses suffered or to be suffered by plaintiff in the amount of $250,000,000.00.

Tell me that's not FASCINATING!! Me thinks one of two things: either 1) Millenia's got some legal experience or 2) an attorney wrote this complaint. I saw that Penguin had filed an answer in early December---but they did not move to dismiss. I didn't get a copy of the answer, I ran out of time. I figure someone else can dig up that piece of the pie; it would be awesome to see that as well.

I think this is extremely powerful stuff and speaks for itself. It definitely illustrates that the racial divide in the publishing world is very much a reality. Black authors aren't just bitching and moaning because they have nothing better to do. We're being marginalized and kept under a lid.

As you all know, I pray Millenia wins this lawsuit. I think I've said it before, that if she loses, it will mean publishers will have the legal right to discriminate against authors, continuing to force us to write by race, stripping us of creative liberty. My hat's still off to this brave lady for sacrificing so much to take a stand. She may not get quarter of a billion dollars, she may not even win the lawsuit, but I'm willing to bet she's made a positive difference already.

Please, feel free to share your thoughts, one and all.

Happy New Year!

2007-01-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas/holiday season. Best wishes to all who surf through here from time to time. I hope to find more time to pontificate on various publishing (and non) goings-on this year! There's certainly lots to ~~rant~~, I mean, pontificate on!

Happy New Year, everyone!

Zane Helping to Lynch Millenia Black!

2006-12-07T16:15:00.000-08:00

Why is Zane of all people joining in on the lynch-fest against Millenia Black? She posted a comment over at Thumper's board that surprised me - it would freeze ice! She's spitting ridicule at Nadine (her real name) because she claims 'Millenia Black' is a "nigger" pseudonym (not in those exact words, but basically) and that she pitched her books to black imprints so shouldn't raise dust because the white imprint that she landed wants to subject her to "nigger treatment".

Huh?

First off, how does Zane know she personally pitched AA imprints? (And I can't help but wonder why she feels the need to make that known.) It stands to reason there must be more to the back-story of this situation because that doesn't fit -- let's not forget that Millenia says she penned The Great Pretender very specifically to avoid designating the characters' race and put it on the market as mainstream fiction. So why (according to Zane the publisher vs. Zane the AA author) does a publisher's check give them the right to take a mainstream book with no black characters and slap black faces on it and peddle it as AA fiction because the author is black? They would not have done this if Millenia was white. That's the bottom line and I can't wait to see what the court has to say about it if the suit gets that far.

Zane starts off by saying she could write a book about this, but will keep it brief.....then she proceeds to write a piece so long it would make Tolstoy proud! After reading it once and feeling the overt vibes, I read it again very carefully, and was left with three questions gnawing at me:

1) Why did Zane choose to express this on December 6th? The same day the Wall Street Journal article printed? Was it because she was interviewed but her comments didn't make the cut? Just askin'.

2) Why is she so angry with Millenia? It's clear her post is ridiculing, and thisclose to being an all out attack, inferring that MB's ungrateful because she wanted her manuscript handled for what it was, not for HER race. And why? Why would that position get Zane's goad up in this way?

3) What's really behind Zane's (and others who feel just like her) obvious need to defend HERSELF as an author, to produce a magnifying glass to point out the number of non-black readers who show up at her signings (yes, we'd need a magnifying glass to see them. The fact is, they're a miniscule number in comparison to her bread and butter. Face it, Zane would NEVER make a living off the number of non-blacks that are in her audience)......has Millenia Black insulted Zane some how with her objection against NAL's treating her like a BLACK author as opposed to an AUTHOR? Just askin'.

It seems to me that Zane has chosen to ignore the real issue in favor of defending HER choice to write for, and target, AA readers vs. Millenia's choice NOT to. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

And to underscore: Publisher's SHOULD NOT be allowed discretion to treat an author by their race because they're taking on all the risk. That's bullshit. That's like saying an employer can treat its employees by race just because they're paying their salaries. More bullshit.

I'm still behind Millenia (Nadine) 1000%. The principle is what's at stake here. Let's not forget that. People died so we could have the liberty this brave girl is fighting for. Let's not be so quick to join the lynch-fest folks. Think about what you're really supporting if you do. Shame on it all.....and shame on you, Zane.

Farewell, Bebe.

2006-11-29T08:09:00.000-08:00

What a loss. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.

Novelist Bebe Moore Campbell, whose best-selling books included Brothers and Sisters, Singing in the Comeback Choir and Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, died Monday in Los Angeles from complications related to brain cancer. She was 56.

Shame on Genesis Press

2006-10-30T15:48:00.000-08:00

Back in September, Publishers Weekly did a story about Genesis Press and their authors. They aren't paying them, not even providing them with royalty statements. The writers began to spread the word and complain, and now this underhanded joke of a publishing house is suing them for slander/libel! Outrageous. I heard about this via Monica Jackson.

I think the writers should countersue. Their suit is unfounded. It's not slander if it's the truth. Shame on Genesis Press. It's also a shame the players in this scandal aren't "mainstream" enough to warrant the outrage of all in the literary set.

Authors Like Me

2006-10-26T09:15:00.000-07:00

There's an excellent essay up over at Romancing the Blog. Go over and check it out. It's important that everyone joins in the discussion and starts one of their own.

The Wicked Witch of Publishing

2006-10-21T11:06:00.000-07:00

I had to chime in with Monica Jackson's views.

This is the face of every day white racism. Well, it's the perfect representative.

Lynne W. Scanlon calls herself a witch, and for good reason. I've been following the mini-whirlwind of comments on her post about the "nigger treatment" of AA authors in publishing practices. What an outrage! Ms. Scanlon feels that Millenia Black should be scolded for taking umbrage about the bookstore incident, and further, for some "unspoken" reason, she's VERY, VERY, VERY skeptical of Millenia's claim to be taking her publisher to court. Why the immediate skepticism? Why on Earth would an author make the claims Millenia's made just to call attention to herself? If attention was her MO, there's at least a hundred different ways she could've attempted it WITHOUT pissing off her publisher......or didn't Ms. Scanlon (who's wont has always been questionable anyway) and her posse of skeptics bother to reason that far? If Millenia's side of the story is indeed true, didn't discrimination on the basis of race take place?? And isn't that WRONG in the US? Should we ALL be against that?

So again, the knee-jerk skepticism? Racial put downs at their best. Would this groundless disbelief---and need to prove her to be an attention-hungry liar of some sort---be there if Millenia were a white Jew and this were a case of a Jewish writer's claims?

I seriously doubt that it would.

I seriously doubt that Scanlon, or anyone else, would be stringing up the oak tree, preparing for a good old-fashioned lynching. Doggedly determined to prove this "uppidy nigger" as nothing more than a trouble maker, trying to make white folks look bad!

Once people refuse to part with their sense of entitlement to superiority, it's hopeless to make them see reason. They are unwilling to place themselves in the other person's skin. Even worse, and as Scanlon has illustrated, they will go to great lengths to maintain their position. Like moderate blog comments for the purpose of self-serving censorship. Or intentionally manipulating, distorting, and ignoring certain facts. Sure, some transparent attempts at appearing objective are made, but.....eh.

Things like this sicken me. Can you tell? I live this shit everyday. With my own editors, publishers, publicists, copyeditors, marketing consultants, you name it. Practically everybody in the business. This is exactly what black writers are up against. Publishing suits---and their cuff links---who believe it's justifiable to take a book about one subject and niche it in a completely unrelated one with nothing to support it being place there except the race of the author.

Where is Scanlon's broom? Someone should trek over to East Hampton and beat her over the head with it. Hard.

From the Publishing House To the Court House

2006-10-09T11:24:00.000-07:00

The Millenia Black saga is apparently anything but over. The latest turn of events? She's suing her publisher, which for those who may not know, is Penguin/NAL.

Of course, this lawsuit is no real surprise. We all know the rules and we've all played by them until now so no black author's ever sued their publisher for being treated like a "black author"......but wouldn't it be nice to have the freedom to write without that goddamn race monkey on your back? Wouldn't it be wonderful if an author was just an author?

I know this has been a very divisive topic. I've seen the comments and statements. A lot of black writers resent Millenia for not representing the so-called "black experience" in her work, but the bottom line is this: your skin color doesn't automatically mean you'll have a certain outlook on life. It doesn't automatically mean you will share the same "experience" as everyone else of that race.

Every writer should have the right to their own artistic expressions. If Millenia decides that she wants her work to be free of racial barriers so it can be commercially marketable, that decision should be supported, because too much has been lost in the name of attaining that type of freedom. Who are we to try and take it from her? To condemn her, openly or not, for her artistic choices? That makes us just as guilty as the publishers who see no problem with keeping black writers suppressed because we're AA, boxed into writing and selling to other AA's, and not good for much else.

I'll be following this very closely. Now that the horse is out of the gate, we all know the importance of this action. If Millenia wins, it just may mean that authors get to be authors; seen as the actual genre they write, not their race. But if she loses......well, let's just say that publishers will then likely have the legal right to force all black authors to write only for a black audience forever and ever.

I, for one, pray she doesn't lose.

Update 10/10/06: Monica Jackson has an excellent view. All authors should openly support Millenia's effort. She is clearly sacrificing a lot to take this stand, very likely giving up any chance at a successful career as an author. She's doing it for the benefit of all non-white authors, so we can all have the right to write in any genre we want, without fear of it being labeled by our race.

I disagree with Monica on one point. I don't think if she wins it could prompt publishers to abandon the niche. Why would they do that? This is about mis-classifying manuscripts, not getting rid of the books that truly belong there.

To those who don't support this effort, think of what it means......should all of Tess Gerritsen's work be classified as Asian-American Fiction and dressed up with Asian-looking models?

The Race Discussion Paradox

2006-09-21T11:38:00.000-07:00

Do we want people to discuss the racial divide in publishing, or don't we?

Author Sara Gran blogged about the fact that there is a notable lack of well-known black authors in the general literary establishment. She went on to question that absence and ask why......why is it that she only hears about other white authors, and very little about those that are black....unless, of course, they're Toni Morrison.

Why?

Wouldn't you say this was a great opportunity to educate her, tell her why? To illustrate the fact that authors who are black are regarded and treated differently by the industry? To show her how authors who are black are only expected to write for, appeal to, and thrive among other black people? You'd think this would be such an opportunity.

But instead, Sara is being chastised and berated for her "ignorance" and her supposed failure to go "looking" for work by black authors. As if they were exotic animals or something, and she should know that a special trip must be planned to the zoo in order to see them.

This is precisely why people (white authors in particular) stay away from this issue. When they speak honestly, some black authors are inclined to focus on, and take offense to, their expressed perspective. What they don't realize is that an unaffected author's perspective can't be expected to be in the same ballpark as an affected author's.

Sara was not rude or insolent or offensive in her post. She asked a question. One that everyone in the industry should be asking and seeking the answer to. I only hope this misplaced chastisement won't discourage her from continuing to engage in the dialogue and the efforts toward a resolution.

JonBenet Ramsey Case: Killer Died in June (OT)

2006-08-17T18:27:00.000-07:00

"Aug. 17, 2006 — In some ways, the long-awaited possible big break in the 10-year-old case of the murder of JonBenet Ramsey seemed a little too easy..."

You think?

I know this has little to do with publishing, but I have to put it out there. I'd bet money this guy did not kill that little girl. He's confessing like the only reason he never said anything before is because no one asked, or something. Give me a break....in the case. A real one this time.

In my humble opinion, JonBenet's killer met her fate in June. Read on. The mother was a "pageant mom", and we all know how that goes....little JonBenet doesn't look too happy in some of that pageant footage they show of her; having to be all glammed up, prancing around on those stages - she looks like she's forcing it. And there were too many oddities in the case. Ransom note written for three pages on pad and paper IN THE HOUSE. Cops don't find body, FATHER just HAPPENS to be the one to stumble upon it in THEIR BASEMENT....uh-huh.

I still think her mother probably lost her temper and the husband helped cover it up. That's what the info pointed to nearly ten years ago, and that's what it still points to now. Patsy Ramsey's phony TV appearances rang about as true as Susan Smith's.

"ATLANTA-- Patsy Ramsey, whose 6-year-old daughter JonBenet's 1996 slaying has never been solved, died Saturday of cancer, her lawyer said. She was 49.

Ramsey had been battling ovarian cancer since 1993 and had suffered a recurrence three years ago, attorney L. Lin Wood said. Her husband, John, was with her at the time of her death.
JonBenet was found beaten and strangled in her parents' Boulder, Colo. basement on Dec. 26, 1996. A grand jury investigation ended with no indictments, and no arrests have been made. The Ramseys said an intruder killed their daughter but a cloud of suspicion hung over the couple. The district attorney and a federal judge in Colorado have said it is likelier that an intruder was responsible.

JonBenet's death became fodder for tabloids and the subject of books.

"I think people realize now that this family was very much victims of that murder and have suffered greatly because of it in terms of the false accusations made against them," Wood told CNN Saturday.

Patsy Ramsey said she found a ransom note on the back staircase of the family's home demanding $118,000 for the safe return of JonBenet. John Ramsey said he found his daughter's body in a basement room, wrapped in a white blanket eight hours later.
A white rope was wrapped around her neck and a wrist and tied to a stick. A red-ink heart was drawn on her left palm, and Ramsey told police he removed duct tape from the child's mouth before carrying her body upstairs.

An autopsy concluded JonBenet suffered a skull fracture, and was strangled and beaten.
The Ramseys left Colorado and had residences in Atlanta and in Michigan, where John Ramsey unsuccessfully ran for a state House seat in 2004."

RIP JonBenet. Only you know who murdered you and why. I think it was your mother.

Judging a Book by Its Writer's Color

2006-07-26T18:29:00.000-07:00

Been busy the last couple of months writing for my supper, but I had to pop in to share this most interesting and timely article from The Chronicle by Professor Gene Jarrett. Thoughts?

Judging a Book by Its Writer's Color
By GENE ANDREW JARRETT

Thanks to the widely acclaimed Norton Anthology of African American Literature, we can read and celebrate an assortment and abundance of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama by black writers. But this admirable book ignores a remarkable history: Some of our most celebrated black authors weren't always so "hungry for texts about themselves," an actual phrase used to introduce the anthology's second edition. Contrary to this claim, some canonical authors were just as interested in writing about our common humanity, regardless of racial differences.
Take a look at this list of authors and some of their fiction. Ironically, although numerous anthologies tend to hail the former, they often ignore the latter: Francis Ellen Watkins Harper's Sowing and Reaping (1876-77); Paul Laurence Dunbar's The Uncalled (1898); Nella Larsen's "The Wrong Man" and "Freedom" (1926); Jean Toomer's York Beach (1929); Wallace Thurman's The Interne (1932); Ann Petry's Country Place (1947); Zora Neale Hurston's Seraph on the Suwanee (1948); Chester Himes's Cast the First Stone (1952); Richard Wright's Savage Holiday (1954); James Baldwin's Giovanni's Room (1956); Samuel R. Delany's "Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones" (1968); Toni Morrison's "Recitatif" (1983); and Octavia Butler's "Bloodchild" (1984).
These short stories, novelettes, or excerpts of novels have two things in common. First, they feature characters who are white or racially unmarked or ambiguous. Second, these works tend to go unread, undersold, or out of print. For those reasons, they could be thought of as the anomalies of African-American literature.
A 2004 international bibliography of academic scholarship prepared by the Modern Language Association supports this point, particularly because the editors of anthologies of African-American literature tend to be scholars. In an analysis I did of the MLA bibliography, I found that anomalous stories constituted the main subject matter of less than 2 percent of all the dissertations, articles, chapters in edited collections, and books published on African-American writers since 1963. Such a circumstance has certainly prevented us from realizing how prolific and sophisticated our most famous black authors actually were.
By neglecting these works, we also fail to learn more about the most famous examples of African-American literature. "The Wrong Man" and "Freedom," stories about the emotional struggles of white women, anticipated Nella Larsen's experimentation with certain literary themes and techniques that later appeared in her two classic novels about racially mixed women, Quicksand (1928) and Passing (1929). The themes of dialect and male chauvinism in Seraph on the Suwanee recalled Zora Neale Hurston's earlier outstanding novel, Their Eyes Were Watching God (1937). Finally, by the time "Recitatif" appeared, Toni Morrison had already released two well-known novels — The Bluest Eye (1970) and Sula (1973) — whose themes of strong women and deadbeat fathers also enhanced her first short story.
In addition to the idea of anomalies, the lesser-known works of fiction mentioned here could also be thought of as African-American literature written beyond race. The word "beyond" doesn't necessarily assert an optimistic belief that we can advance beyond race in our world. To do so would be naïve; it would ignore race's persistent and pervasive social impact today. However, it does mean, as Toni Morrison explained in a 1994 lecture at Princeton University entitled "Home," that blacks can admirably and usefully write literature that is at once "race specific" and free of "racial hierarchy," or is "a world in which race does not matter." In the personal lives of certain famous black writers, of course, race and racism were palpable realities, mattering at all times. But these writers also felt that this fact shouldn't have always required them to write stories of analogous political charge.
So why are anthologies of African-American literature so one-sided, reluctant to select such literary mitigations of racial politics? This canonical tendency is symptomatic of the broader cultural preoccupation of American society with racial authenticity. Since slave narratives were published in the first half of the 19th century, literature written by black people — or, more precisely, by people who are identified or who identify themselves as black — must be "the real thing," a window into the black experience, in order to have any aesthetic, cultural, social, political, or commercial value.
After slavery, the earliest and most remarkable example of a writer who suffered from the culture of racial authenticity is Paul Laurence Dunbar, whose legacy is enjoying a scholarly renaissance today. A century ago, Dunbar died separated from his wife, and an alcoholic at the young age of 33. By the time of his death, he had published four novels, four collections of short stories, and 14 books of poetry, as well as many songs, plays, and essays in newspapers and magazines around the world. Dunbar was the first black writer born after the emancipation of slaves in 1865 to become a phenomenon in this country and the rest of the world.
The centennial of Dunbar's death has led to a recent blitz of publications, including five books of Dunbar's writings in the past several years alone. What makes Dunbar so remarkable today, however, isn't just his career-long productivity and the centennial of his death. The circumstances of his emergence as the first "Negro Laureate" of the United States teach us not to prejudge a book by the author's skin color.
In the early months of 1896, James A. Herne, a pre-eminent actor and playwright, returned to his hotel in Toledo, Ohio, where his play Shore Acres was running, and learned that Dunbar had left him a gift with the hotel clerk. After attending and enjoying Shore Acres, Dunbar decided to leave Herne a complimentary copy of his second and latest book of poetry, Majors and Minors. Herne turned out to be well acquainted with the "Dean of American Letters," William Dean Howells, and Herne passed Majors and Minors on to Howells.
Both men were captivated by the frontispiece of the book, an image of Dunbar at age 18. Howells found the image so compelling that he decided to review the book in Harper's Weekly. Howells called Dunbar "the first man of his color to study his race objectively" and "to represent it humorously, yet tenderly, and above all so faithfully." For the benefit of his readers, he also described Dunbar's facial features: "In this present case I felt a heightened pathos in the appeal from the fact that the face which confronted me when I opened the volume was the face of a young negro, with the race traits strangely accented: the black skin, the woolly hair, the thick outrolling lips and the mild, soft eyes of the pure African type." A black star was born, but perhaps for a few wrong reasons. What Howells did, although in an older and especially racist fashion, is similar to what readers do today: They presume what a book is about based on what the author looks like.
Certain authors have tried to counteract this literary sort of racial profiling. The most famous case of an author resisting identification with the black community is Jean Toomer. Against the wishes of publisher Horace Liveright, who advised the author to mention his "colored blood" in the publicity of Cane (1923), Toomer reiterated his autonomy: "My racial composition and my position in the world are realities which I alone may determine." Toomer preferred to be called a national or American writer; he refused to allow race to overdetermine his identity as a person and artist.
Unfortunately, the historical record of authors' interrogating the racial identities thrust upon them has had little impact on the definition of African-American literature. This definition has long imposed a mythical "one-drop rule" on authors, meaning that one drop of African ancestral blood coursing through their bodies makes them black. It has also dictated African-American "canon formation," misleading readers into believing that black people write best only about black people.
This authentic idea of African-American literature — perpetuated by publishers, acquisition editors, anthology editors, scholars, teachers, and ultimately students — is everywhere. It determines the way authors think about and write African-American literature; the way publishers classify and distribute it; the way bookstores receive and sell it; the way libraries catalog and shelve it; the way readers locate and retrieve it; the way teachers, scholars, and anthologists use it; and the way students learn from it. In short, it determines our belief that we supposedly know African-American literature when we see it.
But readers arrive at this conclusion not because they think about it as deeply as they should. They arrive at it because they focus on the author's skin color. Although readers know by heart "not to judge a book by its cover," they are still likely to remain superficial and prejudge the content of a book based on the author's skin color. And if that book defies their expectations or presumptions, they ignore or devalue it. As long as readers cling to this idea, they fail to learn about black culture in all its guises. And that includes African-American literature beyond race.
-------------------
Gene Andrew Jarrett is an assistant professor of English at the University of Maryland at College Park and the editor of African American Literature Beyond Race: An Alternative Reader, published this year by New York University Press. This essay is adapted from Deans and Truants: Race and Realism in African-American Literature, forthcoming from the University of Pennsylvania Press. Copyright © 2006 by the University of Pennsylvania Press.
http://chronicle.com
Section:
The Chronicle Review
Volume 52, Issue 47, Page B12
Copyright © 2006 by The Chronicle of Higher Education

Millenia Black Gains Acceptance

2006-05-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Millenia has returned and announces that her publisher decided to accept her book, The Great Betrayal, with white characters after all. This is a MAJOR happening. She confirms that she got an attorney, so the rumors that were floating around about a month ago are obviously true. She explains somewhat (I think there's likely A LOT more to it) why she had removed the previous Jim Crow publishing post, and makes some pretty powerful statements about her feelings on the ongoing problem with how we black authors are treated in the publishing world.

I'm committed to stopping what I view as an extremely horrid industry practice. I think it's very important for readers to know - and to understand - what's been happening, not only to me, but from what I gather, to so many authors in the publishing industry....

She goes on to say:

To further illustrate the industry's severe racial inequity, take THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES by Sue Monk Kidd. Here's a debut novel (great book BTW) where the majority of the major characters are---yep, you guessed it---black. Yet, as I've observed, this novel was not classified as African-American fiction and segregated accordingly for marketing and distribution purposes. When I walk into a bookstore (any bookstore) I find this book as general fiction---yet, in my view, it would've been far more appropriate to niche BEES as African-American fiction than to have done so with THE GREAT PRETENDER.

But, Sue Monk Kidd is white. Publishing is currently a pro-white industry. So her work of heavy AA racial tensions and content was not restricted to AA media, AA bookstore shelves, AA foreign interest, and venues in general with predominantly AA interests.

See the problem? Boy, I certainly do. I feel it in my bones.

In its current state, before they've even written a single word, all authors are NOT created equal. I have learned this first hand. With a scant few exceptions, authors are being treated according to the color of their skin, even if they don't wish to be identified as black authors. Race appears to determine several key factors: 1) how your work will be handled, 2) who's expected to buy it and, in my case 3) even what you may be allowed to write....In fact, racial marginalization has become such a widely accepted business practice, that industry players seem virtually oblivious, or numbed, to what strikes me as corrosively suppressive and segregating ramifications.

My favorite part is the most powerful:

Was I born with the wrong skin color, or what? Being treated this way can surely make one feel as if they were - as if your skin is a liability. I can't even begin to express what an awful feeling that is. Not being able to go out into the world, buy a fishing rod and fish in the ocean like everyone else. Based on your skin color, someone will come along and impose upon you the type of rod you're expected to have, the pond you're expected to fish in, and the path you're expected to take to get there. It's like they're saying, "Just who do you think you are? You don't get to throw your line into the ocean! Look at your skin. There's the pond over there."

Boy does it ever make me feel like I was born the wrong color. I've felt that way ever since I started school.

I still applaud Millenia for taking this stand. She says it's not over yet, and my sense is, based on what she's said about her first book, The Great Pretender, her publisher's going to have to cough up some punitive compensation. Won't that be interesting? She's published by NAL (a division of Penguin Putnam), though I've noticed she never mentions them by name, which must be at the advice of her attorney. I'm eagerly awaiting the next revelation in this situation. Somehow I think it will be major and relevant to all authors, black and white......whatever happens.

20 Worst Literary Agencies----BEWARE!

2006-05-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

If there's anything I hate it's scam artists who prey on unsuspecting, eager authors. And believe me, there are thousands of them out there! I'm doing my part to spread the word about the 20 worst agencies out there according to the SFWA. Mind you, there are MANY more, just be smart. Agents don't charge fees up-front. They get a percentage (no more than 15% for domestic and 20% for foreign rights) of the earnings you receive that derived from the contracts they negotiate for you.

RUN AWAY, STAY AWAY:

The Abacus Group Literary Agency

Allred and Allred Literary Agents (refers clients to "book doctor" Victor West of Pacific Literary Services)

Barbara Bauer Literary Agency

Benedict Associates (also d/b/a B.A. Literary Agency)

Sherwood Broome, Inc.

Capital Literary Agency (formerly American Literary Agents of Washington, Inc.)

Desert Rose Literary Agency

Arthur Fleming Associates

Finesse Literary Agency (Karen Carr)

Brock Gannon Literary Agency

Harris Literary Agency

The Literary Agency Group, which includes the following:
-Children's Literary Agency
-Christian Literary Agency
-New York Literary Agency
-Poets Literary Agency
-The Screenplay Agency
-Stylus Literary Agency (formerly ST Literary Agency, formerly Sydra-Techniques)
-Writers Literary & Publishing Services Company (the editing arm of the above-mentioned agencies)

Martin-McLean Literary Associates

Mocknick Productions Literary Agency, Inc.

B.K. Nelson, Inc.

The Robins Agency (Cris Robins)

Michele Rooney Literary Agency (also d/b/a Creative Literary Agency, Simply Nonfiction, and Michele Glance Rooney Literary Agency)

Southeast Literary Agency

Mark Sullivan Associates

West Coast Literary Associates (also d/b/a California Literary Services)

Kaavya Viswanathan----Here We Go Again!

2006-05-05T17:41:00.000-07:00

What's going on in this industry? This is so reminiscent of the Nora Roberts/Janet Daily fiasco when Daily plagiarized Roberts' work!

From the times:

Kaavya Viswanathan, the Harvard sophomore accused of plagiarizing parts of her recently published chick-lit novel, acknowledged yesterday that she had borrowed language from another writer's books, but called the copying ''unintentional and unconscious.''

The Harvard Crimson, alerted by reader e-mails, reported Tuesday on its Web site that "Opal Mehta" contained passages similar to Meg Cabot's 2000 novel, "The Princess Diaries." The New York Times also reported comparable material in Viswanathan's novel and Sophie Kinsella's "Can You Keep a Secret?"

In Cabot's "The Princess Diaries," published by HarperCollins, the following passage appears on page 12: "There isn't a single inch of me that hasn't been pinched, cut, filed, painted, sloughed, blown dry, or moisturized. ... Because I don't look a thing like Mia Thermopolis. Mia Thermopolis never had fingernails. Mia Thermopolis never had blond highlights."

In Viswanathan's book, page 59 reads: "Every inch of me had been cut, filed, steamed, exfoliated, polished, painted, or moisturized. I didn't look a thing like Opal Mehta. Opal Mehta didn't own five pairs of shoes so expensive they could have been traded in for a small sailboat."

Uh..what? Unintentional, huh? Damn...hate it when that happens!!

They also say she was paid a half-a-million dollar advance. For an unknown 17-year-old (at the time) that's a mother load of mullah.

I'm frightened for the direction the publishing industry's headed in. Scared to death.

Millenia Black: Is She Crazy...or Courageous?

2006-04-22T09:17:00.000-07:00

I just got back from an extended trip and was stunned to log onto my system and see how much I've been missing. Author Millenia Black can't get a break can she? I know I'm late with this, but for those of you who haven't gotten wind of this yet, she's posted that her publisher won't release her second novel because she penned it with white characters!

I have to tell you I'm not surprised by this at all. I think any black author knows all too well they'd have a huge problem with their editor if they tried to do this. You'd have to adopt a pseudonym at the very least. But, according to Millenia, her first book, THE GREAT PRETENDER, has no black characters, etc., but not surprisingly, for her second book, her publisher will nonetheless make an argument that her audience is now African American. Translation? You can't write about white people, your "audience" won't buy it!! Duh. Do we have to spell everything out for you black folks?

While I am certainly not surprised by this action on the publisher's part, I'm very moved by this author's willingness to take a stand. She's not taking it, and my own predictions have come to pass. Millenia doesn't say it, but you can easily read between the lines: she's going to sue. Rumors abound that she's retained an attorney named Susan Clark of Ritz and Clark. Ed Champion wasn't able to locate Susan Clark, but I googled Ritz and Clark and (tada) there IS a Susan Ritz of Ritz and Clark in NYC.....We all know how info gets distorted, but my bet is that the rumors are dead on. She's going to sue.

Should she kiss her career goodbye? It's hard to say. I myself have kept relatively quiet about the injustice to protect my own career from publisher retaliation, but I'd say that for a new author, she's got a lot less to risk than those of us that've been around a while.

In short, this author has put me to shame. I really feel ashamed to see someone brave enough to stand up for herself and demand to enjoy the same freedoms white authors do. I spoke with a fellow writer friend this morning and his impression was that we hadn't heard the last of Millenia Black, she's got courage enough for all of us. I've said before, my hat's off to her. I think it's a lesson for all of us. We're all waiting and watching to see how this fight plays out. Don't you think it will affect us all to some degree? I do.

Branding.....Patterson Style

2006-04-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

Does James Patterson really out-sell Stephen King and Tom Clancy?

He does according to an article about how he crafts his brand. Whether he does or doesn't, anything he has to say about branding, I'm all ears.

Apparently, he also sinks a lot of his own mula into his publicity campaigns......not too encouraging for those who think publishers do it all once you hit the big time, is it?

Author Millenia Black Snubs Pyramid

2006-03-19T14:29:00.000-08:00

And rightly so.

It takes a lot to surprise me, but this did. Up and coming author Millenia Black received an offensive e-mail from a bookstore in her native Florida. She wrote about it on her blog and asked her audience whether or not they feel it was appropriate for Pyramid Books to send her an e-mail asking her if she was black......and this is post the booking of the event! Why even bother to ask then?? Who knows.

I've read much about this all over the blogosphere (which is how I discovered the name and location of the store in question, since Millenia decided not to out them publicly in her blog) and many people feel MB overreacted. I disagree. I obviously see the impact of the point she's making. We all need to wake up and realize that racism exists because we all play roles (large and small) that support it....

Millenia Black is obviously playing another role altogether. Prime example worth following.

Is She Crazy? Hell Yeah.

2006-03-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

A woman named Lynne W. Scanlon is advising authors to give up their advances against royalties in favor of getting one lump sum payment upfront. No royalties on copies sold, no piece of the potential pie. Just take your $10,000/$20,000/$50,000, etc. upfront, pay Uncle Sam, and get to work on the next book.

The woman is nuts. I think she must be a secret agent for a major publishing house....Here's some of what she says:

Here’s what I recommend for authors today. Don’t accept an advance against royalties. (Yippee! A $100,000 advance against royalties! OK, make it $10,000.) Surprise! It’s doled out upon signing the contract, turning in an “approved” manuscript, being published, and (horrors!) reaching the six-month mark after the pub date if the publishing house can get away with it. Get a check upfront as payment in full, and get as much as you can. Say the magic words “work for hire.” You can take less than the $100,000. (What? Give up $100,000?!) Money you have in your hand today is worth much more than money tomorrow.)

OOOOkay. Suppose your book gets picked by Oprah later on down the road? Hey---it could happen. Suppose you write a future book that becomes a runaway bestseller and that sparks interest in your previous works?? Hey---it happens. Under Ms. Scanlon's advice, you'd be shit out of luck. Suppose Hollywood comes calling? Foreign publishers? Audio? Merchandising? Yada, yada?? Yep, you guessed it---more shit for luck.

Take this example: James Frey's A Million Little Pieces came out a couple years before Oprah picked it. Now suppose he'd followed this advice and sold it as work-for-hire? Yeah, you're right again---he'd be shit out of luck.....Out of a shit-load of money, too.

My point is......DO NOT TAKE THIS ADVICE. Unless, of course, making money isn't your long-term MO.

Goodbye Octavia Butler

2006-03-03T11:23:00.000-08:00

The incomparable Octavia Butler. I have always been a huge fan of her work and was extremely saddened when I heard of her passing. A great talent is lost. Rest in peace, Octavia.

Source:
"A writer dies at 58. She leaves 12 novels and dozens of stories, all of which enlarge the universe we inhabit. Where does she go? Into one of the futures she has sought to visualize? Certainly her stories are kept alive by her readers. In that way, her soul is scattered, like ashes from the urn, among her characters. They stand watch. They serve, in the end, as protection from loneliness and a wise investment in immortality.
'I write about people who do extraordinary things. It just turned out that it was called science fiction. -- Octavia Butler"

Agent Alert! LLC vs. Sole Prop.

2006-02-22T20:41:00.000-08:00

This topic isn't one that's discussed much, at least not to my knowledge. Most writers are so jazzed to hear an agent offer representation that important details, like what that agent's business is established as, don't even cross their minds.

I'm here to impart the advice that it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that agents be established as businesses (separate entity from their personal) and registered as an LLC, Limited Liability Corporation. Reason being, if the agent's set up as a sole proprietor and they kick the bucket, any money owed to you at that time is now tied up in that agent's estate. Happy Probating! The same is true, by the way, if the agent should divorce, be sued, etc, because your dealing with their personal finances.

I thought to post about this now because it's happening to a friend of mine and it's become one big wrangled mess! They'd been together a number of years, but unfortunately, this is one conversation they never had.

Thank goodness my agent is structured as an LLC. Is yours? If you don't know, I strongly encourage you to find out. And remember, this would be important to your estate should you pre-decease your agent.

Find out. Have the talk with your agent. If he/she isn't an LLC, strongly recommend they become one. You don't want to have to wait through the process of probate to get your money....your heirs won't want to either, should you pre-decease your agent.

Can There Be Justification for Racism?

2006-02-15T08:31:00.000-08:00

Since this subject is finally being discussed by folks other than me, I've seen some interesting comments from "anonymous" cowards afraid to sign their name to their prejudice comments. Many say that marketing strategy supercedes the law. That it gives publishers the right to use an author's skin color as the deciding factor when determining where a book will be best suited in the marketplace.

Here's the question: If a publisher regards and treats an author differently simply because they're black, not based on the content of the work they've created, is that publisher practicing racial discrimination or not?

Join the great discussions. Visit Patrick Willoughby's posting at his website. Also authors Millenia Black and Monica Jackson.

And I'd love to hear what folks have to say to that above question. Is it or is it not the essence of race discrimination?

Update (2/20)........
Amen. Direct your blog-engines to Buzz, Balls and Hype. Thanks, MJ. A little late, but you finally came around. :0)

New York Times Debut, Allison Brennan, THE PREY

2006-02-01T06:52:00.000-08:00

Another debut novel hits the New York Times bestseller list! Congratulations to Allison Brennan with her fabulous debut, THE PREY.

Now.....Let's take a wild guess. What color is Allison Brennan? Well, let's see. Debut novel. New York Times bestseller list.

Of course, she's white.

What difference does that make, you ask? Well.....they're always white. Name a romantic suspense novel written by a black author that debuted on the New York Time bestseller list. Go ahead. Give it your best shot.

Do you think Ms. Brennan has ever given a single thought to the fact that if she were black, this rare success never would've happened? Probably not. Do you think that fact bothers her in the slightest? I doubt it. After all, why should it? She's not black....and that's all that matters, right?

Let's face it, white authors don't give a damn about the unfair treatment their fellow black authors receive in publishing. They don't care one bit.

They're all too busy enjoying the privileges of being white.

Disclaimer: No disrespect to Allison Brennan. I in no way meant to imply that her talent may not speak for itself. Just pointing out that she had none of the concerns and hinderances she would have if she'd happen to be black. I felt the need to clarify due to all the indignant exaggerations of my intent floating around the blogosphere. Yes, it's a harsh post. I'm being subjected to treatment far harsher still. Forgive me. :0)

Zane's Claims---More Race Venting

2006-01-20T22:16:00.000-08:00

I got an email last week about the biography on Zane's site. Someone asked if this statement in it was true:

"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.

The Man Who Conned Oprah

2006-01-09T08:45:00.000-08:00

A Million Little Lies

Oh, no. It's a sad day in the history of the written word when something like this happens. What a waste, eh? 3.5 million copies and counting. The Smoking Gun has blown the lid off of James Frey's Oprah-praised "memoir" A MILLION LITTLE PIECES. KA-BOOM!!

Mr. Frey should be very, very nervous. Credibility is paramount. Without it you're sunk. Ditto for his publisher. As for Oprah.....she should simply stick to fiction---unless she wants to invest the manpower required to research the facts of "memoirs" such as A MILLION LITTLE LIES.....er, PIECES.

I read this book shortly after Oprah announced it, and while I did get sucked into it initially, it lost its luster about halfway through to the end. I then read some of the reviews on Amazon and many questioned the plausibility of the rehab accounts, the root canal sans pain-killers, etc......I wondered, but Oprah picked it.....It's a memoir......It has to be true.....right?

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy 2006!!

2005-12-23T10:30:00.000-08:00

Seasons Greetings from this side of the alligator!!

I'd like to wish everyone a very happy holiday with their family and friends! May Santa be as good to you as he always has been to me!

I'll be flying to Canada this evening to enjoy a snow-filled Christmas Day! I'll probably be MIA until after the new year, so until then, here's to the very best for everyone in 2006! May we get at least one step closer to bridging the gap of the racial divide in the publishing industry, at long last.

I have a dream, that one day, white authors and black authors, young and old, will be treated as equals by their publishers!!

Morgan Freeman makes a lot of sense. I'll tell you why.

2005-12-23T09:46:00.000-08:00

Actor Morgan Freeman (one of my absolute favorites) is a wise man.

His recent comments regarding Black History Month are on point. The purpose of BHM is no longer conducive to people of color and the fight for human equality in our society. It's just a month where black people get to shine a spotlight on themselves and say, "See? We can do it, too!"

The thing is......Of course we can do it too! It's an insult to say you need a month to blow your own horn when you're not handicapped. What? Are black people not expected to make worthy contributions to art, science, theatre, humanity, etc.? Are we not expected to foster the ability to make great accomplishments?

If the United States government hadn't made learning illegal for people of color, for hundreds of years, we would never have been made to feel like we had something to prove. Hence, Black History Month. Black Entertainment Television. Essence. Ebony. Yada, yada, yada. All the skin-color based organizations. Would they be able to run their businesses if you took color out of the equation? If they didn't have that crutch to stand on? Could BET survive as just ET? Entertainment Television? Unfortunately, they probably never want to find out....So, it behooves many to keep the racial distinction alive. Racial inequity lines the pockets of many people.....black and white.

Go Morgan Freeman. We need more wise men such as yourself to shine a light on the fact that most people of color are psychologically crippled. And when you try to take their color-crutches away....they lash out with anger and take great offense because they don't know what else to stand on.

Bottom line. Black History Month = See? We can do it, too!

It truly is ridiculous, Morgan. Thanks for saying it.

Morgan Freeman says in an interview with “60 Minutes” that there is no "white history month," and says the only way to get rid of racism is to "stop talking about it."

Monica Jackson's Take

2005-12-18T11:11:00.000-08:00

Boy, word spreads fast when it strikes a cord.

Over on Monica Jackson's blog, she weighs in and makes an excellent point. Tess Gerritsen isn't black. She's Asian. She has it a little better than we do, believe it or not. How many black authors are as successful as Tess Gerritsen? Did they give her grief about writing for a wider audience? For her main characters not being Asian? Did they tell her that only Asians would be interested in reading Harvest? Or all the romance novels she'd written prior to that? Probably not.

So, when does it end? When does the racist suppression end? Last time I checked, there were laws that made racial discrimination unconstitutional. Yet it continues in publishing......What, are they special in this industry? The laws of the land don't apply to them? They get to handle black authors one way (despite the content of their work) and whites another, affording them much greater potential?

One of these days, a publisher may end up getting sued. Maybe that's what it'll take to change things. Win or lose, at least it'd get their attention.

Tess on the Mess: Race in publishing

2005-12-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

Interesting that Tess Gerritsen tackled this subject on Saturday, since I'd just made a previous reference to her book cover contest. It's great that a prestigious author such as Tess is willing to tackle such a subject. You certainly don't hear any other NYTBS'ing authors speaking out against it....Well, I don't count because I'm black and I've only hit it once. We have to bitch about it....often times in silence if we don't want the food taken from our mouths.

We need more non-black authors, like Tess, to stir the pot. To help bring about the type of awareness that'll force the publishers and editors to be accountable for their actions. As it is, they're just rolling along with the status quo and choosing to ignore the fact that they're blatantly practicing racial discrimination.

In the case of the author that contacted Tess, how can anyone justify restricting that work purely on the basis of the author's skin color? The characters were NOT black! Unbelieveable. I'd love to know who that author is, as she isn't alone. The same has been done to me. I've never made race a focal point of my plots, but my publishers do so without so much as batting an eyelash. It's as if they're saying, "You're black. Only your own kind is interested in what you've written. And that's the way it is whether you like it or not."

If it's not racism....Then what is it?

2005-12-16T13:13:00.000-08:00

Ok---Based on this post over at Vision Circle, I think they ought to go ahead and give that poll to black writers. Or black actors, corporate execs, etc. If you live in the United States, and you're trying to make a living, thrive at your livelihood...how can the fact that your skin color's a liability NOT be the most significant problem you face? Progressively speaking.

Let's say for instance, in acting. What if Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal were black. You think Harry would've ever even met Sally? And if he had, only black people would've known about it. Only black people would've cared about having "what she's having."

You think Denzel and Halle could've filled in for Richard and Julia in "Pretty Woman"? Uh...No. Because then it would've been a "black movie".

Let's face it. As it still is today, blacks aren't allowed the same opportunities as whites. The playing field is not only uneven, it's riddled with prejudicial obstacles. Why? You know why. Because we're on the wrong side of the alligator. Period. Point. Blank.

Well---what about Stephen L. Carter?

2005-12-16T11:24:00.000-08:00

It's inevitable. The minute you start bitching about racism in publishing, someone pulls Stephen L. Carter and THE EMPEROR OF OCEAN PARK out of their ass.

Yes, he is black. Yes, his debut novel was a bestseller. So was Edward P. Jones' THE KNOWN WORLD. Does this change the fact that this almost NEVER happens to authors who happen to be black? Of course not. These are the rare, and oh so elusive, exceptions.

The fact is, their writing is of the literary ilk, which we know has its own market. A market that's not exactly saturated with black readers. Case in point with the likes of Toni Morrison, Walter Mosley, and a few others.

So that explains that.

What if you were black?

2005-12-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Speaking of debut extraordinaires, let's look at a few.

Sue Monk Kidd's THE MERMAID CHAIR
Jennifer Weiner's GOOD IN BED
Nicholas Sparks' THE NOTEBOOK
Elizabeth Kostova's THE HISTORIAN

Etc., etc.

Notice anything? Well, hmm, let's see......They're all WHITE. Even if there are black characters in their stories, did their publishers slap ethnic covers on their books and say, "We don't want to miss out on the African American market"? What are the odds these wonderful authors would have been debut bestsellers if they were black? Let's face it. They wouldn't have been.

Do you think any of these authors---or others like them---have ever so much as given that fact a first thought? Probably not. They're too busy enjoying the benefits of being born on the "right" side of the alligator.

Why should they care, you ask? Well, let's just put it this way. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. Wake up people. It could just as easily have been you.

Hey...It's dark back here.

2005-12-16T10:38:00.000-08:00

Why remain anonymous? Well, let me explain.

As my dear, diligent agent keeps reminding me, my writing pays the bills. It puts food on our fine china. Cable on the plasma screen, etc. You get the picture.

If you piss off your publisher, there's always the possibility they'll feel you're more trouble than you're worth. This is exceptionally true if you're accusing them of being.....Oh, let's say......passive-aggressive racists who care more about their short-term bottom line than they do about racial equality, liberty and justice for all.

So there you have it. I remain on the wrong side of racial justice. I must continue to bite my alligator until I'm lucky enough to out-sell....Oh, I don't know, the likes of debut extraordinaire Sue Monk Kidd maybe?

Perhaps then I'd be worthy of commanding the royal "white author" treatment. Perhaps then I'd be treated as if I were on the other side of the alligator. Perhaps then, I'll be able to make editors and publishers accountable for their blatant suppression of black authors.

Tess Gerritsen's cover contest

2005-12-16T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hey, look. They're running a contest for designing the cover of bestselling author Tess Gerritsen's next book! Any chance they'll pick one with Chinese American or Asian people on it? After all...It's all about race...Isn't it? No? You mean more white people read Tess Gerritsen than Asian Americans?? Nooooo......You don't say! I'm speechless. Shocked. And here I was thinking that white people only wanted to read books by other white people......

Well, at least that's how it is from this side of the alligator.

Donna Hill "Gets Hers"

2005-12-16T10:02:00.000-08:00

Love it, love it, love it! Now here's something to celebrate. A book by a black author with a multi-racial cover on it! Donna Hill is certainly "getting hers" with this victory. Wouldn't you agree?

What Alligator? Ahem...Let me explain.

2005-12-15T21:18:00.000-08:00

Back in elementary school Math, when we learned about greater than/less than/equal to, our teacher told us to think of the greater than/less than sign as the mouth of an alligator. She said, "Whichever number the alligator's mouth is opened for is greater than the number that's on the other side."

I remember immediately looking down at my skin and thinking, "Oh...so I was born on the wrong side of the alligator."

I was 5 years old when I first discovered that my skin color was a problem---that I was "less than". That in this country, the United States of America, it would be a lifetime burden. It was a horrible feeling.

It's not exactly a topic regularly discussed in polite conversation, but I've often wondered if other black people remember when they first found out. Let's face it, no one's born with that knowledge. I found out in Kindergarten when I was started in a predominantly white elementary school. I don't recall any specific incident of ill-treatment, but in the classroom environment, I immediately became aware that the white-skinned kids were treated better than those of us with colored-skin. Again, it was a horrible feeling.

So for years thereafter, that's how I saw myself. As being on the wrong side of the alligator that our teacher taught us about. Growing up in the 70's and 80's I can't say that I ever had to deal with any blatant racial discrimination.

That is, until I got into the publishing industry.

Boy, they sure know how to keep black authors on the wrong side of that alligator, don't they? If you're black, you can't possibly write anything that white readers---the "commercial" market as it were---would appreciate. If you're black, it's the automatic "for you, by you" treatment. Under these conditions, is it any wonder why the Times list is consistently dominated by white authors? Week after ever-loving week?

When one of us does manage to hit it, we'd better not get too damn comfortable. It's one week (maybe two if you're chasing Terry McMillan) and then you're gone. Left to be comforted by Essence, Karibu, and all the other "African-American" lists. Bottom line. If your work doesn't self-impose ethnic or cultural limits, why do publishers do so purely on the basis of the author's race; effectively cutting us out of a good 85, maybe 90% of the book-buying market?

Hey, Mr. Alligator? Where can we find an equals sign?