tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post8355316645687007544..comments2024-03-22T05:29:18.132-07:00Comments on Shawn James, Black Freelance Writer: Reaching the African American Reader and cracking the African-American Book Market- My DilemmaShawn Jameshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11712216572467743626noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post-70543854875985322672011-12-12T11:23:32.981-08:002011-12-12T11:23:32.981-08:00Definitely not painting Black audiences with a bro...Definitely not painting Black audiences with a broad brush. <br /><br />Dusky, I thank you for your support. I'm glad you've bought two of my titles. I'm not giving up on trying to reach the Black audience. I just am a little disappointed about reaching more foriegn readers than Black readers. Over the past year I've had sales in the UK, Canada Germany, Austrailia and even China, but not many in the U.S. I rarely hear from black readers, but I hear from foriegn readers and White readers about my work. <br /><br />And I'm also not giving up on the Black community. I've submitted to numerous book clubs like OOSA, APOOO, and used social networks like twitter, Facebook, LinkedIN, Blackplanet and Blackbloggersconnect.com. I'm looking to stay on my mission to promote work featuring postive stories about the African-American experience and diversifying the Black book market.Shawn Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11712216572467743626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post-63624656096815441722011-12-11T16:09:52.405-08:002011-12-11T16:09:52.405-08:00Definitely don't give up. I was able to reach ...Definitely don't give up. I was able to reach my target audience (African American women and men) by finding bookclubs on meetup.com; getting book reviews focusing on the African American experience (like Urban Reviews and OOSA); joining online African American Yahoo reader groups; and social media like Blackplanet and Facebook.James W. Lewishttp://www.jameswlewis.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post-41720227785569510792011-12-04T03:52:42.569-08:002011-12-04T03:52:42.569-08:00Interesting comments, but please don't paint a...Interesting comments, but please don't paint all African American readers (especially women) with such broad brushstrokes. I discovered your work last year and purchased two of your novels. I also belong to great book discussion venues discovered on Goodreads and LibraryThing. There are several book bloggers throughout the African disapora that review and promote authors. We have a strong group on Twitter including many authors (well-known and just getting started). While I read books from around the world, I do focus a large amount of my collection on Black authors.Dusky Literatihttp://www.duskyliterati.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post-31933553995054024592011-11-30T08:51:28.819-08:002011-11-30T08:51:28.819-08:00Shawn, I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Craft! I al...Shawn, I agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Craft! I also wanted to say, and it's just my opinion, that I truly think you should write for yourself, not anyone else. I think in life you can't please everyone, so please yourself. Writer's only write their best works when writing what truly makes them happy. What is so wrong with selling books to people of all races, or other countries? If you are successful outside the black community, it will follow that eventually you will find success within most, if not all, communities. <br /><br />I certainly admire you for your efforts to make a difference in the black community. I think by going your own way you will make that difference by setting an example.<br /><br />If you are still curious as to what the stricktly black audience wants, its simple to figure out, do a survey. Go right out on the street, introduce yourself as an author without telling them what you have written, and just ask; 'Out of curiosity, what is your favorite subject matter in a novel?"<br /><br />I have actually done surveys like this. You will be surprised at the results, I guarantee it! But please remember that the best fiction novels were not written towards other's tastes.<br /><br />Have you thought of not promoting yourself as a 'black writer'? I think, on all levels, it is restricting yourself as a writer to label yourself. To be honest, I never thought of you as a 'black' writer when reading your novels. I just thought of you as an innovative writer. <br /><br />And again, I agree with Ms. Craft, your blog can only help the cause.Savannah Northnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5121130217304877410.post-54147877438144716832011-11-30T04:01:25.446-08:002011-11-30T04:01:25.446-08:00Very good, Shawn, and certainly thought provoking....Very good, Shawn, and certainly thought provoking. We know by now that it's a fact of life that oppressed people tend to continue that oppression themselves and all too often identify with their oppressors. So, I think we've turned in on ourselves and identify only with the negative aspects of our lives as African Americans.<br /><br />I wish I knew the answer the answer to this. No statement was ever truer than the White longshoreman writing in True Believer: "It isn't the monstrous prejudice of whites that hurts black people so much; it's their monstruous inner agreement with that prejudice."<br /><br />Sad, but true. Our lives depend on our changing this. Blogs like this can only help.Francine Crafthttp://www.francinecraft.comnoreply@blogger.com