A good book is a good book

Since BET announced Harlequin is buying them. A few blogs have been talking about it and how it will affect the authors and their books.

As a writer I’m sadden to lose another company that focuses on our books. It took years before the publishers recognized that African-American would like books that featured characters that looked like us.

I’ve been reading since I was four. I love books. The fact there is racism concerning books is appalling to me but unfortunately there is.

When our books came out instead of being marketed as romance novels they were marketed as African-American Romance Novels then Multi-Cultural Romance novels. We didn’t come up with the term, the publishers did. They decided to segregate our books. It wasn’t always like this. I remember going to the books stores looking for the books when they were announced. They were in the romance section. I found them by the spines because the book covers weren’t showing. I recognized the logo.

Later the section became the African-American section. So I had two sections to go to now. The AA sections and the romance sections. The romance to get my other books, did I stop reading white romances because they started writing AA romances? No, I’m not color blind a good book is a good book. I just had more authors to buy now.

When I joined RWA, I was surprised by how many of the members had never read an AA romance or even knew an AA author’s name. I was surprised because they were writers and as writers I thought we tried to keep up with the current market. I guess not.

I try to introduce readers to all writers. Yes SORMAG catered to Multi-cultural authors, however every chance I got I was promoting other authors too. I still believe a good book is a good book.

To get passed the racism, readers need to focus on the writing and not who is writing it. For years African-Americans only had books to read by White authors. Did that stop us from enjoying a book NOPE. A good book is a good book.

Here’s my comment I posted at ATBF about the topic about authors being on online communities

Promotion is something I preach to authors all the time. One of the reasons I started SORMAG was because the AA books and authors weren’t receiving a lot of promotion. Wayne started the online promotion, I joined on and then a few more sites did.

Most of the authors I interviewed, I approached them. They didn’t approach me. The ones I’ve never interviewed were because they didn’t have the time or no email. In this time and era its sad if you don’t have an email address. Its even sadder if you can’t make time to do a FREE interview that will help promote your books.

Many readers are now online and they meet new authors by visiting sites, groups and forums. If you’re not promoting your book online how will they know who you are.

Yeah we can moan and groan about white readers not reading our books, but if they don’t know about them how can they.

Many of SORMAG's readers were white, they wanted to find new authors writing good books.

No matter how tired you are, you have to make time for promotion. Because if you’re not promoting , nobody will read your book because they don’t know it exist.

Rejection :(

My book was not what they were looking for. Don’t you just hate those form letters? It makes you want to scream. Tell me what’s wrong with the book so I can fix it or know I should throw it in the closet.

My friend told me rejections let you know that you are working.

I like the sound of that. Especially since I’ve been doing a lot of writing lately.

I was a little hurt when I saw the white envelope on the table. I knew instantly it was a rejection. They never send your stuff back.

A little of me was relieved too. It wasn’t ready. I was so eager to send out, I should have waited and did one last review.

How do I know this? This past weekend, I read a book and as I reading it, I thought of a million things wrong with my own manuscript and how I could improve it.

I’m learning, its not easy but I feel I’m getting better with each book.

I don’t plan on doing any more submissions this year. I’ll start the new year off submitting again. I’m going to finish this year by completing the new novel and one last revision on the manuscript that was rejected. Who knows maybe next time I’ll get the please submit the complete manuscript letter.

Happy writing

Are You A Pumkin?

From one pumpkin to another!!!!!!!

A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"

The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from thepatch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. Then He cuts offthe top and scoops out all the yucky stuff.He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a newsmiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

Sexy

This past Thursday was my daughter’s eighth birthday. I treated her to her first manicure and pedicure. She was too excited about getting her nails down professionally.

No I didn’t get the fake nails. She’s a baby. I don’t get the mothers who put on fake nails on kids. She had her own nails. They painted them a soft pink. She was too cute.

While having my own nails done, I read an article about Toni Braxton. I’ve been a fan of her’s since she debuted with Sad Songs. Which I believe is her best record.

She talked about being sexy after two kids. It made me think about being sexy. I haven’t felt sexy in a long time. In my twenties you couldn’t tell me I wasn’t sexy. After I had children, I stopped thinking about being sexy. I now know that was the wrong mentality to have. If you don’t think you’re sexy who will.

I cut my hair a few months ago, and the word sexy came up again in my vocabulary. I remembered being sexy and why I liked being sexy. When you feel sexy your whole being changes.

I plan on treating my baby girl to more manicure/pedicures, because I want her to grow up believing she’s beautiful and sexy. As a young girl those words weren’t in my vocabulary. Hopefully this salon visit will break that mode and start a young girl on a different path.

Do you think you’re sexy?