Is it more prestigious and lucrative to get your book published by a company that pays royalty advances as part of its publishing agreement? Must you be represented by a literary agent in order to secure such an opportunity? Are certain types of books more likely to qualify for publication from this type of publisher? Learn how the process works within the so-called “traditional” publishing environment as you consider your options in the contemporary marketplace, where digital technology has created a variety of publishing choices.
We have heard the outcry about needing diverse books. Guess who has stood the test of time in providing diverse books for nearly thirty years, Just Us Books. More than two and a half decades ago, Wade and Cheryl Hudson were parents on a desperate search for children’s books that addressed Black history, Black heritage and Black experiences. Disappointed by the limited number and unreliable availability, the couple embarked upon a mission: to produce the kind of positive, vibrant Black –interest books that they wanted for their own two children. So, in 1988, the Hudson started Just Us Books, the nation’s leading independent publisher of Black interest for young people. In this program, Wade and Cheryl share their incredible journey.
There’s something magical about a first novel — that promise of a new voice, the possibility of finding a writer you can follow for years to come. The debut novel is evenmore important for the writer because it might spark a great career. Writing your first book is no mean feat. Let’s hear about two exciting debut novels. The Castle Cross the Magnet Carter: a Novel by Kia Corthron; the story sweeps American history from 1941 to the twenty-first century through the lives of four men—two white brothers from rural Alabama, and two black brothers from small-town Maryland—whose journey culminates in an explosive and devastating encounter between the two families. Passage by Khary Lazarre-White; tells the story of Warrior, a young black man, who is surrounded by deep family love and a sustaining connection to his history, connections that arm him as he confronts the urban forces that he faces--both supernatural and human--forces that seek his very destruction.
Authors will share the pros and cons their writing journey and reveal how these books propelled their careers.
Sponsored by Seven Stories an Imprint of Penguin/Random House
