The African American Ebook Revolution

Pastors, pimps and prostitutes

2023-01-18T14:25:00.005-05:00

God Help Us

They say Black Americans don't support Black owned business'. That's not true. there are three professions that get plenty of money out the hood.

A study published in the “Journal of Religion and Society” on July 29, 2009 by Tom Rees found: people in places without a strong social safety net and limited opportunity for upward mobility are more likely to turn to religion for comfort.

This fact is particularly relevant when considering the staggering wealth inequality between black and white Americans. Despite the progress made in civil rights and economic opportunity since the 1960s, the racial wealth gap in the United States continues to be stark. According to a report by the Institute for Policy Studies, African Americans have only a tenth of the median wealth of white households, and the average African American family has a net worth of only $3,400. This extreme wealth disparity between the black and white communities has been attributed to the systemic racism that has limited black people’s access to educational and economic opportunities. This systemic racism has resulted in black people having to work harder and longer than their white counterparts with no guarantee of success. As a result, many black people are unable to make money off of their hard work and find themselves excluded from the mainstream economy. This has resulted in many black people feeling that they are being taken advantage of; that everyone is making money off of them except them.

Think about it. You don’t see a lot of rich people running around saying the end is near. Instead, they find ways to make money while exploiting black people in the process. From the exploitation of resources in Africa to the use of black people as entertainment, it is clear that the money made off of black people is not going back into their communities. Even in the U.S., black-owned businesses are often underfunded or overlooked. It's an unfortunate reality that the majority of people of color are not benefiting from their own labor and creativity. Solutions must be found to ensure that black people can access the same economic opportunities as everyone else.

But go to any housing project in the U.S. and you will find many people looking to religious leaders eager to help them pray for a better life. Unfortunately, this is not enough. We need to look at ways to support Black people financially, such as providing access to business loans, grants, and other forms of financial support. We must also create an environment where Black people can pursue their dreams and thrive without the fear of racial prejudice and discrimination. Only then will Black people be able to make money and create wealth on their own terms.

Religion has a surprisingly high correlation with poverty, according to a Gallup survey conducted in more than 100 countries. The more poverty a nation has, the higher the “religiosity” in that nation. In general, richer countries are less religious than poorer ones. The biggest exception? The United States, which has the highest religiosity relative to its wealth on the planet. This has led to a situation where black people, who are disproportionally represented in the lower socio-economic classes, are excluded from many wealth-producing opportunities. This is largely due to systemic racism and a lack of access to capital and resources. Coupled with the fact that religion often serves as an obstacle to progress, it's no wonder that black Americans are often left behind when it comes to making money.

Many religious leaders see this as an opportunity to cash in on the spiritual needs of their congregations, while politicians make promises to the black community that they never intend to keep. However, the most profitable venture of all appears to be the exploitation of black culture by large corporations that reap the benefits of exploiting blackness for profit while providing little in return to the African American community. This is why it is so important to support black-owned businesses and empower the African American community to benefit from their own culture. Additionally, it is necessary for people to become more aware of the ways in which black people are taken advantage of and how they are often excluded from the economic benefits that their culture generates.

These religious predators know poor people tend to look for outside help, so they start businesses like "give to get blessings" or "seed faith" and then charge people for services that promise to bring them wealth and financial stability. Unfortunately, these businesses often fail to deliver on their promises, leaving the people who were already struggling even worse off. Black people have been particularly targeted by these scams, as they are already marginalized and more likely to seek out alternative ways to get ahead financially. It's a sad reality that too many people profit off of the financial desperation of black people while they are unable to make any money for themselves.

That’s why you see so many churches in poor black communities. Many people feel that the black church is a source of hope, strength, and spiritual guidance. However, some have argued that the black church can be a source of exploitation, with pastors taking advantage of people’s spiritual needs for their own gain. It is important to consider the various perspectives on this issue in order to make an informed decision about the role of the black church. Additionally, it is essential to recognize the fundamental role the black church plays in the African-American community, as it has been a cornerstone of the African-American experience for centuries.

Many of these churches are often criticized for being too commercial and not focusing enough on spiritual growth. People have questioned whether the black church is a rip-off or if it is genuinely a safe place for spiritual growth and healing. While there has been much debate about this topic, ultimately it is up to each individual person to decide if the church is a place of refuge for them or not.

In New York City, many prominent retail locations, warehouses and movie theaters have become churches. And now all they’re selling is hopes and dreams of a better life, instead of the much needed products and services.

Instead of jobs they want you to become a volunteer. They want you to donate money, yet there’s no accountability to how that money is used. To make matters worse, the pastors in many of these churches are not held to the same ethical standards as their secular counterparts. This leads many to question if the black church is a rip off.

Religious advocates say volunteering helps the community. They argue that black house of worship provide a valuable service to its members and the community at large. It can serve as a platform to support and unite African-Americans and provide spiritual guidance. Additionally, they can provide a safe space for members to gather and talk about issues that affect their community, as well as provide an opportunity for members to serve their community through volunteer work. These efforts can help reduce poverty and crime, two of the biggest challenges that disproportionately affect African-American communities. But more often than not, the real result is the enrichment of the religious leaders.

Truth be told, good paying jobs are what helps the community, and the church is not always able to provide that. The church sometimes asks for donations and tithes that could be going towards bills, food and other necessities that many people in the community need. The black church has faced criticism for taking money from people, who often don't have much, and not providing enough services in return. Additionally, there have been allegations that some churches are using their money for personal gain instead of helping the community. It is important to remember, however, that many churches provide valuable services to their congregations and do important work in their communities.

So what's their secret, how are black houses of worshipable to get black people's money? The secret lies in their ability to tap into the spiritual and emotional needs of their congregations. They understand the power of connecting with people on a spiritual level and have developed a ministry that meets the needs of the black community. By creating an environment of love and acceptance, the church has been successful in creating a space for people to come together and share in their faith. This strong sense of community allows the church to bring in money from their members, as well as donations from outside sources.

In other words, they’re selling something no one else has. Think about it. Your product is answers to the people needs and questions. But when they ask you something you don't know, you can say God only knows and they have to accept that answer.

Next week...Why closed legs don't get no money!

Gossip- The more personal the better

2014-12-30T15:13:00.000-05:00

There are certain people we want people to talk about. And those are the people in our book. If our characters are truly memorable people will talk them up. And if they are truly memorable their recognition will draw more readers. Think James Bond. Most people know what he drinks and where he;s from. Many people have heard of Rambo, who even though he is known from the movies he started out as a character in a written story. And many of us familiar with urban fiction remember Winter Santiaga.

How do we make our characters stand out? Simple, make them appear larger than life.

1. Our characters should be strong willed: They should go for what they want and not be victims. They shouldn't be just sitting around awaiting for things to happen to them. They should be making things happen. And they should be saying things that make readers wished they could have said them.

2. Our characters should have larger than life feelings and thoughts: this is done in many ways. Like real people they should have conflicting personality traits. Generous with family, but stingy and conniving with business competitors. Or how about generous with customers but stingy with family. A character like this would stick out.

But also our characters should be lovable. the fact of the matter is the better we know people the more inclined we are to like them. And the best way people can get to know your character is to see him in action,. Show him reacting to other people and doing things. Let us see who he is.

One of the best books I've seen on this is: Writing The Breakout Novel by Donald Mass. It's also good to read novels with characters you love again. This time read them as a writer to figure out why these characters are so loveable. Because if you can make people love the characters in your book, you are on your way to taking your writing to the next level.

2012-11-20T09:00:00.004-05:00

I was asked by my nephew what made my writing different from all the other black writers out there. My answer was both simple and complex at the same time.

I told him that my writing was a fusion of Literary Urban Fiction. He looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. He knew what Urban Fiction was, but literary sounded kind of white to him.

So I broke it down even further. I write Urban Fiction stories about black folks with jobs. He looked at me like I was talking crazy. You see, my nephew is a street dude. His life is filled with the stuff that most Urban Fiction writers and gangster rappers talk about.

"Life in the hood ain't about dudes with jobs," he said.

I laughed and looked him in the eye. "Where do I live?" I asked him.

He laughed and said you live right here in the hood, so you should know better..."

He started to laugh. The realization came to him that not only did I live in the hood, but I had been on the same job for over twenty years. And like most people in the hood I wasn't born with the job.

What I was trying to make him understand was that when many people think hood or Urban Fiction they think of a certain lifestyle of certain people. They tend to forget about the majority of people who live in the hood. We may break some of the drug, gambling and vice laws; but for the most part we are law abiding citizens who go to work. Well I tell those stories.

My first book, "God Helps Those...by Alan Cramer was written seven years ago. I called my self the New Voice of Urban Fiction back then. Not realizing at the time that I was starting something new. Something I now call Literary Urban Fiction.

The Stalker by Alan Cramer

2012-03-26T07:35:00.004-04:00

Brutal, horrifying and shocking.

That’s what they’re saying about Alan Cramer’s newest story. The Stalker is about a woman being stalked and attacked by a vicious psychopath. Nikita Jones first day as a school teacher ends with her being stalked and tormented by a sexual predator of the worst kind. Worse than your worse nightmare. This story will make you scared of strangers and want to sleep with the lights on.

Why your books won't sell

2012-01-18T04:03:00.000-05:00

This post is a copy of a post I put up on amazon. it was in response to a couple of authors who complained that their ebooks weren't selling.

Like any other business, if you didn't get in on the ground floor, you are going to find it hard. Many of the best selling authors have many books. No one should expect to write one book and sell millions. It's not going to happen like that any more.

All the indie people who have sold a million on kindle have many books.

And this is a business. If your books are only for sale on kindle that might be another problem. Word of mouth sells books. Amazon is crowded, you might have to go some place else to get noticed and read by strangers who are the best promoters of your books. i say books because you have to write more than one.

Are you a writer or an author?

2012-01-11T15:08:00.001-05:00

I recently read a post on Dean Wesley Smith's blog. It was about the difference between being a writer and being an author. To put it simply he states; a writer is one who is writing, but an author is one who finished the book and is trying to sell it.

I kind of hate writing, but I love being an author. In other words I hate writing, but I love having wrote.

As my number of finished books pile up, I feel a sense of pride. I like those monthly royalty checks from amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com. The author in me feels quite proud.

But author's tend to rest on their laurels. I see other authors trying to sell their books and getting stuck on that book. The book sells or it doesn't sell, but they just keep on pushing that ONE book. In other words they stop writing.

This seems to be a bigger problem for independent writers and authors. I guess people with publishing contracts are forced to keep on writing. But us self published types often loose motivation after one or two books if they don't sell a million copies or downloads.

But when I look at the independent success storeis like Amanda Hockins or John Locke one thing remains clear. They wrote. They had more than two books written before they made it big.

I was going to write some more on this subject but I'm reminded that I have another book I really need to be working on right now...

Keep writing.

Self Published African American Authors: Has Equality Finally Come?

2012-01-05T20:28:00.000-05:00

Amazon.com’ has forever changed the publishing game. Their kindle format allows African American author’s inexpensively to publish their own books and distribute them world wide. It used to cost thousands of dollars to print books, now independent books like “God Helps Those” by Alan Cramer have the same access as the big publishing houses.

Amazon.com’s kindle format allows books like “God Helps Those” to be read on personel computers, Ipads/Ipods, BlackBerry and Android smart phones. Not only is distribution world wide, but books like “God Helps Those” can now be held in the palm of your hand.

If you can't read...you can't write

2011-12-15T03:38:00.000-05:00

It's been said that authors should read more than they write. One main reason, reading well edited books and stories helps you learn how to use language correctly and effectively. Often you can tell how well read a writer is just by reading his writing.

One reporter used Sarah Palin's book as an example. Even though he felt she was ditsy, he felt her writing showed that she had been well schooled and read a lot.

If you want to write Urban Fiction and haven't read Iceberg Slims stuff you are missing a great opportunity. This is the first writer of urban fiction and has sold over six million books. his first book, Pimp was eventually translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish and Greek.

Some may feel his stuff isn't like what they are writing today and they are right. He wrote books that sold by the millions. He did things that no other writer was doing at the time. Most of us can't do that because we only read one type of book and basically copy it to be on the safe side.

But if we read other types of fiction, we might be able to stretch past our writing comfort zones and produce new classics. But it starts with reading.

Amazon.com new lending library sucks

2011-12-09T14:23:00.000-05:00

If you are an independent author you have probably heard about amazon's new program. For me it sucks. Two reasons:

One, they want you to only sell your book on amazon to participate.

The more authors that join and the more books the enroll the smaller each share of the six million becomes. If ten thousand books are enrolled and each one gets an even share thats only six hundred for the year. Which comes out to 50 a month.

Even if the kdp select payout went up to ten million, thats only a thousand dollars a year if all 10,000 books were divided evenly. I don't sell that many books, my readership is a narrow base, and I know that many of my readers use the amazon app on cell phones and Nook readers.

Until I hear a independent making more than $60 per month from one title and still SELLING books on amazon, I can't afford to participate.

And in the NYC area many black women own Nook e readers. And they are my customers. Why would I make a deal that would deny me customers. I think amazon is trying to smash smashwords and barnes and noble.

This program may work for some writers f they are more popular, but at my level in the game I am too small to benefit from this...to be continued.

Alan Cramer writes fiction, not fairy tales

Bourgeois (AKA) Boojee

2011-12-05T04:45:00.000-05:00

My newest book is out. Bourgeois (AKA) Boojee is a continuation of the Detective Honey Sinclair saga. it's a dram in the first degree. I don't like promoting my books here, but shit I do gotta eat. It's also available on Barnes&noble nook.

Check it out

Good luck charms that sell books

2011-11-21T06:57:00.000-05:00

There's a discussion in one of amazon kindle's forums about if it takes luck or skill to be a successful writer.

The truth be told it takes lots of luck and skill. We all know there are plenty of lucky authors who were able to get there books mentioned on Oprah. Being on her show was like getting the winning lottery numbers two days before the lottery. But many forget the skill part. If your book is garbage and Oprah or whoever reads it and can't get past the first page, guess what?

All the luck in the world won't help you get that shout out. In other words people have to like your books. And not just any people. I'm talking about people who read and are willing to tell others about your book.

It takes some luck to have these first tier readers discover your book. And it takes some marketing skill. If you're an established author already with some sales under your belt, you have passed this hurdle. But if you are new, getting your book noticed may feel like the hardest thing to do.

If you are new and self published there are few things you can do.

1. Write a good book. Not a book that you and your loved ones think is good, but a book that people who pay for them think is good. Everybody's not going to like any book, but you better make sure the first tier readers like it. Because if they don't like it they will tell people your book sucks.

2. Only promote your book to people who read that type of book. I don't like romance books. Therefor every romance book that I come across will look like garbage to me. Why waste time and energy pushing your book to people who probably won't like it anyway. I write for African Americans in general. I don't promote my books in general to white readers. Some may say I'm missing out on potential sales but I learned from drug dealers a long time ago, you don't try to sell heroin at church picnics. You might have some luck with Tyler Perry movies but the dope probably won't sell too good.

3. Listen to the advice of people in the business. Things are changing fast, so some of the things they tell you might not work anymore, but listen anyway. You can use your own gut feelings to figure out if what they tell you is right. And too some degree you will have to trust luck. But the old saying is, if you want what someone has, you have to do what they do.

These three things can increase your luck factor. Because every seasoned gambler knows, you should never make a sucker bet.

Separating the men from the boys & I'm not talking about Penn State

2011-11-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

See what a good title can do? Actually I'm talking about separating professional writers from amateurs.

1. A professional is an amateur that didn't quit. I've talked about it before, writers have to have persistence. It's important to understand that I don't mean just keep writing garbage.

2. Pro's constantly are trying to better. We have to read books on writing, and learn from our customers experiences.

3.Pro's know that it's a business. When customers complain about our product we can't just get mad and say they are stupid because they couldn't understand your book. Because if their gripe is legit, and enough people agree, you won't sell too many books. And what that means is your the stupid one. But there is help. Read number two on this list again.

4. Pro's get paid. We can give away free samples of our writing. I gave away close to five hundred books a few years ago. But i sold a lot more. There's no semi pro league in writing. If you have ever gotten money for writing you are a professional.

The thing is the market is more competitive than ever. Not only do we have to compete with hundreds of new writers daily, there also playstations, 360's and movies on demand. Pro's recognize this and do what they need to do to deal with the new competition.

Boxers like Mike Tyson used to study tapes of other fighters. Modern armies send in spies before they go to war and performers practice at least 8 hours before a one hour performance.

So we have to man up. In order be professionals. We have to do a little more than the other guy. Most importantly we have to keep writing. In reality, I'm saying this too myself more than anyone else.

The Class System

2011-11-13T11:25:00.000-05:00

It seems to me that there are two kinds of ebook buyers. There is the die hard read a book every few weeks reader. And there is the read every once in a while or when the weather is bad reader. When I look at my amazon and Barnes & Noble sales a few of things pop out at me.

The die hard readers read all types of books by all types of authors. But it looks like they tend to go after top sellers and or books from traditional publishers. Many of them will read indie authors books but some won't. I think this is why indie sales go down in the summer. Amazon is still selling lots of book, just not as many indie ones.

In the winter or when there is a spat of bad weekend weather, my sales and sales ranks go up. This is when the every once and a while readers start to buy. This crowd seems to be more willing to give indie authors a try.

The weather was nice in NYC this weekend and it seems I couldn't give my books away. But on rainy weekends my sales seemed to jump even in the summer.

This may seem obvious to most of us, but some times we don't do things based on observations. More often than not our actions are based on emotions. Many writers got depressed and talked about wanting to give up during the summer. The extra competition, plus the fact that the die hard readers weren't that supportive of indie authors made them FEEL that it wasn't worth it. They stopped writing.

Now when sales for indies pick up in the winter they won't be ready with new books. They'll hear about all the indie ebooks that are selling and rush to write. The problem will be though, their books won't be finished until the spring when indie sales start to go down again. Again they'll be flooding the market when our type of books are not in season. Publishing like many other businesses is subject to seasonal cycles.

Just like there are two classes of regular readers, there are two classes of indie writers. Those that can get regular sales and those that can't. Both groups know that writing is an art. But only one seems to realize that publishing is a business.

You're fast you pass

2011-11-11T15:23:00.001-05:00

If you read books on writing or have taken a class on writing, you've probably heard that good writing takes time. This may be true if you're writing a text book. But if you writing fiction there's no proof of this. Some of the greatest writers have written over a hundred books and short stories. And when I use the word greatest, I talking about writers whose books sell.

Why is this important. Because in the new world of ebook publishing, quantity counts. If you have put out an ebook, you may be wondering where the sales are. But if you have three or more ebooks out you are starting to see some sales. I'm not saying if you write a lot of books you are guaranteed a lot of sales but your chance will be increased.

This is because once people read an author they like, they will often read more of his books. Also if people see your name popping up on a few amazon or Barnes and Noble titles they may be more inclined to try you out.

Three of my shortest ebooks were written in one day. They're not best sellers but they sell one or two books a month. If I complete my goal to write over on hundred books in the next ten years that could add up to five or six hundred sales a month on books that are not selling well. Now imagine if one or two of them sells well.

I don't know about you but I am in this for the money.

By the way those one day written ebooks are under different pen names. This is important, but I'll tell you more about that later.

The writing on the wall

2011-11-05T17:59:00.000-04:00

Everybody who can read, likes to read to some extent. They may not read novels, but when they're in a public restroom they definitely read the writing on the bathroom stall.

If you live in New York City and drive down the FDR you have tried to read the signs that the crazy homeless holds some where along the south bound side below 125th Street.

Reading seems to be in our nature. People love to text. And I don't care what anyone says, it's easier to call some one and talk than it is to tap out a bunch of letters on a small ass phone. But yet my baby's mother claims it's easier for her to text me than to just call and say come pick up your kid.

I read some where that a majority of teen age girls now sleep with their cell phones in the bed with them. I don't know if that is true, but I have watched my daughter wake up, grab her phone before getting out of bed and start texting.

And we all know about the different emails that get passed around.

The reason most people don't read novels though is a no brainer to me. They find them boring. Before Sista Soulja reintroduced us to Urban Fiction, most Black people couldn't relate to novels. We weren't in most books. And when we were we didn't recognize the characters. Alex Cross may be a black character, but I can tell on a subconscious level that it's a white guy doing the talking.

A lot of Black people hate Urban Fiction. I guess the reason is, they spent years learning to read, write and talk like white people. And now regular talking black people are reading and writing books for and about regular black people.

Like rap music, Urban Fiction is here to stay. And like rap music, in a couple of years, white people will spend more money on it than we do. I see the writing on the wall

Drama for your mama

2011-11-01T15:30:00.000-04:00

There's an old saying in the teaching of writing; Happy families are boring. What this means to fiction writers is, your stories have to be about people who are in not so happy situations. How do we do this?

First off we have to understand, that part of what makes a story interesting is seeing some sort of action. Not just any action but action that shows us change. You show your main character living life and then as quickly as possible something in their life changes. Not just any change but a what's the worst that can happen change.

Of course your character has to be likable. You have to establish that as quickly as possible too. Because if readers don't like the character, they won't care about the change in said character's life.

Modern stories are told in scenes. Each major scene with your lead should be about the main character trying to get out of whatever jam the major change has put them through. And each scene should end with your character a little worst off. This will keep people reading. You know how when you watch your favorite show and it ends on a cliff hanger, you can't wait for next weeks episode. Well if you end your scenes and chapters this way reader won't be able to put your book down.

I'll tell you another way to keep readers coming back for more, in my next instalment.

Doers and Waiters

2011-11-01T06:35:00.000-04:00

Doers make orders waiters take them.

When people find out I'm an author, they often tell me they want to write a book. I call most of these people waiters. They'll tell me how great their idea for a book is and then they'll wait. Some will even ask me to help them write the book.

One person told me, they'll tell me the story and I could write it. When I asked them, "Why don't they write it?" They told me they weren't ready, they'd have to WAIT until they had the time.

The first step to writing a book, short story or even an email is sitting down to write. It also doesn't hurt to have something interesting to write about. But even books that are not that interesting often sell. The key is you have to write it.

So if you think you have a book in you, write it. Sit in front of your computer and get to typing. If you do it every day, the worst that could happen is you'll eventually have a book. Don't worry about wasting your time. So what you miss a few hours of TV. But by its very definition, waiting, means wasting time.

So maybe you should stop reading this and start typing that book you always wanted to read.

It's a Black Thing

2011-10-27T07:22:00.000-04:00

It's a black thing and some people just don't understand. There's a customer discussion group on amazon.com called how to avoid indie authors. They basically talk about how self published authors should be avoided and that there should be some way to stop them.

Now I am all about freedom of expression, but most of today's top selling black authors are self published. And many others were published by previous self published authors. Self published authors like myself have been able to get our books in Barnes & Nobles and have sold good enough for stores like Barnes & Nobles and Borders to have Urban Fiction sections.

The big publishers won't pick up most of today's black writers unless they've sold a lot of books already, whereas if write something that will appeal to or not threaten white readers you can actually get an advance before you even write the book. The reason for this is economics. Most readers are white and if you want to sell a million books it's best to write for them.

On the other hand, even though most urban fiction books will never sell a million copies, many have sold in the thousands and have been very profitable. But just not on the scale that the major publishers would want to deal with unless it was a sure thing like Zane or K'wan.

Triple Crown started out as a vehicle for the owner to self publish her own book and now puts out other books. If this indie author would not been able to thrive many others never would have had their work read.
Even if you never read a Terry Woods book, chances are you've heard of her. This is more proof that for African Americans ebooks and self publishing in general has created a new Renascence.

Yes there are some books out there that are garbage. But there are also songs movies and plays that are garbage too. The thing is, we as black people should be glad that so many of our brothers and sisters are trying to write. We should be glad that many of our people who never would have picked up a book a few years ago are reading. Nothing but good can become of this. With all these books floating around, our reading and writing skills can only get better. Any book that can get kids in the hood reading is a good book to me.

Don't stop before the miracle

2011-10-19T07:29:00.000-04:00

It's hard to figure out how to write a million seller. But it's easy to figure out how not to sell any books. If you don't write them, you can't sell them. I know a few writers that quit after writing one or two books that didn't sell well. And I know a few writers that quit before they even finished the first book.

I've been in this business a little over five years and I've seen that there are many ways to sell books.

The first thing you have to do is write them. This explains itself

If you are not a master salesman, you have to write decent books. They don't have to be classics, but the have written well enough for the people you want to buy them. Some of us are natural story tellers, but learning more about the trade won't hurt. I knew a guy whose self published book was really bad. He couldn't give them away and would get mad when people didn't like his book. When I suggested some books and tips on writing he got offended. Which leads me to the next point.

You have to learn to take criticism. The paying readers are the judges, jury and executioners of our book selling life.

Write for a particular crowd. It makes it easier to market and get the word out about your book. I for example write middle class Urban Fiction for mature African American women. All I have to do then is get my books near other books that these same women are buying. The same thing goes if you write sci fi, horror or erotica. Trying to write for everyone is not going to work. James Patterson has a black character but h writes his books for white readers who love suspense. But he writes well and will pick up some black readers along the way. But most of his readers are white and his character doesn't get too black.

Realize that there is some luck involved. And just like the lotto, you have to be in it to win it.

Another thing I've noticed is if you keep at it, using the above tips, you can grow readership. After four or five well written and marketed books, you might not be able to make a living off writing, but you could have a decent side income.

Don't Give a F**k

2011-10-03T15:58:00.000-04:00

This is for the writers who get upset when people give them bad reviews on amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com

The following post comes from Joe Konrath's blog A Newbie's Guide to Publishing

Not Caring

One of the greatest skills you can acquire as an author is a thick skin.

Once you unleash a story onto the world, it no longer belongs to you. When it was in your head, and on your computer during the writing/rewriting process, it was a personal, private thing. But the moment your words go out into the world, they are subject to the opinion of strangers. What was once personal is now public.

Do yourself a huge favor, and don't listen to the public.

This goes for more than your literary endeavors. If you blog, or speak in public, or tweet on Twitter, you are a Public Figure.

That means some people aren't going to like you.

And you shouldn't care.

You shouldn't care about people liking you, either. Praise is like candy. It tastes good, but it isn't good for us.

The opinions of strangers, good or bad, should have no power over you.

Now, I'm not saying that your should live in a vacuum, oblivious to how you effect the world. In order to be a good writer, and a good person, it is important to have trusted allies pressure-check you.

These allies include family, close friends, and your agent, assuming you have a good relationship with your agent.

These are the people whose opinions do matter. You trust them, because they know you and your writing.

But anything outside of your inner circle should best be ignored.

Getting angry with reviews, or critics, or anonymous trolls, is a waste of energy, and serves no purpose.

Getting an inflated sense of worth because strangers praise you is one of the shallowest, emptiest ego boosts around.

In all cases, it is better not to care.

If you're lucky enough to be read, you will attract detractors and sycophants. You will be ridiculed, celebrated, roasted, venerated, criticized, analyzed, and talked about.

You have no control over what people say about you.

You have full control over how you react to what people say about you.

Not caring doesn't come naturally. In order to truly not care, you need to be confident, self-aware, and mentally healthy. You need to be deliberate. You need to understand your effect on others. You need to understand your needs, and how they're met.

The world is filled with a wide variety of people. But only a few of them should really matter to you. The rest are just white noise. They can amuse. But don't give them more power than that.

One of the greatest journeys in life is overcoming insecurity and learning to truly not give a shit.

But don't take my word for it. My opinion shouldn't matter to you at all.

Where you at? and how do the readers find you?

2011-10-02T00:45:00.000-04:00

How do ebook readers find books to read. Well according to a survey on MobileRead:

29% get their recommendations from fellow readers on online message forums, blogs and message boards.

But only 4% only 4% selected, “Personal friend/family member recommends it to me.

18% look first for their favorite authors.

Most of the rest find their books by browsing.

But only 3% got their books from the best sellers list.

Basically this means authors need to take multiple approaches to get noticed. But this also means most self published writers have an equal chance to get noticed. So remember, write the best book you can, so when they do discover you they'll come back for seconds.

Stick out like a sore thumb

2011-09-23T16:09:00.000-04:00

I am the only urban fiction writer writing about working class people. I'm not just saying this to brag. In order for any new writer to make it in the new digital world he needs an edge. Some thing to make you stand out from the crowd.

If you are an established Urban Fiction writer like K'wan for instance, you come to the ebook world with a fan base. This is a following that will buy your books. But if you are like me and so many others in the game who never sold a lot of physical books, we need other means to grow our fans.

There are many ways to promote an ebook, but the best way is to get into a category (genre) and then stick out. You see, a sore thumb sticks out but it is still part of the hand. We have to realize that most of us will never sell as many books as a K'wan or a Nikki Turner, but if we can carve out a small enough niche, we can sell a decent amount of books on a regular basis.

Some writers will say they want everybody to buy their ebooks. If you write with everybody in mind, your book may come out sounding crazy.
There's an old saying: If you try to please everybody you end up pleasing nobody.

Put your money where their mouths are...

2011-09-18T21:25:00.001-04:00

Word of mouth is the best way to sell books. If a friend of yours tells you a book is good, there's a good chance you'll read it. One way to get people to talk about your book is to write a good book. If people like what you have written they will tell others. Another way to get people to talk about a book is to write a controversial one. Even if the book is not that good, but it gets people talking or even arguing about it, people will buy it.

Authors can help get the word out. With street books authors, they can help get the word out by mingling with readers. Going to conventions and book shows and things like that. Book signings and going out to meet with book clubs. Or in cities like New York they can even stand on street corners.

But for authors who only put out ebooks, the rules are a little different. Since we can't go around signing people's kindles we have to get the word to readers in different ways. In some ways the internet is just like the old way. You have to get some one else to talk about your books. Again the most important thing is to write a good or controversial book. Then you can get somebody like Valinda Miller to hit you up in her blog African American Books on the Kindle .

Word of mouth can make a lousy book sell too. The problem with that is many people might not want to buy your second book. So again it still boils down to writing a good book.

Going H.A.M (Hard As a Mother F...)

2011-09-17T16:38:00.000-04:00

This summer was rough for many independent authors. Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com ebook sales were down for most of us. And since I no longer publish physical books these basically are my only two sales outlets, it made for a depressing summer.

I started to doubt myself as a writer. I really thought about giving up. The going was getting tough and I saw no light at the end of the tunnel. I thought my first book would be a million seller. Then I felt the next one would. Then I prayed that the third one would just sell twenty thousand copies.

Even though I'm doing fairly well for an independent, I'm not selling as much as I would like. I was comparing my work to the best selling books of others. But looking at the top ten list doesn't tell the whole story.

Take Dan Brown's book the Da Vinci Code. It has sold over 80 million copies. But the author's first three books sold less than 10,000. Since my first three books have sold over ten thousand copies I'm not in bad company.
There's a saying by President Calvin Coolidge: Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan 'Press On' has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.

That means we should keep trying. The Dan Brown example shows us how big publishing companies do it too. They'll put out a few books by an author. Then when they think he has a large enough fan base, they push his next book hard. i don't know if this is the best way, but it is one of the easiest for self published author's. Your books can be your best advertising. You just have to make sure they're good.

I've seen a couple of self published books that are garbage. This is usually because the author just up and decided to be a writer without ever getting an honest appraisal of his writing. Or the author is not a good story teller but thinks because he reads a lot and has big vocabulary he can entertain people. We have to always keep it up front. If we can't entertain people with our writing it's not going to sell.

That means our persistence should be two fold. One keep writing. Two learn how to write stuff that SELLS. Because in the long run, if your writing don't make no dollars, it don't make no cents.

2011-09-13T22:58:00.008-04:00

There are a few reasons many urban fiction authors can't get white folks to buy there books. But one of the biggest is writing style. There are certain tricks to good writing that many black authors haven't picked up on yet. They may be good story tellers, but I know some seven year olds who can tell good stories. There is a something a little extra that goes into writing novels. And I'm not talking about grammar.

There a saying in writing schools, show don't tell. This one trick can make a story come alive in a reader's mind.

Here's and example: Mary walked in the house and saw that the living room was still messy. She was angry because she told her husband to clean up. It was the least he could do because he didn't have a job.There was a pile of dirty clothes on the sofa right next to her husband who was watching the football game. Now she was even more angry

This sounds decent but it's telling. Look how it reads when we show instead: Mary walked into the house and tripped over a pair of sneakers. She kicked them and they landed in the empty Dominoes pizza box. "Damn it," Mary said as she slammed her purse on the table that was by the door.

She stepped over piles of dirty clothes as she made her way into the living room. What the hell are you doing?" She said.

Her husband John, was laying back on the sofa using a pile of clothes for a pillow. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm watching the football game."

The next thing she knew, she had a pair of scissors in her hand and was headed for the TV's cord.

Notice the difference. Not once did I write that Mary was angry in the second version. I didn't have too, you could see it.

There's another benefit showing. It takes up more space than telling. You can really stretch a book out by telling.

A great place to practice showing is when you want to describe a character. Instead of saying she is beautiful, have one character in the book tell another character say that so and so's ass looks good or she has gorgeous face.

It's like in a movie. The director doesn't come on stage and say the actor is mad now. The actor shows you he's mad through his actions.

Now I'm not saying you want to show the whole story. It'll read more like a crazy movie script. But you'll to w\show most of it, with just enough telling to round it out. It something you have to practice. Like when Richard Pryor Or Martin Lawrence do stand up comedy. Some of what they show us is funnier than what they say.

Believe me, their are some white folks waiting for some fresh and different writers; and Urban fiction has them. We just have to speak to them in a language they understand and enjoy.

More to come.