The big book push: from the King holiday through Black History Month, publishers do their biggest business in African-American books. But is it the best way to promote black literary culture?

Black Issues Book Review, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Lesleigh Irish-Underwood

January 2002. An amazing manuscript for a novel from a new African-American writer has just been acquired after a brisk auction, with substantial bidding by many of the major publishing houses. The editor wants to place the novel on a fast track, and the manuscript is being distributed to the editorial and sales staffs for a preliminary read before a sales conference.

At the sales conference two months later, the response to the new book is tremendous, and the discussion at the meeting is positive. Book cover ideas, marketing plans, publicity and an author tour are all on the table to support the book. The discussion turns to the issue of when to publish. "February, naturally," says the associate publisher, "this should definitely be published in time for Black History Month." The entire room nods in agreement. Despite the objections of the editor, who wants to get the book out sooner, the sales and marketing honchos at Anywhere Publishers overrule her.

Behind-the-scenes maneuvering in the world of book publishing? Maybe. But it's no coincidence that a significant number of all books by black authors are released in the two month window that ends in February with Black History Month. In fact, publishers often do a special sell sheet specifically to remind stores to order titles for Black History Month.

Indeed, the first two months are when the publishing industry launches some of its most aggressive campaigns for books by black authors and about black culture. This February alone, there will be more than 50 new fiction and nonfiction titles published by mainstream houses. But with such a limited shelf life, is it really such a smart strategy, or is it the result of an industry that is still struggling with how to sell black books and reach African-American readers?

"It has been that way for awhile," says Manie Barron, literary agent at William Morris. "In 1992, I was the black-interest buyer for a national distributor. The only time most publishing reps had anything to sell me was when they were selling their winter list, which includes February," he recalls. "Bookstores have always tried to find marketing hooks to sell books. Whether it's health-related books in January, gardening books in April, or black books in February, booksellers have always looked for ways to bring attention to books. If you were able to go back in time, I will bet you would find most stores promoted black books during Negro History Week."

Once the Christmas-Kwanzaa-New Year's holiday rush is over, African-American books take center stage usually in a front-of-store tabletop display for the King holiday and Black History Month. It is in displays like these that a growing number of new and backlist titles by African-American authors are stocked in bookstores each year. Publishers followed suit by herding all their black titles into February. And so what began as a grassroots cultural celebration has become a recognized marketing strategy within the publishing industry.

At Borders Books and Music, Carol Hoenig, national events director, says that Black History Month marketing is so important that their promotional effort is initiated by the bookstore chain's corporate office. However, local Borders stores are given a great deal of latitude in coming up with creative promotions centered on African-American culture.

A media feeding frenzy

One of the driving forces behind the Black History Month juggernaut is the media itself. In the increasingly competitive glut of information, publicity departments are fighting for space. "Getting media attention for books is always difficult," says Barron. "It is exponentially harder when you're talking about black books getting coverage in the majority media. In February, the media goes searching for black story ideas. Consequently, they tend to give our books more space during that time."

The fact that other media have also bought into the Black History Month phenomenon makes it more persuasive. Among some of the programs airing this year are the documentary Unchained Memories: Readings From the Slave Narratives, which will air February 10 on HBO, and PBS' The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow. Both documentaries have companion books scheduled to arrive in bookstores in time for the television series.

In terms of advertising, you need only take a look at the pages of any black magazine's February issue to see all the ads from McDonald's, General Motors and Philip Morris saluting African-American culture and historical figures. But despite its marketing success, there is also a backlash against Black History Month.

"We treat this month like every other month of the year," says Rockelle Henderson, director of advertising for Harper-Collins. "We push for publicity and marketing opportunities for books published in February, just as we push for those in June," adds Henderson, who is also marketing manager for Amistad Press, an imprint of HarperCollins. "I can't speak for other publishers, but because Amistad publishes titles by and about the African-American experience every month, we do not focus on the limited time-frame of the month of February."