From self-published to top publisher - self publishing

Black Issues Book Review, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Victoria Christopher Murray

What do you do when you self-publish your book and, within a year sell over 40,000 copies? You help others with the same dream that may not know how to achieve success. That's what S. James Guitard, author of Chocolate Thought and one of the partners of Literally Speaking Publishing House, did.

"I never looked at this as self-publishing. I joined with a few others to form a company, one that could rival the mainstream houses. We published my book first, wanting to have success behind us when we approached other authors," says Guitard. Literally Speaking's goal is to provide a publishing opportunity to authors who may not generate interest from mainstream houses.

"There are many writers out there who have top-notch projects. But it's not easy to get the eye of a publisher," says Guitard. "And, there are good writers who don't have the funds or the know-how to do it themselves. That's where we come in. We want to develop bestsellers." Literally Speaking is a royalty publisher providing the same support as mainstream publishers. "From advances, to the printing, editing, promotion--we do it all." Literally Speaking has attracted the attention of published authors, and is in negotiation with several Essence best-selling authors.

Guitard is one of several authors who have successfully self-published and then opened the doors for others. Poet Kwame Alexander is another writer who had publishing in his blood. "I've been in this since I was eight," Alexander said referring to how he worked in his father's publishing company. "I didn't want to have anything to do with publishing." But in 1995, Alexander founded BlackWords Press.

"I published my book Just Us: Poems and Counterpoems as a way to learn the business." To date, BlackWords Press has published ten books with plans to publish four new books each year. "One of our major projects is with a reporter for the Baltimore Sun. Dion Thompson's Walk Like A Natural Man is the most phenomenal novel I've ever read," Alexander says. "This will be our largest investment to date." BlackWords Press is also a royalty publisher that pays advances and all expenses. "We want well-written, good stories that we can be passionate about."

Linda Dominique Grosvenor, author of the serf-published work, Sometimes I Cry, started her company, Sadorian Publishing in 2000. "When I realized how difficult it was to get published, I knew there were many whose works would never see the light of day. I had to provide this opportunity."

Sadorian has been successful. One of their works, Secrets of a Gingerbread Man, was selected by Black Expressions Book Club. Another, On the Eighth Day She Rested was picked up by St. Martin's Press. "Right now, we have eleven titles, and plan to have twelve new ones next year." Sandorian is also a royalty publisher, providing the standard trade paperback royalties.

Although Guitard, Alexander and Grosvenor are all publishers, they continue to write as well. "You have to keep your number one, number one," says Nina Foxx, author of Dippin' My Spoon, which was published by her company, Manisy Willows Books. With her success, Foxx received a two-book contract from Harper Collins/Avon. "My writing comes first. But I knew I could help others, especially in the area of distribution. After I published, it became more difficult for self-published authors to get placement with major distributors. I use my contacts to help new authors." While many of these publishers have focused on fiction, Foxx has published the nonfiction work, Do the Write Thing, co-written with Kwame Alexander. She just signed author Sam Um, who wrote a screenplay that he adapted into a book.

Write the Vision, headed by Maurice Gray, focuses solely on Christian books. "I had no intention of doing this," says Gray, the author of To Whom Much Is Given. "A gentleman from my church asked if I would help with his story. By the time we finished, we'd gone from writing the book to publishing it." Gray published I Didn't Know I'd Get HIV and released his second project Ocean View. "I do the editing, cover design, proofreading, typesetting," he says. "The author has to pay for printing, but I negotiate the price and find other resources." Gray will do distribution and promotion for a percentage of sales.

Flowers In Bloom Publishing, owned by Nancey Flowers published the erotic anthology, Twilight Moods, featuring stories by mainstream and self-published authors. "I always knew I would be a publisher," says Flowers, the author of A Fool's Paradise. "I had a lot of marketing experience." So Flowers turned her expertise into an opportunity for others. "As a publisher, I'm able to give a voice to people who didn't have an audience." Flowers decides what her company will do on a case-by-case basis. "My publishing company has the capability to handle everything from editing to printing, packaging and promotion. We sit down with each author to determine the best way to proceed."

Zane, one of the most successful self-published authors, published her first book in the summer of 2001. "We have nine titles, and plan to publish twenty-four every year." (This is in addition to the three books a year Zane continues to write.) Like the others, Zane felt that there were many good authors who were overlooked. "I decided to put my money where my mouth was," says Zane, who also published All That and a Bag of Chips. Zane's success has landed her a distribution deal with Simon & Schuster where Strebor Books International will be sold worldwide by the S&S sales force. As a royalty publisher, Zane is looking for all kinds of manuscripts.