Book Promotion for An Angry Ass Black Woman

It's June 22nd . . . time for me to start getting my promotion game in gear for my new book, An Angry Ass Black Woman. I would advise everyone to start really pushing their book as soon as as they get a jpeg for the book cover. And the first thing step should be getting postcards.

I ordered 500 postcards on June 4th, and was out by June 11th. I attended the Go On Girl! Book Club annual conference, stopped by a literary panel -- moderated by Vanessa Irvin Morris, and featured Nakea Murray as one of the panelists -- at the Celebration of Black Writers Conference, and attended the Black Pack Party hosted by Troy Johnson, Linda Duggins, and Ron Kavanaugh. So, I ordered another 500 postcards and went through those in about two weeks. I'm picking up another 1,000 this weekend.

Let me give you all a tip . . . postcards are an author's best friend! I usually order 5,000 at a time, although I'm doing small numbers right now for a reason I'll explain later. Another tip: Don't bother putting your picture on the postcards. No one cares what the author looks like. And it's not likely that your picture will be in the bookstores when people go browsing looking for books.

One side of the postcards should feature your book cover. You can also add a banner announcing the release date of the book if it's not out yet - as is the case of An Angry Ass Black Woman. On the other side of the postcard should be: The book title, the author, ISBN, the publisher, the synopsis, and someplace for the reader to go for more information i.e. your website or Facebook page, and contact info (I use my twitter and facebook page)

I'm showing an example here. My actual postcards have a white background on the back, but I "yellowed" it here so that it would show up. Also, I've lost some of the formatting while attempting to upload it to this blog, but my title is usually centered, bolded, and underlined.

What do I do with the postcards? Well, if I know someone is having a book signing I'll stop by and ask if they'd put one of my postcards in all of the books they sell.

I get to conferences early, and place a postcard in all the empty seats so that in order for someone to sit down they have to pick up my postcard.

When I have to go out to take care of business I make it a point to go to the restrooms, on each floor, and place a card in each stall.

I give them out to the toll booth clerk whenever I go through a toll.

I go up to people reading books and offer them information on a new book about to be released.

I go to bookstores, and give people a card on their way out.

Yep, I do all that and more . . . because I want to be selling some books!

Hope

And the title is . . . An Angry Ass Black Woman!!!

Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've just gotten the final word, the title of my new book will be An Angry Ass Black Woman, the title I'd originally given it.

Just some background . . . when the manuscript was first sold to Karen Hunter Publishing (an imprint of Simone & Schuster), it was sold as An Angry Ass Black Woman, and that is the title for the work on the book contract. That was back in January 2010.

I was supposed to turn the completed manuscript into them by June of that year, but then I got sick. Real sick. As in Multiple Sclerosis sick. My publisher is Karen Hunter, of Karen Hunter Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster), and she was totally understanding . . . telling me not worry about the deadline, just concentrate on getting well.

So, the book was finally turned in right after Thanksgiving 2011. But right before it was turned in Karen called and told me that Simon & Schuster was having issues with the title. They were concerned that Walmart would not accept the book because of the word "Ass." I was disappointed, and argued a while that we should insist since they do stock other books with that word, but then Karen told me that they were also concerned that the title would not appeal to white people.

I have to admit, I was stunned.

So okay, I wanted white folks to read my book . . . so I was willing to consider changing the title of my book. But then . . . they said they might not stock the book anyway because of the book's content.

Now that puzzled me. It's not pornographic, ya know? And it doesn't have racist material, or promote hate . . . so why wouldn't they stock it?

From what I could gleam from Simon & Schuster, Walmart was vague as to why . . . but it seems they think it might offend white people, even if the title were changed. Now, I don't say I hate white folks or anything like that in the book (because I don't!), but I do say that Black Women in the United States have a hard time. Personally, I think it's true.

And that's not to say that other groups don't have it bad . . . or that Black Women even have it worse than others. But the phrase "Angry White Women" never hit the American consciousness the way "Angry Black Women," has. I don't know that I get any more angry than they do, though.

However, it's important to remember the Bebe Moore Campbell book . . . Your Blues Ain't Like Mine. Well, it's true. There are things I suffer from that white folks just don't.

For instance it's true that every woman has to worry about their child's safety as soon as they walk out the door. But, I'ma tell you . . . they don't have to worry their child being deemed a suspicion person and being targeted by authorities simply because of their skin color. And, oh yeah . . . I don't want to hear that B. S. that it doesn't happen anymore. Can anyone say "Trayvon Martin?"

So, okay . . . I think Walmart is wrong. I don't think white people will be offended by my title, nor do I think they will not buy the book because they won't think it pertains to them . . . white women get angry just like black. But there is nothing I can do about Walmart's decision.

But . . . since Walmart will not likely stock the book anymore . . . we get to keep the title!!!!!!!!!!

Hurray!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The book will be published in October 2012 . . . I can't wait! Hope you guys are looking as forward to as I am. You can read an excerpt from the book by clicking . . . HERE

Hopefully . . . I'll be given a choice of covers soon; they're supposed to let me choose between three, and when I do I hope to have the readers pick which one will be used for the book. I think that will be cool!!!

Can't wait!

Karen

Book Review - No One in the World, by E. Lynn Harris and RM Johnson

Cobi Winslow has problems. The tall dark and handsome state attorney was adopted by a wealthy family as a young child, lives in a mansion, drives a Porsche, and is seemingly destined for a successful political career.

But after his adoptive parents are killed in a tragic plane crash, he finds that their will stipulates that unless he marries by his thirty-fourth birthday – which is only 40 days away – he’ll lose his $20 million dollar inheritance and a chunk of shares in the family’s hair product empire, which might mean that the company could face a hostile takeover.

In view of the fact that he’s considered one of the most eligible and sought after bachelor in Chicago, even this seems surmountable; but the fact that Cobi is a closeted gay, carrying on a secret affair with a married state senator complicates matters immensely.