An enduring legacy spanning nearly three decades can see change, but for AALBC.com’s book club, the mission remains: to provide an online space for readers to explore and celebrate both emerging and established Black writers. This year, the award-winning website relaunched its book club, with the third iteration, Black Don’t Crack…Book Spines, … Read the rest
With departments like publicity and marketing, how common is it for authors to pitch their own promotional ideas? Book publicist and marketing associate, as well as host of Smith Publicity’s All Things Book Marketing Podcast, Olivia McCoy, says it is not only common, but encouraged.
“We really lean on authors coming to us for ideas,” the publishing professional tells So Booking Cool. “We know the book space, we … Read the rest
Scott Lord‘s Come November (Greenleaf Publishing, July 18, 2023) is garnering praise for its execution and story. The historical fiction thriller, romance is about two newspaper journalists who reconnect five decades later and discover whether their love has stood the test of time. In honor of the book’s release, check out Lord’s compelling take on romance and the underrepresentation of older romantics.
Love Among The Ruins
By Scott Lord… Read the rest
We often discuss the process of writing a book, but how does one protect (or sustain) that process? 24-year-old educator and author Jared McPhoy shares his approach for when he penned his debut page-turning memoir By Grace Through Faith: A Journey of Self-Discovery (Priceless Publishing).
“The truth is no one I knew knew I was writing a book,” he tells SBC. “I kept it a secret for a very long … Read the rest
When you write a story, you not only hope it will resonate, you also hope that those involved in the creative process will do it justice. So, how did children’s book author John Bray feel when he could not communicate with illustrator Josh Cleland during the development of The End (Starry Forest Books, September 13, 2022)?
“It was nerve-wracking because you’re handing over–kind of a child–a thing that … Read the rest
There are two pivotal events that shaped how Robert Agis, president of the independent children’s publisher, Starry Forest Books, works with his team. One hails from the time he was frustrated that a then-colleague’s ideas were ignored during a meeting, the other from a teaching he learned from an improv class. “One of the great things they teach you is if you treat your teammates as though they are … Read the rest
Hope Goins‘ mission is to make a difference in America whether through her role as a senior congressional staff member under Homeland Security or the new picture book series The Adventures of Chloe and Chris. The series, published by Priceless Publishing, debuted (and placed number one on Amazon’s New Releases, Children’s Government Books, and Children’s Politics and Government lists) this past spring with the first installment The Three … Read the rest
The silver lining for debut author and high school student Arjun Vij during the pandemic was writing and publishing his children’s book In Bad Water (May 17, 2021). When he was not doing remote learning, his free time prompted him to think about his time in Eswatini, a life-changing event that inspired his clean water activism.
“One thing I did was, I just imagined the trip that I took,” the … Read the rest
Whether people are in love, looking for it, or none of the above, they have many opinions about it. Entrepreneur and debut author Karla Davis-Luster recently chatted with SBC about romance and writing in support of her new book The Woman Tells, which released earlier this year. The Chicago native, who respects the likes of Terry McMillan, Zane, and Tyler Perry, shared her thoughts on why she is drawn to … Read the rest
A goal for the new picture book Ambitious Girl (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, January 19, 2020) by New York Times bestselling author, entrepreneur, and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ niece, Meena Harris, is to cease the limitation of girls’ expectations and opportunities, says the illustrator Marissa Valdez.
“This whole book, Ambitious Girl, is kind of based around Meena’s aunt Kamala Harris and how people … Read the rest
