Kensington Acquires Holloway House Backlist

Kensington Publishing has acquired most of the publishing assets of Holloway House Publishing in Los Angeles, the original publisher of such classic black crime writers as Donald Goines, adding an historic trove of gritty African American popular literature to its publishing program. The acquisition includes about 400 backlist titles which will become part of a new imprint at Kensington called Holloway House Classics. Holloway House also publishes a range of popular fiction and nonfiction titles including biographies of famous African Americans.
Kensington’s Holloway House Classics will begin releasing titles in mass market and trade formats, in addition to releasing original urban fiction that complements the line. Holloway House Classics will join Kensington’s growing list of African American oriented imprints like Dafina, Urban Soul and Vibe Street Lit.

The acquisition does not include seven titles by Robert Beck, better known as Iceberg Slim, a former pimp turned bestselling author, whose books sold millions of copies. He is the author of such titles as Trick Baby and Pimp and his works are credited with providing the inspiration for the Blaxploitation film era of the 1970s and are often cited as influences by both hip-hop artists and Urban Fiction writers. Holloway House and the Beck estate will retain the rights to his books and Kensington will act as a distributor of Iceberg Slim titles.

Kensington CEO Steven Zacharius credited the deal to a strong market for classic black crime fiction and cited Kensington’s expertise and distribution muscle in the market for African American commercial reading. Zacharius said that the market for the kind of urban fiction Halloway offers, “is stronger today than when these books were first released.”And he said that Kensington’s sales and distribution channels will allow it “to bring Holloway House’s classic works of fiction to a much wider audience.”

Source: Publishers Weekly

Street Fiction and Teens

With all of the debate over street fiction inspired from the McMillan email, I was happy to read today the wise words of Vanessa Morris:

“These books engage readers and help promote literacy to an audience that normally would not turn to mainstream media,” said Morris. “Street lit helps empower teens as they learn the importance of self-expression and literacy.”

Here’s the full article:

Westchester Library System (WLS) and Westchester Literacy and Learning Alliance (WLLA) kicked off its second annual “Engaging All Kinds of Readers” series recently with a presentation by Vanessa Morris of the University of Pennsylvania on Where We Live: Becoming Literate about Our Own Lives.

The program was attended by over a dozen local librarians.

Ms. Morris addressed ways to optimize teen interest in “street lit” as a tool for making meaning of their own lives. She reviewed the evolution of hip hop music and the incorporation of its themes into a genre of literature that she calls “urban street fiction.” Once an underground movement, urban street fiction has crossed over to large publishers because of its popularity. Morris noted that urban street fiction addresses tough themes and helps teens escape from the poverty and environment of the ghetto. “These books engage readers and help promote literacy to an audience that normally would not turn to mainstream media,” said Morris. “Street lit helps empower teens as they learn the importance of self-expression and literacy.”

 Source

Zane’s Interview in the Wall Street Journal

Excerpt from Zane (It’s a Pseudonym) on the Art Of Writing, Publishing Spicy Fiction
By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG
July 21, 2007

Zane, 40 years old, first used her pseudonym a decade ago in an online chat room, choosing it because it was short and easy to remember. She has since written six novels with such titles as “Shame on It All: A Novel” and “Addicted,” and edited several erotica anthologies. One of her novels, “Afterburn,” published in 2005, hit the New York Times best-seller list.

There’s little question that readers are increasing interested in spicy fare. In 2006, the industry offered 1,553 erotic titles, up from 136 in 1997, according to R.R. Bowker’s Books in Print database. “The erotica category has really come into its own over the past four years,” says Michael Norris, a senior analyst at Simba Information in Stamford, Conn.

“When women’s fiction publishers started diversifying their offerings, they noticed that the sexiest stories were being snapped up faster and faster.” As a result, such publishers as Kensington, Harlequin and Avon began to offer steamier works, he adds.

Zane has also made her mark as a businesswoman, launching Strebor Books, a diverse line of minority authors, in 1999. She eventually struck a joint venture with Atria Books in 2005, but she continues as publisher.

The Wall Street Journal Online: What accounts for the growing interest in erotica these days? It seems that every major publisher is trying to launch or build such brands.

Zane: Sales. It’s the money. They are trying to cater to a market that they didn’t realize was huge. I haven’t read every book, but a lot of them are missing the market. I also deal with social issues. I use sex as a means to explore deeper issues. A lot of erotica books are just hot sex scenes. Then publishers are disappointed when they don’t sell. I don’t publish stories without a story line, even with short stories.

WSJ.com: What is the difference between literary pornography and erotica, and do readers make such distinctions today?

Zane: Some probably don’t care, but most probably do. Pornography to me is when two people enter a room, have sex, and that’s the story. Erotica is a storyline with real characters that people can relate to, stories in which characters have motives. Most of my stories could be written without the sex scenes and they would still be stories. To me the sex scenes are the least important part of a book. It’s the story that really counts.

WSJ.com: What do you look for as a publisher?

Zane: I publish controversial books about controversial issues. For example, this September we’re publishing “Do Me Twice: My Life After Islam” by Sonsyrea Tate. It’s about her experiences as a member of the Nation of Islam. We’re also publishing Rodney Lofton’s “The Day I Stopped Being Pretty,” a candid, graphic memoir about being HIV positive. David Valentine Bernard’s literary novel, “Intimate Relations with Strangers,” just got a starred review in Publishers Weekly. I know what I want when I see it. And I don’t only look for a specific book. I look for authors who will promote their work, be enthusiastic about their work and who are willing to support the other writers we publish. They have to do signings together, and support each other.

WSJ.com: In recent years so-called “street lit,” urban-flavored crime fiction, has gotten plenty of attention. Is it still hot?

Zane: I think it’s cooling off. There are lessons being learned. It’s not enough now to have somebody walking off with $1 million at the end of the book. The stories are important, and it’s great that people like them, but ultimately there will be a lot of one-hit wonders. Only a few will stand the test of time.

WSJ.com: Can such writers hit the best-seller lists if they can’t attract white readers?

Zane: It’s very difficult. You need a good story.

WSJ.com: Will cover art become more race neutral if publishers try to broaden their reach, or would this dampen interest from black readers?

Zane: A good story will find readers. If there is a compelling story or memoir, it doesn’t have to be about a black person for me to want to read it. And it won’t matter to people who love to read. But I don’t think the covers will become race neutral.

WSJ.com: What prompted you to write a sexual advice book?

Zane: I’ve gotten thousands of emails over the years, and it made me realize people are confused about relationships and sexuality. For me, this is a way to show people why I do what I do. The main reason relationships fail is because of a lack of communication. I’m also trying to keep readers entertained.

WSJ.com: What subject is raised most frequently, and how do you respond?

Zane: I get at least 20 to 30 emails a week from women asking how to take control during a sexual situation. They’re scared. In our society, women are considered vessels for men’s pleasure. That’s why the main sexual position is called the missionary position: we’re missionaries. Women who aren’t sexually satisfied need to take a stand.

WSJ.com: There’s a line between providing advice and writing steamy books. Do you worry that your advice may have unintended consequences?

Zane: I try to be very careful, especially with advice to young women. Hopefully it won’t have bad consequences. I’m candid, but I’m also responsible.

Source: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB118468734641069005.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

Zane recently published a nonfiction sex advice book called Dear G Spot.

Report from the Harlem Book Fair

Here’s an excerpt from the WNYC report of the Harlem Book Fair with some positive and negative comments about street fiction:

REPORTER: Today the Harlem street scene is a little less radical. But Max Rodriguez, who founded the Harlem Book Fair nine years ago and runs it from the back of Thometz’s bookstore, says that books are playing a big part in Harlem’s commercial revival.

RODRIGUEZ: …You can walk on 125th Street and every other outdoor vendor will be a book vendor.

VENDOR AND CUSTOMER: How much is this? Ten dollars. Ten? I’ll be back. OK baby, thank you…

REPORTER: This is the world of urban books – also known as street lit. Hundreds of Black pulp fiction books appear each month with names like “True to the Game,” “Every Thug Needs A Lady,” or “G-Spot: An urban erotic tale by.” Henry Ndombo is one of the many book vendors on 125th Street.

NDOMBO: “And God Created Woman”, that’s fiction about four ladies from different backgrounds, I can say that’s the number one right now.

NDOMBO AND CUSTOMER: You get “Dutch 3”? It’s not out yet. What about the last Nikki Turner? No, I sold out. “Still Wifey”?…

REPORTER: Street lit may be low-brow, but it’s had a huge impact on the Black book business.

GRAY: I got so many favorite authors, it’s ridiculous. I want to meet Teri Woods, Zane… I own like 600 books.

REPORTER: And book buyers like Sharon Gray are getting the attention of the big Midtown publishing companies.

JOHNSON: The guys and girls selling that literature is actually driving what major publishing houses are selling.

REPORTER: From his home on 119th Street, Troy Johnson runs the African American Literary Book Club, a national website for Black bibliophiles.

JOHNSON: Virtually any one of them that’s sold a few thousand copies seems to be able to pick up a deal from a major house.

REPORTER: One of these writers is Relentless Aaron. You can’t miss his promotional van parked on 125th Street. He often sells his books out in front of Starbucks.

AARON: Push, and To Live & Die in Harlem. Those are like my 20th and 21st novels out of the 32 that I’ve written.

AARON: [Reads] “Word got around about the shooting and the events at the Lenox Lounge. 20 of its customers had been locked up for one reason or another…”

REPORTER: Aaron wrote many of his novels while serving time in federal prison. He’s only been out three years, but he has a multi-book deal with St. Martin’s Press and another with the hip-hop star 50 Cent. His stories are frequently set in Harlem.

AARON: “‘Gurrrl… did you hear about that dude, Raphael? Yeah, the one with the ponytail… right, the red-boned one…’”

REPORTER: Not all street lit is suitable for broadcast. Erotica and pornography are popular among the largely female readership. But some readers, like Eleanor Blake, object.

BLAKE: I don’t like those books, what I call bootycall books. It gives a bad image of Black women, it’s really negative, I think a lot of those books should be banned.

The ninth edition of the Harlem Book Fair takes place today. Up to 70,000 visitors are expected on 135th Street between Fifth and Seventh Avenues, along with 300 exhibitors from the spectrum of African-American publishing. WNYC’s Siddhartha Mitter checked in on the uptown book scene.

REPORTER: But book professionals aren’t so harsh in their judgment. Janifer Wilson runs a bookstore called Sisters Uptown at 156th and Amsterdam.

WILSON: I don’t have a problem with what people are reading because basically to me as long as folk are reading, that’s key. … A lot of these young girls will say, I read that book in a day. They will stay up all night and finish that book.

REPORTER: Marie Brown, a longtime Harlem literary agent, has a different concern. She sees the publishing industry rushing into street lit and she fears it stereotypes Black readers and closes the door to more literary authors.

BROWN: I don’t see those writers being celebrated to the extent that they were previously. When you look at the books that are being published I don’t think that they are going to be considered for Nobels or Pulitzers.

REPORTER: But these distinctions are set aside today. Max Rodriguez says the Book Fair presents the full spectrum of Black literature, and that Harlem is the perfect place to do that.

RODRIGUEZ: There’s a real romanticism about Harlem… Harlem is the concrete jungle, it’s the street, it’s where drugs and love and lust and passion and gunplay and failure and success all live.

REPORTER: And that’s why Harlem is more than a setting – it’s a character in its own right in the African American story.

Source: http://www.wnyc.org/news/articles/82592