African American Christian Writer's Coalition Launched

For Immediate Release

Contact: Marilynn Griffith (mgriffith32@aol.com) or

Pam Perry (pamperry@ministrymarketingsolutions.com)


Publicist and Authors Launch African American Christian Writer's Coalition

Detroit, MI (March 25, 2005) ---- As evidenced by recent finding by George Barna, (High African American Churches, Regal, 2004), the African American Christian Market (AACM) is here to stay, especially if publicist Pamela Perry has anything to do with it. "These books have been around for a while,but now with so many authors having success, the industry is paying attention," says Perry, whose publicity firm Ministry Marketing Solutions (www.MinistryMarketingSolutions.com) focuses on African American Christian authors.

To help publishers tap into the faith base of the black church, Perry and
several others have joined to form the African American Christian Market
Coalition (AACMC). The other founders include: Rebecca Florence Osaigbovo,
author of It's not About You, It's About God (Intervarsity Press, 2004) and
founder and executive director of Chosen Vessels Ministries (www.CVMI.org )
; Marilynn Griffith, poet, speaker, and debut novelist (Made of Honor,Steeple Hill, 2006) and editor of www.WordPraize.com; Dr. Gail Hayes,conference speaker, character value consultant and author of Daughters of the King, a self-published women's interest title that will be re-released by Warner Books/Walk Worthy Press in May 2005. See (www.DaughtersoftheKing.org).

Together, the AACMC seeks to bring greater exposure to authors and speakers
in this genre through workshops, teleseminars, conferences and greaterparticipation in CBA events. Perry's publicity firm continues to have great success teaching publishers how to interface with African American readers,authors and booksellers.

"We'd like to see the same infrastructure for gospel books as there is for gospel music. The market is the same. Our jobis to reach them," Perry says.

The AACMC hopes to reach more non-black readers as well. Today's hip hop
generation comes in many colors, as evidenced by the success of black books
in the general market.

"When you go to Book Expo, there is an entire African American Pavilion. We'd like to see something similar at CBA eventually...for authors. The first step though, is nurturing and promotingwriters," says Griffith, who uses her WordPraize blog to do interviews and circulate market information.

Dr. Hayes agrees, but thinks even more is needed. "Writing skills are good,but today's author has to learn to become a speaker as well. Those who succeed in the AACM won't only be writers, but Christian communicators."

To that end, the AACMC will support Bonefire 2005, a writer's conference forChristian women of color desiring to write and speak their stories. Confirmed speakers include Christy winner Sharon Ewell Foster, novelist Marilynn Griffith, recovery speaker and author Stanice Anderson, Walk Worthy Press (www.Walkworthypress.net) editor Denise Stinson and Glory GirlsReading Club founder (www.glorygirlsread.net).

"The sky islimit for this market," says Perry, who will host the conference in Detroit, Michigan.

Future plans for the AACMC include CBA/CAABA luncheons, awards presentations and an author referral service.