Should African Americans Write for CBA anymore?
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(Author Sharon Ewell Foster and my Selah. Sherri Lewis and the NC-Piedmont Rawsistaz BookClub)
This Saturday I attended the Charlotte Literary Festival with my write-or-die-chick, author, Sherri Lewis. Sherri is an ACFW 2008 Book of the Year finalist for her debut title, My Soul Cries Out. We sat by Christy and Rita Award winning author, Sharon Ewell Foster(my godmama in this writing thing.) And powwowed with some of the most successful black authors in and out of Christian publishing.
While there, I wondered what was the secret to being a success in this industry--or in this genre, and came to an unsettling conclusion, that reminded me of a gut check question that has haunted me for months this year: Should African Americans even write for CBA anymore? My thoughts are here at The Master's Artist blog today...
3 comments:
Good article. I actually think that we should all write ABA anyway. I don't understand why there even is such thing as CBA. Why the difference?
There are many books that are too edgy for me personally, and they are not all from African Americans that's for sure. But I think it is all personal taste, and I am not a part of the target audience that those authors write for, ya know?
It is so true that you need to look at the target audience when you read and evaluate a book. Of course some upstate NY White chick won't relate to the writing of a deep southern African American voice and vice-versa. That is a no-brainer...wonder what the CBA's problem is there!
I have had a similar problem with my writing since I write fantasy for teens. No CBA agents or publishers will touch it. They say YA is a hard sell. Oh well...*shrugs*. I know YA does great in ABA markets.
I think our main goal should be to reach the world...how many non-Christians go to Christian book stores? For that matter, not all Christians go to Christian book stores for reading material. Used to be that Christian writing just wasn't up to par with the general market. I think it is getting better. It is not African American Christian writing, it is all Christian writing that needs to be held to a better standard in my opinion. I believe it is getting better, but it still has the stigma of 'not quite good enough for the general market'.
I'm trying to get more ABA on FIRST Wild Card Tours. It is difficult since most people who approach me are from CBA. Feel free to send your writer friend my way!
I have three that I would love to talk to you about. I will be emailing you this week. Thanks!
You know at The Charlotte Lit Festival author, Terry Brooks spoke and signed books. He signed for an hour. The line was long and the people were patiently waiting. So I don't get why Fantasy hadn't taken off. I even had people ask me is there Christian SciFi. (sigh)
So strange, isn't it?
Yes, email me the names and stuff! :-)
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