April Bestselling Books, Win Barracoon, Top Erotica, Google is too Powerful, and More
Bestselling Books March/April 2018
Fiction: The Yearning by Mohale Mashigo was the bestselling book of all genres this period. Sales were bolstered by being the Go On Girl! Book Club’s selection for March 2018.
Nonfiction: The classic, Black Man Of The Nile by Dr. Yosef Ben-Jochannan made our list for the first time. Dr. Ben’s work overturns the “Europeanized” version of the African history in the Nile valley.
Children’s Books: Sales are led by One Love by Cedella Marley, Illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton. One Love is both a “Top 130 African-American Children’s Book” and a 3 Time AALBC.com Bestselling Book!
Win a Copy of Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” by Zora Neale Hurston
A never-before-published work, from the author of the classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, that brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery. Hurston shares the first hand account of Oluale Kossola, believed to be the last known survivor of the middle passage—abducted from Africa on the last “Black Cargo” ship to arrive in the United States.
To Win a Copy Follow a link to any of the articles in this month’s newsletter and leave a comment on that article’s page. The three best comments left on the website, by midnight, May 23, will win a copy of the book. End your comment with the text “Barracoon Contest Entry.” All comments with the phrase will be acknowledged. The winning comments will be announced on Troy Johnson’s Blog.
Recently Reviewed Books
An Extraordinary Life: Josephine E. Jones by Wendy Jones
Wendy Jones has written a tribute to her late mother Josephine E. Jones. Her mother was part of the Great Migration, depicted so comprehensively in Isabel Wilkerson’s The Warmth of Other Suns. As you read the biography, you are reminded of the sacrifices made by so many of our parents, grandparents, and great grandparents. You are reminded of what it means to struggle and to persevere despite the many obstacles that face Black people in these United States of America. Read the complete review, written by Brenda Green.
The Wake Up Call: Financial Inspiration Learned from 4:44 by Ash Cash
With a focus on the young at heart, personal finance expert Ash Exantus aka Ash Cash employs the themes of master rapper-businessman Jay Z’s classic album, 4:44, to explain the rules of financial freedom. He is to be commended for the excellent concept in this slender publication, for as Black Enterprise Magazine once noted African American youth mostly spend and rarely save or invest. In The Wake Up Call, Mr. Cash informs the reader that the Brooklyn-born entertainer-record producer Shawn Corey Carter aka Jay Z has cracked the code to make money and such information should be available to the masses. Read the complete review, written by Robert Fleming.
Go On Girl! Book Club Announces Their New Reading List
With more than 45 chapters, and over 500 members, across the country, the Go On Girl! Book Club is one of the nation’s largest book clubs. Their reading list, which goes back to 1991, is one of the best ways to discover a great read. On Sunday, May 13th they released the reading list for July through December 2018.
Plus, AALBC will fulfill online orders for the club’s reading list directly, and contribute half the profits to the Go On Girl! Book Club’s Writing Scholarships Fund! All orders will be shipped for free and sales tax will only be charged to Florida state residents.
Google Hurts Indie Book Sites in Search Engine Results
Google uses its effective monopoly in search to showcase its own services and the paid advertising of the wealthiest websites over organic search results. This action crowds out better websites making them harder to find, hurting their traffic and profitability. Google also robs the Web of its diversity and variety, by increasing the focus on the richest websites, creating a rich experience for everyone.
For readers interested in African American Books, Google is creating an environment where information about Black books is harder to obtain. Critical reviews for our books are less likely to be written, talented authors will remain unpublished, and readers will find it increasingly difficult to learn about books other than the ones promoted by a handful of ultra-wealthy sites — all of whom are motivated by money — not by enriching the reader. Read the full article.
Introducing Naleighna Kai’s Promo Partners
Naleighna Kai’s Promo Partners is a group of national bestselling, mainstream, independent, and debut authors who write across several genres. This group of 50 authors have come together to support, market and support each other. They’re bringing you the best in contemporary fiction, romance, women’s fiction, Christian fiction, erotica, historical fiction, sci-fi/paranormal, and self-help. Check out the NKPP digital brochure.
The Promo Partners are definitely savvy marketers — They know to utilize AALBC’s platform; several of the authors are AALBC Bestselling authors, including Angelia Vernon Menchan author of Fifteen Years Delayed. Naleighna Kai, the group’s leader, is one of the top selling authors on AALBC. She has made our bestsellers list 12 times with 5 different titles.
AALBC Top 10 Book Lists
We have compiled a list of The Top 10 Books of Erotica. Whether you agree or disagree with the titles on our list; it is a great way to the discover excellent literature and to learn more about the contributions of Black writers to the genre of erotica.
We are in the process of compiling a list of 100 “Top 10 Lists” across a wide range of genres. Yes, that is 1,000 books! Let us know which categories and books you’d like to see included — be creative. Discover interesting genres and share them with others.
Dear Reader,
Reader, your paid subscription is so important. Please consider purchasing your subscription to the AALBC.com eNewsletter. For those of you who have already purchased your subscription — I thank you on behalf of AALBC and all of the readers and writers who have benefited as a result of your support.
Peace and Love,
Troy Johnson
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com
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★ AALBC.com eNewsletter – Originally Published, May 16, 2018 – Issue #259
