Bestselling Books July – August 2017
Fiction titles outsold all other genres this period, led by the strength of Sadeqa Johnson’s 2016 novel Second House from the Corner, which was the bestselling book of all. Nonfiction was the 2nd most popular genre, rebounding from weak sales in May and June of 2017. The bestselling nonfiction book was Ivan Van Sertima’s masterwork, They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America, which made our list for the 13th time since 1999! Children’s Book sales, continue to be strong with a nice mixture of new and classic titles with publication dates spanning a period of 50 years. Poetry sells each period for which we report, however sales were insufficient to compile a bestsellers for the genre.
Recommended Reads
We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy by Ta-Nehisi Coates
We Were Eight Years in Power features Coates’s iconic essays first published in The Atlantic, including “Fear of a Black President,” “The Case for Reparations,” and “The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration,” along with eight fresh essays that revisit each year of the Obama administration through Coates’s own experiences, observations, and intellectual development, capped by a bracingly original assessment of the election that fully illuminated the tragedy of the Obama era. We Were Eight Years in Power is a vital account of modern America, from one of the definitive voices of this historic moment.
If you are in the DC area Join Sankofa Bookstore as they present: Ta-Nehisi Coates Washington, DC’s Book Launch, October 9th.
A literary sensation in England, and originally published by X Press, Yardie introduces us to D., a tough, streetwise man from Jamaica who, using a falsified passport, enters London to deliver a kilo of cocaine to the Spicers, the ruling operation in cocaine distribution. D., knowing it could be his only chance for a break, steals half a kilo and runs out into a city he is entirely unfamiliar with, having only vague contacts from the life he left behind.
Actor Idris Elba will make his directorial debut in 2018 with a film version of this novel.
“Yardie was that noir novel that everyone read …[I’m] making a charismatic film. Yardie is to me what Goodfellas was to Martin Scorsese.” –Idris Elba
Crown: An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes, Illustrated by Gordon C. James
“A fresh cut makes boys fly.”
The barbershop is where the magic happens. Boys go in as lumps of clay and, with princely robes draped around their shoulders, a dab of cool shaving cream on their foreheads, and a slow, steady cut, they become royalty. That crisp yet subtle line makes boys sharper, more visible, more aware of every great thing that could happen to them when they look good: lesser grades turn into As; girls take notice; even a mother’s hug gets a little tighter. Everyone notices.
Check out more Children’s and YA literature coming out soon.
A Good Cry: What We Learn From Tears and Laughter by Nikki Giovanni
As energetic and relevant as ever, Nikki now offers us an intimate, affecting, and illuminating look at her personal history and the mysteries of her own heart. Giovanni takes us into her confidence, describing the joy and peril of aging and recalling the violence that permeated her parents’ marriage and her early life. She pays homage to the people who have given her life meaning and joy: her grandparents, who took her in and saved her life; the poets and thinkers who have influenced her; and the students who have surrounded her.
Watch a Great Video of This Year’s Black Party
The video was created courtesy of The Tea, which is a terrific web series where books are the topic and women are the voice. The Tea joined us during our annual Black Pack Party this year and truly captured the spirit of our gathering. Check the Black Pack Party video. Learn more about The Tea at www.jointhetea.com
2017 Children’s Africana Book Awards
The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) are presented annually to the authors and illustrators of the best children’s and young adult books on Africa published or republished in the U.S. The awards were created by Africa Access and the Outreach Council of the African Studies Association (ASA) to encourage the publication and use of accurate, balanced children’s materials about Africa. The awards are presented in two categories: Young Children and Older Readers.
Also check out The Children’s Africana Book Awards (CABA) Festival.
The Top 25 Black-Owned Websites
I have made it part of AALBC.com’s mission to help promote and uplift independent websites created by, and for, people of African descent. The Top 25 Black Owned SItes represent the most popular of almost 300 popular Black-owned websites considered for inclusion on this list. Be sure to help spread the word about, and visit, some of these great websites.
We can’t allow a few social media gatekeepers to be the only entities who control access to, and profit from, our culture on the web.
A Couple Recent Topics From Our Discussion Forum:
Move Over Nicki Minaj Make Way for Cardi B!
Read the lyrics below and watch the video also. Are the lyrics saying anything? How are females represented? Is it truly representing female empowerment? What is the language telling us and our children? What is the visual telling us and our children? Do you see any connection or relevance to E2E’s “The N-Word’s Multi-Layered Power Structure” video we shared with you a few weeks ago? What role do record and radio company executives play in the music we listen to? What about the artists – what guides their decision (money or artistry)? What do we as consumers and parents allow? Should we be more aware? What do you think is the ultimate impact globally of these lyrics and the image/visual? (What do you think?) —Courtesy of Educate2Empower
Black Men And Trump
“This ‘bend-the-knee’ fall-out is a legitimate news story that doesn’t die because it is so relevant. It doesn’t have to be hyped because it automatically inspires attention by virtue of being about something near and dear to the hearts of most Americans. And the fact that everybody seems to have an opinion on it is an indication of how it strikes a nerve in the population.” (What do you think?) —Cynique
Let us know what you think or start your own conversation. Participate anonymously (if you chose) without fear of your privacy being invaded or your personal information being sold to marketers.
New Mailing List for Authors and Publishers
We have creating a new mailing list just for authors, publishers, and people interested in using AALBC.com to market their products. If you would like to continue receiving resources and information relevant to that demographic, please click the “Join the Mailing List” button below.
The following is the type of information you can expect in our new mailing list for authors and publishers:
Call for Literary Submissions for the 49th NAACP Image Awards
The official call for literary submission for the 49th NAACP Image Awards is now open. Visit the official Image Awards Submissions Portal to submit your book for consideration.
AALBC Prints Books!
We provide book printing services to independent authors and publishers. We guarantee our results by providing a finished book for your review. Get a quote with our easy to use calculator for the most popular book sizes, including 5.5 x 8.5 and 6 x 9 paperback books.
We have teamed up with BCP Digital Printing, who like AALBC.com, have more than a two decades of experience. We also share their mission to provide you with friendly customer service, high quality results, expert advice, and competitive prices.
Edit 1st clients enjoy a 10% discount on top our already competitive prices and AALBC Prints Books’ customers get 15% off all AALBC.com’s services.
Authors are best served by maintaining their own websites. I have always assisted authors, as a courtesy, by serving as their de facto official website. Authors Martha Kennerson (marthakennerson.com) and Cavis Adams (cavisadams.com) have recently taken advantage of this free service by pointing their domains to their AALBC.com profile pages. If you are one of the more than 3,200 authors with a profile on AALBC.com and don’t have a website, just ask and we’ll take care of it. If you don’t have a profile on AALBC.com we can create one for you. Just follow the lead of accomplished writers like Elizabeth Nunez (elizabethnunez.com), as seen in the above graphic. Learn how to get started.
How a Book Goes from Writer to Reader in Traditional Publishing by Carol Taylor
The writer writes a novel or a nonfiction book proposal.- The writer queries a literary agent with a query letter about his novel or his nonfiction book.
- The agent expresses interest and asks to see the entire novel or the completed nonfiction book proposal.
- The agent likes the work and agrees to represent the writer.
Read the rest of the article at Edit 1st.
Dear Reader,
Staring with our October eNewsletter, I’m going to remove information which is intended specifically for authors, publishers, or those interested in using AALBC.com to market their books.
The goal is to send readers newsletters more focused on books, authors, and related subjects. Troy, if there is something you’d like to see in our eNewsletter please email me directly.
As always, this website grows only because of your support. If you truly value and believe in supporting Black literature; please support AALBC.com by;
- Spreading the word about our site;
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- Buying books through our site;
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Peace & Love,
Troy Johnson,
Founder & Webmaster, AALBC.com
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AALBC.com eNewsletter – September 27, 2017 – Issue #249
