BY LEILONI DE GRUY, Staff Writer, Wave Newspapers, 21.FEB.08
Whether getting their work out through major publishing houses or small boutique publishers, L.A.’s black authors are determined to be seen by the book-buying public.

A literary shift has taken place since the days when W.E.B. DuBois became a best-selling author, a time when most black scribes wrote books that challenged racial inequalities, delved into African-American roots and encouraged movements for social justice.

But over the decades, as more liberties opened for people of color, their writings began to reflect a change as well. In today’s marketplace that means more street fiction, mysteries, thrillers, books on personal finance, romance novels and erotica.

With so many restrictions — marketing concerns, fierce competition and cultural disconnects among them — defining today’s publishing industry, many of L.A.’s contemporary black authors have either self-published or linked up with small, local publishing houses in order to get their work in front of the book-buying public.

Rosie Milligan, publisher of Milligan Books and owner of the South Los Angeles bookstore Express Yourself Books, is among those paving a pathway for local black authors — many of whom are novices.

“In the past few years, mainstream [publishers have] tried to dictate to African-Americans what we read … to dumb us down, to set an image … [creating] a paradigm shift. What they’re looking at is street fiction now, so good literary work has no balance,” Milligan said. “They want to give large advances for street fiction, for someone who’s not using proper English, for someone who’s using a lot of profanity, in the street and in the gutter. That’s the tone they are trying to set for us, so when you send them good literary pieces … they’re really trying to drive you into what they think you need to read. There’s been a big shift.”

At the same time, Milligan added, African-Americans today live in a markedly different social climate — one that in clear ways inform the types of books being written and published. “Fifteen to 25 years ago people were into being free, they were into their civil liberties, and they were interested in integration,” Milligan said. “Now we feel that we are free, like [we] no longer have to fight for it. That’s ironically been a big mistake that we’ve made as African-Americans … We’ve gotten away from trying to learn about the historical [aspect]. Some people wanted to get away from it because they felt like, ‘Why do we keep talking about slavery?’ ‘Why do we keep talking about these things? Let’s move on to something lighter, that’s in the past.’”

Though self- and independent publishing certainly defines much of L.A.’s black literary scene, hopes for going mainstream have not been completely lost. Authors like Terry McMillan and Eric J. Dickey, both of L.A., got their start by marketing their books in African-American bookstores. Others, like the single-named erotica sensation Zane, successfully used the Internet to promote their work. Now, all are mainstays on the New York Times bestseller list.

“Black bookstores have the greatest ability of breaking [in] new authors. Fifteen to 16 years ago we got a book called ‘Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment for Black Women’ by Iyanla Vanzant and the black bookstores knew immediately this was going to be a great book. It did very, very well and she ended up signing with Simon & Schuster and becoming a bestselling author,” said James Fugate, owner of Eso Won Books. “It may not have happened if you hadn’t had black bookstores.”

Fugate recalls when McMillan began contacting black bookstores in the late 1980s about “Mama,” her debut novel. “That helped pass the word along,” he said. “Even with Zane, or the ‘Coldest Winter Ever’ by Sista Souljah, I think black bookstores knew well before anybody else that [these] were going to be big books and really promoted them.”

Charlene E. Green, a 38-year-old L.A. black author, is all-too-familiar with the waiting process. Her manuscript, “One Man’s Treasure,” sat on the shelf for four years while she and Milligan attempted to sell mainstream publishers on the material.

It was not until she submitted her book to Urban Soul, an imprint of New York-based Kensington Publishing that is now releasing the novel, that she saw any progress. Still, her story illustrates the sort of obstacles faced by black authors whose names aren’t among the handful familiar to the mainstream market, and therefore find it virtually impossible to attract interest from major publishing houses.

“Street fiction … has actually been out for a long time and it’s hard to get a book of substance out there when you’re not known,” said Green, who originally self-published her tome. “When shopping ‘One Man’s Treasure’ … I found it very difficult because [publishers] were saying, ‘It’s a good book but it’s just not what we’re looking for.’ That was frustrating.”

In a very big way, publishing houses who give opportunities to black authors of all ages are helping to bridge a gap between the generations. The elders can share the wisdom of age with younger generations, while youth offer insight into the modern-day black experience.

“We need to bridge the gap. Listen to the children, they have a lot to say, they can teach us something, then listen to the elders … and learn because they can tell you what this role has been like, climbing the hill,” said Milligan, who has published authors as young as seven years-old. “That’s been a market that was totally omitted from mainstream publishers because they didn’t dare look at our seniors [or youth] and say ‘do they have a story?’ ‘What can they write about?’ ‘Do people want to read their stories?’ The answer is yes.”

Having published more than 50 books by black authors from L.A. — including 14 that she wrote — Milligan is also the founder of Black Writers on Tour. The annual event assembles an average of 400 black authors from around the country to conduct readings in different cities throughout the year, offering yet another tool to get the word out about their work.

“The days have come and gone where you need to depend on mainstream publishers,” Milligan said. “[Today], you can publish your own books and market yourself.” – Photo by Gary McCarthy