I just blogged about an issue that gets zero attention and that is the virtual extinction of websites dedicated to books by and about Black people. In fact there are very few websites dedicated to anything about Black people that is created by Black people.
When I first started there almost no Black owned websites dedicated to Black books. Over the years new years were coming on-line all the time. But many of those sites have disappeared and fewer new sites are being created. While the number of websites over all is exploding year after year; the number of Black book websites continue to go down.
Have you noticed this trend too?
My concern is while everyone is wringing their hands over the bankruptcy of Borders, there is a crisis, in our own backyard this is going completely ignored.
or something hooked into this website.
and get some literary celebrities to hand them out. You'd be a smash!
that a "Sylvia's Restaurant" or an "Ebony" magazine have--you need an Award of some kind.
idea what she's doing! No next-day P.R.; no nothing leading up but grass roots.
You could SO trump that and you really need to.
more concrete to CONSOLIDATE your brand and do it before somebody else catches on.
You're in the heart of the Publishing arena, for all and sundry, you're in New York City!
you'd have a SIZEABLE "routine" viewing audience who turn up no matter who you're interviewing.
and how to make it interesting and get people to tune in.
get some women writers to talk on air about that.
THIS SITE COULD BE SO HUGE!
I read your article, Troy, and found it very informative especially since this is a subject about which I know very little. I'm just a consumer so, unfortunately, I shop for books, always looking for a bargain. I also frequent the library. I am flirting with the idea of purchasing a kindle, however. Old habits are hard to break.
But, I do intend to do a little more reviewing, limiting critiques to books I enjoy so my favorable ratings can perhaps encourage others to purchase the books of authors I like, hoping that in my own small way I can contribute to boosting book sales through web sites.
What I most discern from your article and it's feed-back on your blog is that the book world is in a period of transistion, and things are evolving. Soooo, maybe those in the business have to make adjustments by recognizing what is outdated.
Kola's suggestion certainly sounds like a good idea.
Kola's suggestions are excellent. Indeed, I've heard them before from others with a more vision than I.
Cynqiue, I glad I was able to provide consumers some insight.