Blacks don't read White Books and Whites don't read Blacks! -- Moved from R&D

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Vedren

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Now this isn't fact... but it's definitely something to think of when it comes to marketing your work.

Let's be honest!

I believe many of us don't read outside of what we know, can relate to, and feel at home with. When you feel like something totally doesn't pertain to you or anyone you know, unless you're one of those people who likes stepping outside your comfort to find interest in other areas, then you kinda.........don't care?

I feel as though many whites may feel black books are "Hood Books" when that is merely a genre in the black book market.

I feel as though many blacks may feel that white books are "Corny Fantasy Books" when Fantasy is merely a genre. And I use the expression "Corny" as in: Unrealistic/Fake/Phony, etc...

I think we should give each other a chance and stop being so closed minded when it comes to art. Art is beautiful and expressed in so many different ways.

If you can sit and watch a Science Fiction movie, why not try picking up a Science Fiction book?
I used that example because that is me. I'll watch Science Fiction, but my best friend writes it and each time he'd ask me to read for editing purposes, I used to drown in boredom before even picking it up. I didn't even give it a chance before assuming it'd dry my interest. Then I did one day... and it was okay! I was impressed.

Just something to think of.​
 

Drachen Jager

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I don't think things are so black and white (ooh, yeah, I deserve to get hit for that one).

I don't have the perspective you do, coming from Canada where I think colour is not as divisive as it is in the US, but I don't think there's this hard divide. Sadly there is probably a tendency among blacks to prefer 'white' books because it is human nature to always be interested in the dominant group in a society, just as most black girls used to prefer playing with white dolls (that's old research, I'm not sure if it's changed or not).

I'm not sure what sample group you're using, if it's your friends, then perhaps they are just more polarized that way?

I know my agent is black, and I'm pretty sure her assistant (who loved my book) is too. I really don't care though, they seem to like what I write, even though my exposure to black culture is about as minimal as one can have growing up in North America.
 

blacbird

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Bullshit. I'm about as white as you can get without being an albino. My parents were from Denmark, and at my age I've become severely blond (and bearded and hairy) and if I had muscles and macho could be a right good pillaging Viking.

And I've read Richard Wright and Ishmael Reed and George Cain and Eldredge Cleaver and James Baldwin and Edwidge Danticat and Charles Chesnutt and Paul Laurence Dunbar and Zora Neale Hurston, among others.

Unsupportable assumptions are . . . unsupportable.

caw
 

Literateparakeet

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I'm not sure what you mean by "Hood Books". Do you have any suggestions of titles I should read?

In historical fiction, "Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry" is one of my favorites! I also love classics, and count "Cry the Beloved Country" in my top ten. As for more modern stuff...I love The Ladies #1 Detective Agency.

I'm open to other suggestions...
 

KTC

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This thread is offensive.
 

backslashbaby

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Maybe this thread can be ported to our new PoC forum, where discussing this sort of thing is what we do there :)
 

Chris1981

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What process are you using to label "white books" versus "black books"?

If I write a novel in which the main character is black, have I written a "black book"? (I'm white, in case anybody was wondering.)

If I read a Toni Morrison novel, does that make it a "white book"?

What about Kathryn Stockett's "The Help"? Is that a "black book" or a "white book"? Why?
 

lilmizflashythang

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Probably the same process that got the man who designed Mt. Rushmore considered racist. He didn't have many black people working for him. Of course, it was also early '40's Dakota.
 

Diana_Rajchel

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I think who reads what depends on marketing. I actively seek the unfamiliar, and a book about African American/black experience wouldn't put me off. But if they don't cross my path often, that may be because of bookstore managerial decisions and authors having to market themselves more these days.
 

Kitty Pryde

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Many "black books" are marketed to the african american community in such a way that they don't get read by white readers (especially when they are hiding in the AA section and most people don't know they exist!). But beyond that I have to disagree with OP. I don't feel at all that sci fi and fantasy are solely "white genres". Check out the Carl Brandon Society website ( carlbrandon.org )for a good primer on past and present writers of color in fantasy and sci-fi. Octavia Butler! Samuel R Delaney! Nnedi Okorafor! Nalo Hopkinson! Tananarive Due! Steven Barnes! Toby Buckell! Dia Reeves! SF/F genres would be greatly diminished without them. And how about a book about black people written by a white author? How about a book about white people written by a black author? And what about the many SF/F fans of color? You can't pretend they don't exist. (And I won't even delve into SFF written by other PoC!)
 

virtue_summer

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What's a "black book"? I'm white, and two of my favorite writers are Tananarive Due and Octavia Butler, and last time I checked they were both black women. Honestly, I wasn't aware I wasn't supposed to like them, that I was incapable of relating to a black protagonist or to words written by a black author. Whoops.
 

SPMiller

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Kitty Pryde beat me to it, but I was going to mention Butler and Delany in particular, both being not just sf writers, and not just black, but also not straight.
 

nighttimer

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With all due respect to the original poster's premise, I could not disagree more.

There is no such thing as "Black books and White books." There are books that are written for and appeal to different groups, but really what it comes down to is this:

There are only good books and bad books.

That's it. :Shrug:
 

BunnyMaz

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When I pick up a book by an author I don't already know, I go by the cover, the blurb on the back and the first couple of pages inside. I'm not sure how I would even find out the colour of the writer without actively seeking out the author's portrait, which isn't something found in every book. And as characters on covers rarely look like the character as envisioned by the writer, I know not to make any preconceptions about the race of the protagonist, either.

I buy a lot more anthologies these days and seek out full novels by authors I liked in them. I choose those authors because their work is good, because the writing is tight, because the story opens my mind or exposes me to something new, and because I feel reading their work will make me a better writer.
 

Vedren

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Bullshit. I'm about as white as you can get without being an albino. My parents were from Denmark, and at my age I've become severely blond (and bearded and hairy) and if I had muscles and macho could be a right good pillaging Viking.

And I've read Richard Wright and Ishmael Reed and George Cain and Eldredge Cleaver and James Baldwin and Edwidge Danticat and Charles Chesnutt and Paul Laurence Dunbar and Zora Neale Hurston, among others.

Unsupportable assumptions are . . . unsupportable.

caw

Ok?
 

Vedren

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I think many people are just in denial about the fact of what I am trying to say.

If you read a black book, great... but many whites don't as well as many blacks, is all I'm saying. This isn't to be racist, just real and wanted to know what you thought about this topic.
 

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If you read a black book, great... but many whites don't as well as many blacks, is all I'm saying. This isn't to be racist, just real and wanted to know what you thought about this topic.
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Actually, I think it's partly that you haven't defined what a "black book" means for you.

Is it Langston Hughes? Alice Walker? Samuel Delany? Nnedi Okorafor ? Ralph Ellison? Octavia Butler? Audre Lord? Chinua Achebe?

Books with main characters who are black?

Or are you talking about books and lines from things like Kimani Press?
 

Vedren

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Actually, I think it's partly that you haven't defined what a "black book" means for you.

Is it Langston Hughes? Alice Walker? Samuel Delany? Nnedi Okorafor ? Ralph Ellison? Octavia Butler? Audre Lord? Chinua Achebe?

Books with main characters who are black?

Or are you talking about books and lines from things like Kimani Press?

  • I think more of books with predominately black characters... mainly ALL!
 

Eternal

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Hi. I do understand what you are saying, I was unaware that it existed until you mentioned it though.

I'm white, my wife is black and grew up in the UK, her father is black and grew up in Jamaica. I see no patterns in what we read that relate to skin colour. We all enjoy a variety of books, her dad doesn't read as much, but when he does it is widely varied.
Whilst the point is valid as your opinion, it is not something I have ever noticed. Although, as previously mentioned, I notice a lot more divisive stuff from the USA than the UK.
 

Vedren

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Hi. I do understand what you are saying, I was unaware that it existed until you mentioned it though.

I'm white, my wife is black and grew up in the UK, her father is black and grew up in Jamaica. I see no patterns in what we read that relate to skin colour. We all enjoy a variety of books, her dad doesn't read as much, but when he does it is widely varied.
Whilst the point is valid as your opinion, it is not something I have ever noticed. Although, as previously mentioned, I notice a lot more divisive stuff from the USA than the UK.

Maybe that's what it is!
 

Eternal

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Maybe that's what it is!

Maybe. I expect it comes down more to your family background etc. If you are fiercely aware and proud of yourself in any way, whether it be colour, career, nationality etc. then I suspect a large portion of your reading matter will relate to this.

I'm from a family that was laid back and acceptance was normal to me, to accept people for who they are, and to judge by their actions and words rather than any pre-concieved ideas I may hold. So I blissfully plod through life largely unaware of such things, and judging books etc. purely on the merit of the writing within.
 
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