Treachery In Urban Publishing

10 years ago, my mother introduced me to a genre called Urban lit or Street lit if you will. The very first book that I had the pleasure of reading was called Never Die Alone by Donald Goines. Following Never Die Alone came Whoreson, Dope Fiend, Swamp Man, and my personal favorite Black Girl Lost.

10 years later, and 1000 books strong, I have grown to love many of the authors who engraved Street lit on the map. K'wan, Treasure E. Blue, Al Saddiq Banks, Allison Hobbs, Noire, Ashley and Jaquavis, Eric S. Grey and many more. Each of these authors have a unique style of writing. Not only are they authors, they each have a special ability to tell a story in such detail, and emotion you will find yourself  drawn into the story as if you're really there.

As African Americans we have to work harder, run faster, and jump higher in every aspect of our lives. The publishing industry is no different. We have to constantly prove ourselves because other races always have, and always will believe they are superior to us. We always have to prove ourselves time and time again that we can hold our own. We have to prove our intelligence because  we have been branded  physically, and mentally inferior to other races especially the white race. Which brings me to a disturbing subject.

I have been hearing some disturbing things regarding the people behind this great genre. The scamming, the trickery, the fuckery. Agents stealing money from unsuspecting authors. This doesn't sit well with me at all. Now I'm not making any assumptions, or made a decision to point a finger because I don't know the situation. Just the idea of a person stealing someones hard earned money after they have put their blood, sweat, and tears into their work is beyond repulsive. Its rotten to the core. For individuals that want to publish books, and  learn the business it becomes disheartening because people are so treacherous.

Like I have stated before, we as Black folks have to work 100 times harder in everything we do, and that includes writing, and publishing. Why do you think white people don't take our genre seriously? They don't take us seriously because we don't take ourselves seriously.

I'm going to say this, and I don't care about who's feathers I ruffle. I'm pissed the fuck off. Sometimes I'm ashamed of my own people because we just don't fucking learn. Why can't we be there for each other? Why can't we help each other get to where we need to be without the treachery, and the crab in the barrel syndrome??

The white people stick together, Puerto Ricans, Asians, and Jews all stick together as a people. We are the only race that hasn't grasped the concept of togetherness. Why is that??? I wish I had an answer but I don't.

We've been shitted on for over 400 years, and we've come so far in this millennium  to shit on each other. We have been robbed of our land, children, spouses, and rights only for us to rob each other. When is this fuckery, trickery, buffoonery, and treachery going to stop??? Whether in the publishing industry, or just in general, the bullshit needs to stop. In the words of the late Rodney King "Cant we all just get along?" DAMN!