Sourcebooks Partners with EBONY Publishing and Announces Upcoming Slate

CHICAGO, Jan. 19, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Sourcebooks, an innovative and entrepreneurial Midwest-based publisher and the largest woman-owned book publisher in America, is partnering with EBONY Publishing, the publishing arm of the iconic Ebony brand, a leading and trusted voice in areas of social justice, entertainment, and African American culture.

"It's wonderful to partner with the forward-thinking team at Sourcebooks," said Lavaille Lavette, president and publisher of EBONY Publishing. "This collaboration with our flagship imprint Ebony Magazine Publishing will celebrate the broad spectrum of Black voices through powerful fiction and nonfiction stories with authors who represent and speak to the full spectrum of our culture."

This partnership will combine Sourcebooks's best-in-class publishing experience and infrastructure with the EBONY brand's 75-year history, with a plan to publish four to eight books a year, ranging from adult fiction to adult nonfiction.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with EBONY to showcase the extraordinary work of Black authors and celebrate Black stories," said Dominique Raccah, Sourcebooks publisher and CEO. "Books change lives, and Ebony Magazine Publishing will be life-changing for authors and readers alike."

Black Hollywood: Reimagining Iconic Movie Moments by visionary photographer Carell Augustus will be the first adult nonfiction title published in association with Ebony Magazine Publishing in October 2022. Black Hollywood features dozens of prominent Black actors and artists, including Vanessa L. Williams as Cleopatra, Vivica A. Fox as Veronica Lake, Dulé Hill in Singin' in the Rain, Lauren London in Basic Instinct, Sheryl Underwood in Sudden Fear, Michael Jai White in Terminator 2, and Omari Hardwick as James Bond. In addition to shooting the photos, Carell recruited the actors and coordinated the elaborate sets, lighting, costumes, hair, and makeup himself. The foreword is written by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker and the afterword is by Niecy Nash.

"At the end of the day, Black Hollywood is a statement about representation," Carell said. "It's really important to me that Black people, especially Black kids, see themselves in ways that I hadn't when I was growing up. If you never see yourself somewhere, it's hard to imagine ever being in that place. So, this isn't a book just for Black people—it's a book for all people about Black people. About the dreams we were never told we could achieve. About the places we were never told we could go. And now, finally, about how we can get there."

Ebony Magazine Publishing's first planned adult fiction publication is book one in the Martyr Maker series slated for November 2022. A dark and gritty three-book crime thriller series from award-winning actor, producer, director, and author Eriq La Salle (most famously known for his role as Dr. Peter Benton from E.R.) follows NYPD detectives Quincy Cavanaugh and Phee Freeman and FBI agent Janet Maclin as they investigate brutal slayings by a serial killer known as the Martyr Maker in New York City.

"Unfortunately, there has historically been a blatant underrepresentation of authors of color in the thriller/suspense genre," La Salle said. "The exciting collaboration between two well respected brands such as Ebony and Sourcebooks is a testament to their commitment to ushering in fresh voices and diverse perspectives. I am both honored and elated to have my thriller series selected to help launch this incredible endeavor of showcasing universally compelling stories that exist beyond race and gender."

La Salle self-published the first two books in the series, receiving blurbs from James Patterson ("Eriq La Salle's Laws of Wrath is all thriller, no filler—a white-knuckled treat.") and earning a Starred Review from Kirkus Reviews ("A gripping must-read that could have readers pondering right and wrong long after they've finished."). The third title in the series, Laws of Annihilation, will be a new book.

Other planned adult fiction projects include the Millionaires Club series by bestselling romance author Sandra Kitt and Black States of America by d. E. Rogers. Kitt, an NAACP Image Award nominee and recipient of the Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Award and the Zora Neale Hurston Literary Award, will become Ebony Magazine Publishing's flagship romance author, with publication of the series in 2022 or 2023. Black States of America is a modern-day sci-fi story based on a parallel world that imagines what Black lives would look like today if President Abraham Lincoln had lived—due to a scientist and a former slave's hot air balloon ride through a black hole in the sky.  d. E. Rogers is a screenwriter, director, and author. Sea Islands, a TV show based on Black States of America, is currently under development.

Other planned adult nonfiction projects from Ebony Magazine Publishing include The Grift and A Date with a Dish. The Grift exposes how Black Republicans evolved from leaders of justice to insidious sell-outs, from award-winning journalist and radio host Clay Cane, and is scheduled for publication in February 2023. The book reveals how over 200 years, the Republican Party evolved into the go-to place for racists, seeking out African Americans attempting to gain power by aligning themselves with white supremacy.

A Date with a Dish is the definitive Black cookbook, featuring authentic regional recipes—classic and contemporary—from celebrities, influential chefs, and the African American community and celebrating the role Black cuisine has played throughout American history, as well as its cultural significance today. A Date with a Dish first appeared in 1948 and reappeared as The Ebony Cookbook in 1962. Freda DeKnight's selection from the thousands of recipes in her collection has stood the test of time and preserves many dishes that might otherwise be lost.

Calendars will also be included in the publishing program, starting with the 2023 This Day in Black History wall and boxed calendars, publishing in August 2022. The boxed calendar will be filled with extraordinary events, remarkable people, and fascinating facts, paying tribute to the unforgettable moments in Black history all year-round.

Publishing simultaneously with Black Hollywood is the 2023 Black Hollywood Wall Calendar: A Yearlong Exploration of Iconic Movie Moments Reimagined, featuring 12 months of eye-catching images from Carell's collection that illuminates the role of race in Hollywood history by reimagining classic films with Black actors, plus incredible information about each shot.

Sourcebooks is a thriving entrepreneurial company that brings extraordinary authors to readers in the most dynamic, data-driven ways. We created books that transcend categories and defy odds, and we have been honored with hundreds of national bestsellers and awards. We are a company of enthusiastic book lovers passionate about connecting books to readers in new and innovative ways. Story by story, book by book, we have touched over 100 million lives. Join us as we change 100 million more. Visit sourcebooks.com for more information.

EBONY Publishing is guided by the overall mission of EBONY to move Black forward as the curator of the bold, brilliant Black experience past, present, and future.  Our charge is to amplify and share stories with the world that are both inspirational and aspirational to our community.  We work with established authors and fresh new voices who represent the ideals of Black excellence that our community has come to associate with and expect from EBONY and its brands.  We publish compelling fiction and non-fiction books in the areas of biographies, self-help, cookbooks, coffee table books, young adult, children's literature and graphic novels that chronicle the Black experience, through our imprints: Ebony Magazine Publishing, Ebony Publishing, Ebony Classics, Ebony Jr., Ebony 2.0., and Ebony Voices. Visit ebonymagazinepublishing.com for more information.

MEDIA CONTACTS | Liz Kelsch | Director of Marketing – Sourcebooks | [email protected]

Yona Deshommes | Director of Media – EBONY Publishing | [email protected]

SOURCE Sourcebooks