MahoganyBooks Presents: The Lit Lounge

The Lit Lounge:

How did you come to the decision to start a publishing house?

Tieffa, Plenary:

It’s something that I’ve been stewing over for the past few years. I’m a writer, and my passion for books and writing dates back to my childhood. I never considered becoming a writer, (though being a journalist was on the table), and I found myself in law school and on the practical route. I did safe things, like joining law review and writing on the legal end, and I convinced myself that I could become the next Thurgood Marshall (instead of Zora Neale Hurston).

Over the years, however, my passion for books increased and contrasted with what I perceive to be a dwindling number of quality books hitting the bookshelves. Everyone has the right to read what they want, but I feel as if many authors with unique voices are being squeezed out for what’s hot right now. I also talked to many aspiring writers and realized how difficult it is to become published, especially as a person of color.

So, I decided to start a company that could reflect the many different voices and perspectives within our community. I’m a person that believes that we, as African-Americans, have to carry our own water – that instead of always going to others to tell our stories, we have to tell them ourselves and on our terms.

The Lit Lounge:

How do you envision Plenary impacting the African American Lit market?

Tieffa, Plenary:

I hope that my company becomes known for publishing quality books that educate, entertain, inspire, challenge and give voice to our issues, as well as our victories. I want this company to show that we are beautifully complex, and that our stories are as American as the next.

I think African-Americans tend to be painted with a one-dimensional brush, and it’s time to really push the envelope on our literary legacy. There are so many wonderful writers out there, and I hope that we can give voice to them and give them the support that’s needed to push them to the forefront.

The Lit Lounge:

Can you give us some background on your team and how their skills can benefit authors?

Tieffa, Plenary:

We’re book lovers, first and foremost, but we each bring a variety of business skills to the table. None of us are publishing industry insiders, which can be good or bad (time will tell).

But, I think that part of what’s lacking in publishing today are the people that truly understand their target audience, and that the audience itself has many different parts. That’s not to take away from the wonderful people in the industry that do, but I’m personally tired of having my experiences as an African-American in this country dictated to me.

So, it was important for me to work with people who believe in my vision and have different life experiences and perspectives. I think that our collective experiences will serve our authors well because we’re able to approach their work from a variety of angles.

My team is a testament to small business: the need to wear multiple hats, to sometimes work as a labor of love, and to be resourceful. As far as I’m concerned, I’m a corporate law expatriate turned criminal defense attorney, and I also have an event planning background and marketing experience. As an attorney, I mostly focus on appeals, so I write, research and edit all day, unless in trial. I’m a cross your t’s and dot your i’s kind of person, and I think that’s going to serve me well.

Here’s who I’m working with:

I met Kali Sudler-Brooks, one of our Acquisitions Editors (and current Media Contact), through my job at the Federal Public Defender’s Office. Kali’s a paralegal, mother and military wife, and she will largely focus on acquiring children/juvenile books and helping me on the legal side of the company.

Lekisha Middleton, my Senior Editor, helps me run the show. Lekisha was my college roommate (way back in the day), has a strong background in marketing and event planning, and is an IT professional. And, in my mind, she captures the spirit of today’s 30-something African-American woman.

Al Kao, an SEO expert, is generously working with us for way less than he should, but he’s the search engine and viral marketing guru that will drive our Internet marketing campaign. Although very technical, Al’s very creative and marketing innovation is important to me.

Margaret Connor, my mother, was a financial analyst for over 20 years, and is my day-to-day person (especially since I still have my day job). She’s overseeing all of the company’s financials and accounting, but as a woman in her 50s, it was important for me to have her perspective on the things we choose to publish.

We are outsourcing certain elements, such as design and copyediting, because my goal is to work with the best until we can bring in in-house staff to focus on certain parts of the production process. I’m also relying on a couple of “community readers” to review submissions and make sure that we’re not overlooking something.

The Lit Lounge:

What are your impressions about the current & future state of the African American book industry?

Tieffa, Plenary:

My biggest beef right now is that there’s not much balance in what’s being published. Like in Hollywood, the focus is on the green and what the industry thinks is selling, as opposed to what audiences really want.

I don’t have an issue per se with the slew of urban books being published. Maybe it’s the lawyer in me, but people have the right to write whatever the hell they want. The problem is that urban books are considered to be representative of all modern African-American lit, and that pisses me off.

On a side note, as someone that works with criminal defendants everyday, the glamorization of the streets and our social ills is unsettling. There are some authors, like Vickie Stringer, who know what it’s like to be behind bars and can write from that perspective. But you have a lot of writers today that are writing about a life they have never experienced, and are focusing on its materialism and not, the character and his or her choices, or the consequences.

One of the hardest things in my life has been to go into a prison, face a young brother and tell him he’s going to do a minimum of 10 years in jail because of the choices he’s made. Or, to meet someone who’s been addicted to heroin since the age of 10, argue to a judge why he should give him a break on his sentence, and see him get sentenced to 20 years. There are a lot of babies being left behind while their fathers and mothers do time, and there’s nothing glamorous about that.

I am, however, optimistic, about the future of the African-American lit, because I do read authors with something fresh, provocative or authentic to say. Or, sometimes you just want something entertaining, but it’s still vibrant and full of life. The challenge is to get these writers into the mainstream, and to bring balance to our literary community so that all voices are represented.

The Lit Lounge:

On a personal note, how has the transition been, going from lawyer to CEO of a publishing house?

Tieffa, Plenary:

I’m still in transition! Part of this journey has been my struggle to leave the legal profession, while balancing my passion for literature and desire to bring more African-American authors to the forefront. I’m fortunate to be in a position where I can juggle both things, but it’s getting really hard. We’re getting a lot of submissions, and there aren’t enough hours in the day.

The Lit Lounge:

What book most impacted you as a fan of African American Lit?

Tieffa, Plenary:

That’s a very hard question. I can’t overstate how much I love books, and how reading has impacted me over the years. My mother took me to the library every week, and reading was an open window to worlds far beyond my Southern experience. She gave me a deep education in our literary and political legacy, so I don’t want to name one defining book at risk of omitting someone.

The Lit Lounge:

What most excites you about the journey you have begun?

Tieffa, Plenary:

Being able to work with authors. To take an idea and transform it into something that can impact someone as much as some of my favorite authors have impacted me. I am also excited and motivated to work on behalf of these authors in challenging the way that we are perceived, and, to hopefully add to our legacy. For the first time in my life, I’m hitting a period where what I’m doing doesn’t feel like work, and that gives me a level of excitement that is amazing.

The Lit Lounge:

What tip(s) can you give a young author who is looking to get published?

Tieffa, Plenary:

Find your own voice and take the time to develop it everyday. Go to writers’ conferences and immerse yourself in the world of literature. Read other writers – not to emulate them - but to be inspired.

Be professional when you’re submitting your work to agents or publishers. I’m pretty anal about presentation, and your commitment to your work and career as a writer has to shine through from the first line in your email to the end of your submitted chapters. If this is your life, dedicate yourself to it and don’t cheat it in any way.

The Lit Lounge:

Are there any particular stories that you are hoping to work on?

Tieffa, Plenary:

Our Submission Guidelines generally reflect the things that I want to publish, especially on the contemporary fiction front.

I am, however, very interested in publishing character-driven thrillers and science-fiction/fantasy, Christian fiction that’s not sugar-coated, and non-fiction generally.

The Lit Lounge:

Final thoughts…whatever you would like share.

Tieffa, Plenary:

We plan to release new titles beginning in the third quarter of 2009, largely because we’re giving considerable attention to the development and editing process.

Digital and new media will be critical to our strategy. We will actively work to cross-market our authors, to expand them into other areas of entertainment (especially on the fiction side) and to position them as the voices of the next generation of African-American leaders.

We’re also in the process of launching “1976,”an online daily to complement our book publishing side. 1976 gives us the ability to “publish” daily, and we’re aiming to provide breaking news, opinion, reviews and lifestyle content for African-Americans in the 25-44 age group. We hope to launch that project by January 2009. Things are insane from a time perspective, but we’re in a good place.