Mid-October 2021 News, Deals, Reveals, & More

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Melanin in YA News

Melanin in YA has published the 2022 Book Release Schedule and the 2022 Debut Schedule.

Book Deals

India Hill Brown sold her YA debut, a romantic comedy, RHYTHM & MUSE coming Winter 2023 from Quill Tree.

Willow Naomi Curry sold her debut, a mystery, ARCADIA, coming Spring 2023 from Levine Querido.

Camryn Garrett sold a rom-com, FRIDAY I’M IN LOVE, coming Spring 2023 from Kopf.

Moses Ose Utomi sold their YA fantasy debut, DAUGHTERS OF ODUMA coming spring 2023 from Atheneum.

Publisher Breakdown 2021 So Far

Available to Patreon and Paid Newsletter Subscribers Only

Foreign Rights

ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Abike-Iyimide sold to Portugal and Russia.
LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn sold to Vietnam.
HOME IS NOT A COUNTRY by Safia Elhillo sold to Dar Almishkat for Arabic rights.
WE ARE NOT BROKEN by George M. Johnson sold to Spain.
LOVE RADIO by Ebony LaDelle sold to the UK.

Cover Reveals

The cover was revealed for ALL SIGNS POINT TO YES Edited by G Haron Davis, Cam Montgomery, & Adrianne White (May 31, 2022).
- Illustration: Alex Cabal
- Art Direction: Gigi Lau
- Cover Design: Magen McCallum

Lane Clark unveiled the cover for LOVE TIMES INFINITY (July 2022).
- Illustration: Erick Dávila

Joya Goffney unveiled the cover for novel, CONFESSIONS OF AN ALLEGED GOOD GIRL (May 3, 2022).
- Cover Designer: Molly Fehr
- Illustration: Mimi Moffie

Pride unveiled the cover for THE WITCHERY by S. Isabelle (July 26, 2022).
- Illustration: Thea Harvey
- Design: Stephanie Yang

SURVIVE THE DOME by Kosoko Jackson, out March 29, 2022, dropped a new cover!

The Quiet Pond unveiled the cover for CAFÉ CON LYCHEE by Emery Lee (May 10, 2022).
- Cover Artist: Nero Hamaoui
- Cover Designer: Erin Fitzsimmons

Fierce Reads unveiled the cover for TWICE AS PERFECT by Louisa Onomé (July 26, 2022).
- Art: Steph Sing
- Design: Rich Deas

Bestseller Lists

NYT: BEASTS OF PREY by Ayana Gray debuted at #4.

Indie: BEASTS OF PREY by Ayana Gray debuted at #4.

Appearances

Note: To see the latest virtual events coming up, be sure to visit the Events page!

Kimberly Jones appeared on TMZ to promote WHY WE FLY. Watch the clip here.

Awards/Honors

ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé made the Books Are My Bag Readers Awards shortlist for Young Adult Fiction. You can vote now for the book to win.

Jas Hammonds has been chosen for the 2021-2022 Baldwin For the Arts Residency.

The MacArthur Fellowships named Ibram X. Kendi as one of twenty-five individuals to be a 2021 MacArthur Foundation Grant Recipient. The recipients each receive a $625,000 no-strings-attached award for their genius.

BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY by Brandy Colbert, BEASTS OF PREY by Ayana Gray, FOR ALL TIME by Shanna Miles were selected as Amazon’s October Editor Picks for Best Young Adult Fiction.

The 2021-2022 Florida Teens Read Award Nominees include THE BLACK FLAMINGO by Dean Atta, GROWN by Tiffany D. Jackson, STAMPED by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, THIS IS MY AMERICA by Kim Johnson, NOT SO PURE AND SIMPLE by Lamar Giles, and LEGENDBORN by Tracy Deonn.

BLOOD LIKE MAGIC by Liselle Sambury was nominated for the 2022 White Pine Award.

Buzz – Starred Reviews

BookPage – BLACK BIRDS IN THE SKY by Brandy Colbert

Kirkus – SKIN OF THE SEA by Natasha Bowen, DAUGHTERS OF A DEAD EMPIRE by Carolyn Tara O’Neil

Publishers Weekly – WILD TONGUES CAN’T BE TAMED: 15 VOICES FROM THE LATINX DIASPORA Edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

General Updates

THIS POISON HEART by Kalynn Bayron earned out. Congrats, Kalynn!

The For Your Consideration period has begun for the Grammy Awards. Among those vying for a nomination include Mahogany L. Browne‘s CHLORINE SKY for Best Spoken Word album.

SHATTERED MIDNIGHT by Dhonielle Clayton has a new release date: January 18, 2022.

Barnes & Noble featured ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé and BLACKOUT by Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk, & Nicola Yoon as some of the Best Teen & YA Books of 2021.

Black News Channel featured BLACK WAS THE INK Author, Michelle Coles.

Brightly featured some familiar authors in Witchy YA Books Sure to Put a Spell on You.

Buzzfeed featured a number of familiar authors in their pieces, 19 Creepy, Haunting, Mysterious, And Magical Books That Are Perfect For Spooky Season, 40 YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books Releasing This Fall That Are Definitely Worth Picking Up, and All The Books We Read And Loved Being Released This October.

Indigo revealed the Best Teen Books of 2021, including ACE OF SPADES by Faridah Àbíké-íyímídé, BLOOD LIKE MAGIC by Liselle Sambury, and more.

Registration is still open for the Latinx Symposium hosted by The Highlights Foundation.

The Today Show featured BEASTS OF PREY by Ayana Gray during the What To… Read Segment featuring Isaac Fitzgerald.

Target launched their YA Book Club and chose WHITE SMOKE by Tiffany D. Jackson as their first ever Book Club Pick. WHITE SMOKE also graces the cover of the October 2021 issue of Booklist Reader.

The Boston Globe featured ME (MOTH) by Amber McBride as one of 11 spooky YA books we’re excited to read under the covers this fall.

Louisa Onomé‘s sophomore YA novel, set to release in 2022 has a new title, TWICE AS PERFECT.

Shari B. Pennant has been chosen as the contributor to the COOL. AWKWARD. BLACK. Anthology.

Tin House YA Workshop has announced their 2022 faculty which includes Candice Iloh, and Leah Johnson. Applications close October 24, 2021. Information on scholarships and fee waivers is available at the link.

We Need Diverse Books Mentorship Program is open to applications until October 31, 2021. Details here.

XOXO, Sierra is crowdfunding for their small bookish business. You can support here.

Podcasts

Afronauts Podcast
- Britney S. Lewis – October 4, 2021

Everything is Canon
- Shanna Miles – October 1, 2021

Here Wee Read
- Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovic – October 5, 2021

Write or Die
- Shanna Miles – October 4, 2021

October 2021 Joy

Happy reading!

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