Hey Black Women Romance Readers, I’m working on something, helpful?
Wherever I go to sell books at events ranging from farmer’s markets to urban book experiences to state book festivals; there will inevitably be someone telling me that they "...didn't know there were Black paranormal romances or Black fantasy romances or Black {insert romance trope} authors". OR Their local bookstore "doesn't carry {insert whatever verbiage}"
I've spent an ungodly amount of time just giving out Black author names to people at events. “Oh, you like shifters? Have you read N.D. Jones? Or Phoenix Williams? Or Nikki Clarke? Or Alexis D. Craig? Or Blah Blah?”
I took one of my biggest book selling leaps in 2025, when I committed to selling books at Texas Book Festival in Austin. TBF often attracts 40,000 attendees over the two-day festival. No, I didn’t expect to sell 40,000 books but I did have high hopes of selling a serious amount of books. And I did!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by my booth!
Also, I learned so much about myself, and selling books. Mainly, my health is the pits. I can’t stand too long, I can lift 70 pounds but carrying it further than a couple of feet is a whole different story. This has prompted me to start standing for a few minutes an hour. Weight training, walking, and more water aerobics are also on my list.
Anywho, what does all that have to do with the something helpful, I’m working on?
At Texas Book Festival, a woman bought a used copy of Sumiko Saulson’s ‘160 Black Women in Horror’ and showed it to me. I was immediately intrigued because even though I’m a big scaredy cat, I try to read horror occassionally.
But also the idea of doing a similar one for Black Women Romance authors sprang to my mind instantly. (See I tied it all back together)
So, I came back from Austin on a mission to make it happen. Believe me, compiling a listing of Black Women Romance authors is HARD. I’ve been working for months to build this directory, and I’m still working!
Right now, I’ve got 330 names.
I know what you are thinking, there have to be more authors!
There are so many more writers (my first drag of data netted over 600 names), but to make it manageable. No one is going to buy a 600 page book) - I narrowed it down to authors with more than five book titles released, I excluded authors who aren’t Black (American born), those who aren’t women, those who I couldn’t verify their Blackness, and those who don’t specialize in romance.
Each author featured will get one page of the directory listing:
Author Name
Bio and headshot (if available)
Social media handles
Website
Their Romance subgenres
If you love romances centering Black women, preorder your copy of “330 Black Women in Romance” today.
