Black History Month

Why Do We Need This Book?

Hello! My name is Kimberly Wesley and I have been on Wattpad for just about two and a half years now. When I first found this app I wanted to get some of my work out there, just to see if I was a good enough writer. I had no idea what I was doing.

I posted my soap opera, Love, Lust & Lies first and there were crickets. So I told myself to read what others are posting. I got a feel for others' work and then decided to put up an unfinished story I was working on, Hook an Angel. I only had the first eight chapters.

Then suddenly, I had readers, and people voting and commenting. Hook an Angel ranked in the top 10 after a few weeks and I believe it would be considered a Wattpad success.

I know I came into Wattpad after the golden days, so I can't say what it was like before, all I can say is what it is now. A great place to get your writing out there.

But here is the thing I noticed, Wattpad doesn't promote many Black books or writers. A few here and there, but it's generally the same ones over and over (at least in my two years here I see the same ones). I remember last Black History month seeing Wattpad not showcase many Black writers. I know there are thousands of us and they can't get us all, but it was very depressing.

So I thought, why wait on them to promote us! Why can't we promote ourselves? And so I came up with this idea to showcase some of the Black writers I have come across over the time I have been here.

So it's like this, there are so many great books written by Black authors. They get ignored time and time again. I don't write my books just for Black readers, I write them for everyone.

Problem is, the majority of Wattpad readers won't give our (Black writers) books a chance because there is a Black woman, a Black man, or a Black couple on the cover. Yes, I went there.

I will try to cover as many Black Wattpad writers as I can, and I will read and support all. If you would like to be featured, shoot me a DM.

Also, I am trying to pick Black writers that write stories with predominantly Black main characters. This is for Black History Month after all. If you are a Black writer that writes other books, I may do another book that features other BIPOC as main characters, but for now, Blackity-Black-Black!

And another thing, small accounts, those that don't get many reads but deserve them if they were promoted more. If you would like to be featured if I do another book after Black History Month drop me a line. Let's support each other.

Tag other writers if you like. Share this book. Let's all succeed this year by supporting each other.

**And I wrote this before Hook an Angel made the Wattys shortlist. This book was planned before that. I consider Hook an Angel a success, but just like other writers I struggle to get reads for my other works. I will always, ALWAYS help others in this.

Don't believe me just watch.

Kimberly