BlackStoriesUnite

FIRST HALF SUBMISSIONS

Below you will find the details of the first thirteen out of the current twenty-six reading lists available. The other thirteen reading lists can be found in the chapter after this one, titled "SECOND HALF SUBMISSIONS." Comment book titles as well as the authors' names underneath the categories you believe suits them the best. Four reading lists per book is the maximum. This is a pivotal part of submitting process.

READING LISTS THEMES AND CATEGORIES

13/26

Dreamy Literature, Well-written Stories
[Written by Black authors] This is a category meant for beautifully crafted prose and phenomenal wordplay. It will contain stories with near perfect structure including grammar, spelling and punctuation, and solid plot lines. All genres.

Black Fantasy, Supernatural
[Written by Black authors] Themes witches, spells, vampires, werewolves, elves, fairies, mermaids, dragons, magic, and supernatural. #Blackfantasy

Black Love
[Written by Black authors] Stories centered around romance between at least two Black characters.

Featuring Black Characters
[Written by nonBlack authors only ] Stories that include at least one Black main character.

Afrocentric, Afrofuturism
[Written by Black authors] Stories with African main characters, African-based sci-fi, and diasporic themes.

Black Horror, Paranormal, Thriller
[Written by Black authors] Themes: gore, ghosts, ghouls, goblins, demonic possession, slasher, exorcisms, spirits, haunted houses, frightening events, creepy characters, suspense, spooky atmosphere, detectives, mystery, solving murders and disappearance cases, stalkers, and obsession.
#BlackHorror

Unconventional, Random
[Written by Black authors] Themes: unconventional storytelling, unorthodox writing (such as) intentional upper/lowercase sentences, intentional absence of punctuation, continuous rhyming, conceptual bodies of work, abstract thoughts, and artsy aesthetics.

Historical Fiction, Mythology, Royalty
[Written by Black authors] Themes: kings, queens, kingdoms, noblemen, historical events, medieval times, ancient settings, Gods, Goddesses, deities, heaven, hell, angels, demons, and folklore.

Black Sci-Fi, Cyberpunk, Space
[Written by Black authors] Themes: time travel, superpowers, superheros, supervillains, parallel universes, futurism, advanced technology, virtual reality, robots, genetic mutations, lab experiments, apocalypse, evil scientists, aliens, cosmos, and space exploration. #Blackhero

Drama, Street Literature, Urban
[Written by Black authors] Themes:, gang violence, mental and social conflict, domestic affairs, drug dealers, contemporary fiction, and urban crime.

Action, Adventure, Assassins
[Written by Black authors] Themes: spies, warriors, heists, trained fighters, gore, dangerous missions, overseas voyages, bloody battles, thieves, bounty hunters, and long journeys.

LGBTQ+
[Written by Black authors] Stories centered around Black queer characters.

Poetry
[Written by Black authors] Poetry collections.

What else do you want to see?
[Please make sure you've read chapters FIRST HALF SUBMISSIONS and SECOND HALF SUBMISSIONS in their entireties before answering]

Advertising your books above, along with using the hashtag #BlackStoriesUnite, and interacting with this guidebook in general are the best ways to get noticed and gain traction on your account. No need to flood the message board with promotion. We have entire sections dedicated to more of that coming up.

Next Chapter: SECOND HALF SUBMISSIONS.