Film and media studio Black Odyssey has launched Black Odyssey Media, a publishing venture dedicated to books by "hybrid creatives representing the Black experience, with a cross-functional concentration on novelizations and works that can be adapted for film or television." Black Media Odyssey will publish some 10 titles annually in hardcover, trade paperback, mass market and e-book formats. Titles will be sold and distributed by Kensington Publishing.
 |
|
| Shawanda Williams | |
The venture has been founded by literary agent, independent producer and author Shawanda Williams, who is also known by her pen name N'Tyse. Kreceda Tyler is overseeing acquisitions, with support from editorial associates Mandy Schultz and Brandie White.
Williams said, "The duality of being an author and having served the market as a literary agent for nearly nine years has allowed me to assess the industry from a unique vantage point. While some archaic paradigms have been replaced, there is still scant representation of BIPOC in the mainstream marketplace. However, with the vital support of our new partners, I hope that Black Odyssey can shift the trajectory as we usher in more diverse voices to cater to an underserved market."
She noted, too, that "in our current digital era and with the emergence of streaming platforms, the appetite and demand for creative content have soared, and a writer's aspiration to see their works on screen has never been more tangible. It's a surreal, yet humbling awakening for creatives right now, and I want Black Odyssey to lead in this new elevation as we use our influence to amplify Black storytellers in both literature and film."
Steven Zacharius, president and CEO of Kensington, said, "Whether she's writing her popular novels as N'Tyse, identifying talent as an agent, or developing innovative cross-media platforms for amplifying diverse voices, Shawanda Williams has a singular perspective and a keen sense of what the market wants. We have a history of success together--both in the books we've acquired from her as a literary agent, as well as her own novels published by our distribution client, Urban Books--so when she first came to Kensington with her vision for Black Odyssey Media, we immediately wanted to be a part of it."
Black Odyssey Media's inaugural list will make its debut in summer 2023 and includes American Gunner by Eddy Clark with D. Andrea Whitfield, inspired by a true crime; Women Cry in the Dark, Too by J.L. Blalock, a relationship drama; and The Accidental Queen by L.R. Jackson, a romance.