The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, has partnered with merchandising company Storehouse In A Box (SIAB) to launch Storehouse Voices, a new imprint committed to elevating Black voices.
The imprint will be headed up by Tamira Chapman, president and CEO of SIAB, who will serve as publisher. Chapman has previously collaborated with PRH on events, hosting large-scale virtual book events for such authors as Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, former First Lady Michelle Obama, and National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman.
Chapman will be joined at Storehouse by three publishing industry veterans: Porscha Burke, who will serve as associate publisher, effective immediately; Jennifer Baker, who has been named editorial director, beginning February 10; and Chelcee Johns, who joins as executive editor on February 3. Baker and Johns will acquire and spearhead editorial strategy, with Chapman approving offers and leading the imprint’s collective strategy. Burke and Baker will report to Chapman, while Johns will report to Baker.
Burke most recently served as senior editor and director of DEI strategy for the Crown and Random House Publishing Groups, and has acquired works by Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison, and Jon Meacham. Baker most recently served as senior editor at Amistad and has worked with such authors as Jenifer Lewis and Tiffany Haddish. Johns is currently a senior editor at Ballantine, and her authors have included Cleyvis Natera and Krystie Zara Appiah.
Storehouse Voices grew out of Women & Words, an event series coproduced by PRH and SIAB which offered virtual publishing workshops and networking sessions pairing agents with aspiring Black women authors. The series, which took place online in fall 2023 and hosted a live event in March 2024, drew more than 10,000 Black women registrants. Thus far Storehouse Voices has inked book deals with five Women & Words alumni.
Storehouse Voices aims to publish its first titles beginning Fall 2025, and aims to ramp up to 18 titles per year by 2028, with a focus on narrative nonfiction (which will account for two-thirds of titles) and fiction (one-third). The imprint's inaugural list comprises eight titles, the publication dates of which have yet to be announced:
- Freedom to Be Fearless by Arian Simone Reed
- The Affirmed Life by Cheryl Polote-Williamson
- Everything I know About Being a Man (I Learned from a Woman) by David E. Talbert
- Friends of the Good by Demond Martin
- All That Remains by Marie A. Sutton
- May a Divine Awaken by Michael Tinsley
- Cleared for Takeoff by Nia Gilliam
Taking a cue from the success of Women & Words, Storehouse Voices will also include an online platform where authors can create profiles to showcase their work, connect with readers and agents, and participate in community conversations and events. The platform includes a dedicated portal for manuscript submissions, tracking tools to monitor submission status, and integrated review and ratings systems to provide feedback. Additionally, authors can provide book updates, publish blogs, share reviews, and offer sample chapters to engage directly with early readers of their works.
“As a visionary entrepreneur and industry disruptor with a relentless focus on achieving excellence, Tamira Chapman has long demonstrated an unwavering commitment to developing content that speaks to the experience of the audiences she serves and that fosters an authentic sense of community,” said David Drake, president of Crown Publishing Group, in a statement. “Crown is honored to partner with her and the talented team at Storehouse Voices to break some publishing molds that have long needed to be broken to better serve diverse authors and readers.”
“We’re creating a home for Black voices and celebrating the richness of diverse storytelling,” added Chapman. “I’m deeply grateful to the tens of thousands of Black women whose passion and dedication to excellence in literature made this moment possible, and to David Drake, Porscha Burke, and Penguin Random House for their leadership and belief in the importance of amplifying Black voices. Diverse authors have a home here, and we call on the brightest talent in publishing to join us in reshaping the narrative.”
