Kensington Publishing continues to strengthen its focus on the African-American market, with aggressive plans to enter the African-American young adult niche as well as the release of a collaborative novel by bestselling authors Mary B. Morrison and Carl Weber.
In September, Kensington's Dafina imprint will launch Drama High, its first YA series, aimed at the African-American and multicultural teen market. "We knew we had to start publishing books specifically for young adults," said Dafina editorial director Karen Thomas. The first title, Drama High: The Fight by L. Divine, a former educator, will be followed by two more books in December and February. The series, which follows the adolescent life of Jayd Jackson, a sassy, street-smart Los Angeles teen, is touted as the "urban Sweet Valley High." Stacey Barney, also a former educator, is the line's acquiring editor. Dafina is planning a national print media campaign, promotions targeting teen and mother/daughter reading groups, Internet marketing to teen sites and blogs, as well as outreach to school and public libraries.
To show its commitment to the market, Thomas said, Dafina will release seven YA titles in 2007. Other series acquired by Barney include Perry Skky Jr., a teen spinoff of Stephanie Perry Moore's Payton Skky series, and Boy Shopping by Nia Stephens. Although Dafina is pursuing the youth market, it is not setting up a separate imprint. "Part of our success in niche marketing has come from our determination to test the waters, support and build our authors," said Joan Schulhafer, director of publicity, "and then take our successful program and give it its own identity."
Dafina will release Weber and Morrison's much-anticipated collaboration, She Ain't the One, in October, Schulhafer said; the first printing is "tentatively" set at 75,000. The book features two notorious characters, Jay Crawford and Ashley Anderson, from Weber and Morrison's novels, respectively. Glossy 30-page samplers were handed out at BEA, included in media mailings and will be distributed at the Harlem Book Fair, the National Book Club Conference in Atlanta and at regional ABA meetings.
In late July, the house will ship the samplers along with Morrison's newest hardcover title, When Somebody Loves You Back, for point-of-purchase counter displays and floor displays at major accounts across the country. They will also be used in conjunction with other in-store promotions, including front-of-store lightboxes at the Karibu bookstore chain in the Washington, D.C., area.
Since its launch six years ago, Dafina has increased its title output from 14 to 68, while its share of Kensington's gross sales rose from 4% in 2000 to 11% in 2005. This year, Dafina's list features a mix of reprints, mass markets, original trade paperbacks and hardcovers.
Much of Dafina's success in the African-American market has come through word of mouth among readers and booksellers. The imprint relies heavily on online marketing, reading group outreach, and radio and bookstore promotion. Thomas maintains close relationships with key booksellers in the African-American market and uses them as sounding boards when considering new titles. Although touring is less effective for Dafina authors than it has been in the past, an East Coast tour for Weber and Morrison is being coordinated.
