By Linda Wright
Wright Communications
In celebration of Women’s History Month in March, The Cincinnati Herald and Professional Pretty are sponsoring their first ever “Black Women’s Book Expo,” 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Saturday, March 14, at Kennedy Heights Arts Center Lindner Annex, 6620 Montgomery Road, 45213. Admission is free, and light refreshments will be served.
The event will feature a presentation by Sharon Draper, “Teacher of the Year” and celebrated author, workshops on how to get published, market your book and nurture your book from seed to finished product. Local authors will have booths and make short presentations on their books and their journey to publication. There will also be shopping featuring local vendors.
“I am so excited about this great event featuring local Black women authors and their books,” said Jan-Michele Lemon Kearney, publisher of The Cincinnati Herald, co-sponsor of the event. “I always wanted to do a book fair, and it’s a natural fit for the Herald.”
Morgan Owens, CEO of event co-sponsor “Professional Pretty,” will be the emcee for the day – introducing workshop speakers and saying a few words about her brand Professional Pretty, which helps minority women in business grow through workshops, marketing, branding services and business books.
Owens is an author herself, who recently published her first book Finding My Sparkle, an autobiography she describes as “my story of finding self-love.” She is in the midst of a successful 17-city book tour, with her supporting sponsor “P&G Beauty.”
“The Black Women’s Book Expo is new and different for the City of Cincinnati,” Owens said. “I thought that during Women’s History Month, it would be great to feature so many of the amazing women who are authors in the city. I was able to find success with my first book, and I wanted to help other women do the same.”
The event is free and open to the public. Booth rental is available for authors who would like to sell their books — $100 for author booths and $75 for retail booths.
Event Schedule
9 a.m. – 2 p.m. – Author and Retail Booths Open
11 a.m. – Sharon Draper (National Teacher of the Year and internationally known author), who will talk about one of her books and how to get started as a writer.
11:30 a.m. – Joyce Smith, (owner of Smith and Hannon Books), who will speak on “Getting Your Book Into Independent Bookstores”
Noon – Linda Wright (Award winning journalist and president of Wright Communications), who will speak on “Literary Childbirth: Nurturing Your Book From Seed to Finished Product.”
12:30 p.m. – Annie Ruth (nationally celebrated author, poet, and visual artist), who will give a workshop on how to get published via self-publishing and royalty publishing.
1:15 p.m. – Dr. Anisa Shomo, (MD, author, YouTube vlogger and founder of “Dr. Shomo Knows Bookclub”), who will speak on the importance of getting your book in front of book clubs.
For more information, or to be a vendor, call 513 961-3331, find Black Women’s Book Expo on Eventbrite.com or click https://bit.ly/3asx5xn.