Prominent Detroit-based agent Denise Stinson has entered into a partnership with Warner Books to launch a publishing imprint called Walk Worthy Press. The press will be owned by Stinson and Warner will handle distribution. Walk Worthy will launch the first of three black Christian novels this June.
Stinson is an African-American agent who has represented such bestselling African-American authors as T.D. Jakes, Dawn Trice Turner and Pearl Cleage. Stinson told PW that she started the press because of her own faith, but also because she couldn't find "Christian stuff that I enjoyed reading. African-American Christian fiction is often historically based, and I wanted fiction about what's going on in 2000."
After circulating fiction manuscripts among publishers and finding that they "didn't know what to do with them," Stinson decided to publish these books herself in hardcover. She launched the press with $100,000 of her own money and approached Warner Books about paperback rights, complete with cover jackets, marketing plans and press releases for Walk Worthy. Warner was so impressed that it decided to publish the books in collaboration with Stinson.
Jamie Raab, publisher at Warner Books, described the venture as a "publishing partnership," and told PW, "We were looking to expand our presence in the African-American market. We were very impressed with Denise's presentation and decided that she can help us and that we can help her." Raab said print runs had not yet been determined. Stinson will handle all acquisitions for WW as well as "some special kinds of outreach things," she said. Her agency will continue to represent authors.
Walk Worthy will publish Temptation by Victoria Christopher Murray in June; it will be followed by SingSation! by Jacqueline Thomas in November and Church Folk by Michele Andrea Bowen in spring 2001. Stinson said the press will publish three hardcover Christian novels each year and beginning next year it will add Christian nonfiction.
