One World Launches Nikki Turner Book Line

by Calvin Reid, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 4/27/2006

Bestselling urban fiction author Nikki Turner is teaming up with her publisher, One World/Ballantine, to launch Nikki Turner Presents, a line of urban fiction titles written by new and original authors. The line will publish two to three books each year beginning in 2007. Turner joins such African American writers as Zane (at S&S) and Carl Weber (at Kensington) who have set themselves up as publishers aligned with, and supported by, large houses.

One World/Ballantine senior editor Melody Guy hailed the new line of books while announcing the acquisition of three new novels by the prolific Turner. The first of the three will be a sequel to Turner's bestselling novel A Hustler's Wife (with more than 100,000 copies inprint) that will be published in the spring of 2007. The deals were negotiated by Marc Gerald of the Agency Group.

Turner's next novel, Riding Dirty on I-95, will be published this month by OW/B. She is also slated to publish a new novel early next year at G-Unit Books, Hip hop star 50 Cent's new book publishing line at MTV/Pocket Books.

Guy says there's much more to come from Turner. "Nikki Turner has proven herself to be a star in the urban literary scene and we are pleased to continue and build upon our relationship with her."