Black Books Supplements Compete

by Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 12/11/2006

Michelle Gipson, publisher of Written, a bimonthly black lifestyle supplement, is expecting a good 2007 even as the publication takes on competition from Blacks & Books, a new black books newspaper insert launched last month. "There's plenty of room for everybody," said Gipson.

Written, which debuted in early 2006, is aimed at a consumer market of middle-class African-Americans and reaches nearly 60,000 readers through African-American newspaper distribution. Written (www.writtenmag.com) was founded by Gipson, a former director of advertising for Black Issue Book Review, B&B's sister company and a graduate of the Stanford publishing course. The publication offers reviews and commentary on books and reading groups, and also focuses on movies, music and TV. "Our readers do more than read books, so we try to cover every aspect of their lifestyles," explained Gipson.

The publication is distributed through four black newspapers: the Atlanta Daily World, the Tennessee Tribune, Riverside Black Voice News in California and the Washington Informer in Washington, D.C. In December the publication will add a fifth newspaper-distributor, the Indianapolis Recorder. Gipson is in negotiations with other black newspapers to increase her circulation and said she's talking with a number of book and nonbook national advertisers, looking for support for the first quarter of 2007.

"Written is aimed at the avid reader and professional who may not know a lot about the latest books, but wants to be conversational about them," said Gipson. And Written also covers and reviews nonblack books. "Black readers also have diverse book shelves," she said.