BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™: Black Spaces for Authors of Color
Where Authors of Color Can Market Books: Discovery Hubs, Targeted Outlets, and Events | BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™
Welcome back to BTA Fridays™ – Breaking the Algorithm™.
I’m your host, Kelly Morgan. This is where indie authors stop chasing trends. We build strategy, visibility, and confidence. Around here, we don’t follow the algorithm — we break it and put something better in its place.
Today I want to talk about something I don’t see addressed enough when it comes to marketing books as an author of color.
There isn’t one dominant, universally-known marketing “home base” built specifically for Black authors the way broader markets are served. What we have instead is a smaller, more fragmented ecosystem spread across multiple spaces.
That’s not a complaint. It’s reality.
And once you understand that reality, you can move with strategy instead of frustration.
1) Discovery and visibility hubs
These are spaces built around Black readers who are already looking for Black books.
A major example is AALBC (African American Literature Book Club). Readers go there with intent — they’re looking for Black authors, and Black books are the point, not a side category.
2) Targeted marketing outlets for Black readers
These are places where you can reach Black reading communities more directly — sometimes through promotional opportunities.
A few examples to explore:
- Mahogany Books
- Black Château Enterprises
- Cushcity
Are these the same as mainstream platforms like BookBub? No. But they are real channels, and they can be worth reviewing if you’re trying to reach the right readers, not random readers.
3) Catalog and listing platforms
These matter because people browse them intentionally. Discovery becomes concentrated instead of scattered.
One example is Black Writers Workspace, which includes a catalog of books by Black authors and a way for authors to be visible in one place.
4) Community and craft support
Information moves faster inside community — opportunities, warnings, best practices, and connections.
If you’re an author of color, don’t isolate. Plug into spaces where people understand the context and are actively sharing resources.
5) Events and conferences
Some visibility is best earned in spaces where the algorithm has no vote.
Examples include Black-centered festivals and book events where readers and authors gather, network, and discover.
The simple takeaway
If you’re an author of color and you want to stop spinning your wheels, start with four aligned moves:
- One discovery hub
- One targeted promo outlet
- One community space
- One event goal
You don’t have to do everything. You just need a few aligned channels so visibility becomes intentional.
That’s how you build your audience without becoming a slave to the algorithm.
Watch the episode
Before you go (my quick laundry list)
Be a guest on The Author’s Mic™ (Mondays):
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Support my books:
Weight For It (also audiobook) and You Sound White
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Join or pitch The Indie Reader Society (IRS):
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TrustBridge™ is our curated connection ecosystem linking indie authors with podcasts, book clubs, and bookstores—built for respectful outreach and real access.
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