11 Amazing Authors Who Own Publishing Companies
It’s our pleasure to turn the spotlight on Victoria Christopher Murray and ReShonda Tate Billingsley, game-changing publishers, who are committed to providing a voice for the next generation of authors.
Empowering The Next Generation of Authors
Victoria and ReShonda are national bestselling authors with more than two million books in print. So, naturally, helping to build the next generation of authors, while spotlighting some fan favorites, would be something near and dear to their hearts. They launched Brown Girls Publishing (BGP) in 2014. BGP is an exclusive boutique publishing company, focusing primarily on digital content, while still providing printed books through Amazon. Today, BGP boasts a roster of over 40 authors.
We celebrate these phenomenal women who understand that their voices mean something. Importantly, they are the go-to resource for authors who want to flourish during these unpredictable times.
Get To Know Victoria Christopher Murray
Victoria Christopher Murray is one of the country’s top African American contemporary authors. She is the New York Times and USA Today best-selling author of more than 30 novels, including the New York Times Instant Best Seller, The Personal Librarian. She has been writing novels full time for over twenty years.
A native New Yorker, Victoria Christopher Murray attended Hampton University in Virginia where she majored in Communication Disorders. After graduating, Victoria attended New York University’s Stern Business School where she received her MBA in Marketing.
Victoria spent ten years in corporate America before she tested her entrepreneurial spirit. She opened a Financial Services Agency for Aegon, USA where she managed the number one division for nine consecutive years. However, Victoria always dreamed of writing and in 1997, she pursued her dream.
Victoria originally self-published her first novel, Temptation, and in 2000, Time Warner published that novel. Temptation made numerous bestsellers lists and remained on the Essence bestsellers list for nine consecutive months. In 2001, Victoria received her first NAACP Image Award nomination for Temptation.
Over her career, Victoria has received numerous awards including the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award, eleven African American Literary Awards, and five NAACP Image Award nominations. In 2016, she won the Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground.
All seven novels in Victoria’s Seven Deadly Sins series were optioned to become movies on Lifetime. The first two, Lust and Envy, aired in April 2021 and the next two, Greed and Wrath, are in preproduction and will air in Spring 2022. The movies were produced by TD Jakes, Shaun Robinson, and Derrick Williams. Another one of Victoria’s novels, The Ex Files, has also been optioned to become a movie and will begin filming in early 2022.
Visit Victoria: https://victoriachristophermurray.com
Book Link: The Personal Librarian
Get To Know ReShonda Tate Billingsley
ReShonda Tate Billingsley is the national bestselling author of more than 50 books. She writes both adult and teen fiction, as well as nonfiction. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, was made into a film directed by actress Regina King and produced by TD Jakes and Queen Latifah. ReShonda made her on-screen movie debut in the film, which was one of BET’s highest rated programs. Her book, The Secret She Kept, was also made into a movie, and aired on TV One. ReShonda made a cameo in that movie as well.
A well-respected journalist for more than two decades, ReShonda has worked as a television reporter and anchor for stations in Oklahoma City, Beaumont, and Houston. ReShonda is also Managing Editor for the Houston Defender Newspaper, as well as a Communications Consultant for Texas Southern University. She also works as a professional editor, ghostwriter, and literary consultant. She left her job at FOX 26 News in Houston in 2007 to write full-time.
A highly sought-after motivational speaker and award-winning poet, ReShonda is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her book Say Amen, Again and was also nominated for her books Mama’s Boy and The Secret She Kept. She has received a plethora of distinguished awards and honors for her journalism, fiction, and poetry writing skills, including an induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and a Texas Top Author honor. Considered one of the top African American authors in the country, her books remain a staple on bestsellers lists and have been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, Jet, People, Essence, and Ebony Magazines.
ReShonda is also the co-founder of the boutique publishing company, Brown Girls Books, with Victoria Christopher Murray. The company, which is aimed at producing quality books from fresh voices and fan favorites, boasts a roster of more than 40 authors. BGB’s subsidiary company, Brown Girls Entertainment, is branching out into the multimedia landscape, producing content for film, TV, and the web.
A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, ReShonda is a member of the Missouri City – Sugar Land Chapters of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack & Jill of America. She is the mother of three children ages 20, 17, and 13.
Book Link: Miss Pearly's Girls
Visit ReShonda: www.ReShondaTateBillingsley.com
