Finding information on African American literature on the Web can be difficult. But that's not what prompted Troy Johnson to start the African American Literature Book Club on www.aalbc.com. AALBC, like many great ventures, came about by accident. A few years back, Johnson, who once sold computers and now works with market data for a major banking institution, decided to help people promote and/or sell their products on the Web in his spare time. While the idea was good, one of his clients had difficulty selling her product. To better understand her difficulties, Johnson began selling books over the Web and entered a whole new universe.
Since March 1998, the AALBC has been bringing lovers of African American literature together from all across the country. "The response to it was overwhelming" says Johnson, explaining the initial support for the site. "I was connecting people living in small towns in middle America with no access to the independent black bookstores." An added bonus has been the participation of writers, especially emerging writers, who started using the AALBC as an outlet.
Today, AALBC sells authors advertising banners for as little as $25 a month, and negotiates higher prices for publishers. With the site garnering as many as 500,000 to 750,000 hits a month, AALBC isn't going anywhere. In addition to "attending" regular book club meetings where books of all genres are discussed, users also engage in lively discussions through organized chats. AALBC is a repository of information and ideas -- anything from author profiles to reviews to new recommendations -- are featured. It is a true smorgasbord for those who love African American literature. Most importantly, Johnson emphasizes, "It is a community."
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