by Mary Spiller
January 12, 2025
Storehouse Voices offers new opportunities to diverse writers interested in becoming published authors.
A new project, headed by Storehouse Voices, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random, launched in January, all to make the world of publishing more accessible for Black writers. Headed by attorney and entrepreneur Tamira Chapman, owner of the global merchandising company Storehouse, Women & Words — by Storehouse Voices — was inspired by work with former first lady Michelle Obama. Storehouse Voices has set out to combat the disparity Black and diverse writers face in the publishing world.
According to Essence, over 80% of Americans express that they desire to write a book, but only 5% to 7% of published authors are Black, and the industry has historically heavily favored white voices at its front and center. Because of this, Chapman is dedicated to setting a multimillion-dollar budget to provide tools and resources to Black authors, especially women of color, to realize their dreams.
Chapman originally became involved with Penguin Random House and Michelle Obama in 2018 when Obama was preparing to release her memoir Becoming.
She was inspired by Obama’s desire to center Black women during the release, first and foremost. The idea for the Women & Words program was born soon after.
Chapman explained in an interview with Essence, “I told the team at Penguin Random House that ‘the same way that Ms. Obama has a very rich and powerful story to tell, it’s my guess that I have thousands of more Michelle Obamas in this audience that also have meaningful stories to share with the world. If you want to be helpful to me, you’ll partner to develop a program allowing the women from my community to learn how to publish with the world’s No. 1 publisher.’”
Chapman’s Women & Words has several aspects to help marginalized women foster their authorship potential. The program includes a series of virtual workshops and well-established networking sessions to pair literary agents with authors. Every activity is catered to women of color and helps to amplify their voices through education about the industry.
Since the launch of Women & Words, over 10,000 Black women have registered, and several authors have already secured an agent through networking and information sessions. So far, five writers, all from different genres and with enriching stories to tell, have been signed to book deals by Storehouse Voices itself. Women & Words is now an official incubator program of the Storehouse Voices’ imprint.
Chapman said of the project, “This is truly a dream realized, and I want everyone to know we are open for business. We are looking for the brightest and best, and it’s not just authors. We have an interest in writers. We have an interest in agents. We have an interest in editors-at-large. Whatever your talent is in the publishing industry, we want to know about it, and we want you to be on our list so we can continue to build out the community.”
Chapman continued, “I, along with Porscha Burke, Associate Publisher, also want future authors to know that this can be viewed as a generational asset that can be taken seriously and that there are publishers out there like us that believe in them and the audience in the segment that they serve. We are proud today to be in a position that Toni Morrison hoped for decades ago, sitting inside a Penguin Random House, having this acquisition authority. We intend to publish them with excellence and show up for them in the same spirit that they showed up for us to make a meaningful difference in the publishing landscape.”
When asked about her biggest reason for heading the Storehouse Voices imprint, Chapman stated, “A few different reasons, but chief among them, one, diverse creators are generating more content deeply rooted in cultural points of view, but but many are not particularly being recognized or paid for that resonant content.”
RELATED CONTENT: How To Leverage A Bestselling Book In A Saturated Market
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings