K’Wan announces Cash Money Content Book Deal

In May I had covered a story for AAMBC’s Lit Ish column on Cash Money launching their new publishing house Cash Money Content. I had the privilege of attending the launch party in May, meeting the likes of Slim and Baby the creators of Cash Money Records. On this night I saw early on author K’Wan. I immediately started to try to put two and two together and interrogate him on his reasons for being at the launch party. Was he signed to Cash Money Content? Is what I kept wondering. So I asked K’Wan what’s the scoop, give me an exclusive. He laughed it off and said he was just here to sit back watch and show his support. I gave him a sideways look and thought; yeah it’s more to this story. However I laughed it off and enjoyed the rest of the party.

Now four months later as I sat down at my table at the African American Literary Awards I listened to K’Wan accept his award for Street Fiction writer of the Year. In his speech he spoke of his journey, shouted out his wife Mrs. Foye and then he dropped a bomb on the entire book world. He had signed a book deal with Cash Money Content.

Immediately after the award show I walked up to him and laughed and said, “So can I get that exclusive now.” On the morning of September 23^rd, 2011 I called K’Wan’s phone to finally get the story behind him connecting with such a brand as Cash Money. In his first ever interview about his second major book deal K’Wan sits down with me to answer a few questions;

 

TN: Why announce your book deal at the African American Literary Awards?

 

K’Wan: I thought it was the proper platform, people that don’t understand the dynamics of what was going on with me at the end of my last contract with SMP and did a lot of speculating and talking slick, so I figured what better time to shed some light on it then when the whole genre is watching?

 

TN: How long has this book deal been in the works?

K’Wan: It first came to my attention like a year or two ago when they were first putting CMC together. At the time I wasn’t sure if it’d be a good fit for me so I didn’t really follow up on it. I wanted to see how serious they were going to be about pushing their books and I was surprised to find they were and it wasn’t a gimmick. This past May again at the Cash Money Content launch party in New York City I said something that got someone’s attention. I must’ve made an impression because they joined in with the other publishers when they were trying to recruit me. When it was all said and done Cash Money laid the best offer on the table, financially and in terms of letting an author be as big as he/she wants to be.

TN: What happens to your Black Dawn Books Brand and St. Martin Press book deal?

K’Wan: As far as St. Martin’s press, it was an amicable split and I’m blessed to still be able to work on projects for them while signed to CMC. My agent did a great job of handling this and putting me in the best position possible. Some authors aren’t fortunate enough to land one major deal, but I now have two.

TN: Cash Money plans to take over the Hood Rat Series what titles do that include?

K’Wan: I can’t really say because Eviction Notice hasn’t been released yet and I don’t want any spoilers. One thing I can tell you is when the cat about that is out of the bag you will hear a universal cry that says “ABOUT F’N TIME!!!!!”

TN: What do you hope you gain from this collaboration with Cash Money?

K’Wan: They have a great selling system and they support their authors. My hustle is independent. So when you have a publishing house that will help you market and spend money on you to promote it’s a beautiful thing. I am creatively freer too so with them I know I can do more with my writing.

TN: I lastly asked K’Wan when his first book is with Cash Money coming out, He stated; My first book with them will come out in 2012 but I can’t reveal the title just yet.

 

We wish K’Wan all the best in the world. Catch his latest book Eviction Notice in stores everywhere September 27^th