Crown Publishing Group Launches Book Imprint Dedicated to Black Voices [Video]

The Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House, will launch new book imprint Storehouse Voices, created in partnership with Tamira Chapman, founder and CEO of Storehouse In A Box.

The new imprint, announced on Jan. 9, was founded to address the lack of representation of authors of color within the publishing industry, according to a statement shared with PEOPLE. Storehouse Voices will publish books across fiction and nonfiction genres, with the goal of “promoting the richness of Black storytelling through intentional acquisitions and hiring efforts, strategic partnerships, and authentic, equity-minded community outreach.”

Storehouse Voices was developed after the success of the Women & Words program, launched in collaboration with Storehouse In A Box and Penguin Random House. The program included a series of networking sessions and virtual workshops with aspiring authors and literary agents aimed to “demystify the publishing industry and its processes” for underrepresented authors.