Determine the genre for your book: fiction or nonfiction. Break the genre down even further to pinpoint the specific category of fiction or nonfiction. For example, the book might be a romance novel, a biographical piece about your life, a self-help book, a collection of African-American recipes, or a book about African-American spirituality.
Find a publishing house that specializes in or publishes a large number of books geared toward the African-American community. The publisher must not only carry your genre, but also your specific category within the genre. A few publishing houses that specialize in or publish large numbers of African-American books include Black Book Plus, Triple Crown Publications, Kensington Books and Simon & Schuster.
There are books on the market that contain information on the various publishing houses and the genres each house publishes. A few of the books you can use are Writer's Market (released yearly), Guide To Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, and Getting Your Book Published for Dummies (see References).
Visit the websites of the publishing houses that you are interested in. Click on the "submissions" link to learn the protocol for book proposals and manuscript submissions. The protocol will vary by publisher. For example, one publisher may require only a proposal and a sample chapter, whereas another may require a completed manuscript.
Create a book proposal for your book (see Resources). The book proposal should include a synopsis of your book, the table of contents, who the target audience is for your book and what makes your book stand out from other books on the market.
Submit your book proposal and sample or completed manuscript to the address listed on the publisher's website.
Wait for a response from the publisher. The response letter will let you know whether or not the company is interested in publishing your book. It can take several weeks to several months to receive a response.
If your book is accepted for publication, carefully read and sign the publishing contract that is drawn up by your publisher. If you don't understand the details of the contract, consult with a legal adviser.