Roc Nation is getting into the book publishing business via a new partnership with Random House, the companies announced today.
The new imprint, which is rolling out under the name Roc Lit 101, will be dedicated to publishing books “at the dynamic intersection of entertainment and genre-defying literature, including exhilarating, innovative work from some of the biggest artists and most imaginative and incisive writers of our time on a wide range of subjects such as music, sports, pop culture, activism, and art,” according to a release.
The imprint will be overseen by Chris Jackson, publisher and editor-in-chief of Random House imprint One World Books, and Roc Nation executive vp Jana Fleishman.
Roc Lit 101 will be releasing its inaugural titles next summer. They include Till the End, a memoir from former professional baseball player CC Sabathia (written with Chris Smith) detailing his struggles with addiction; and music journalist Danyel Smith’s Shine Bright, a combination memoir/criticism/biography that will focus on black women in music as “the foundational story of American pop.”
Future releases will include books from Roc Nation artists such as Lil Uzi Vert (illustrated fiction); Meek Mill (a personal narrative telling a “story of criminal justice and survival”); and Fat Joe and Yo Gotti (coming-of-age memoirs). Also on tap: cookbooks, children’s books and titles that “defy genre altogether.”
“The goal of RocLit 101 is to provide a creative outlet for acclaimed wordsmiths and artists to share their visions with new audiences” said Fleishman in a statement. “There are so many untold stories and we consider it a true privilege to be able to amplify diverse voices while exploring the uncharted worlds that are about to open to us.”
Added Jackson, “Our aspiration for the imprint is to create books that draw from the best of pop culture—its most imaginative and talented storytellers, innovators, and literary chroniclers—to create beautifully written and produced works that will entertain and enthrall readers, but also illuminate critical issues. But the partnership isn’t just about the books – it’s also about audiences: we want to find new voices and new stories, but also new readers.”
