True to the Game by author and publisher Teri Woods has been undisputedly titled a classic. While working as a legal secretary for a law firm and juggling motherhood in Philadelphia, PA, Teri Woods completed her first novel, True to the Game. Teri Woods submitted her story over a period of six years to more than 20 different publishers, all of whom rejected her. When major publishing houses refused to embrace True to the Game she wasn’t discouraged. In 1998 instead of giving up, Teri Woods printed, bound, self-published and began selling hand to hand her first book True to the Game.
On December 18, 1999 with the support and encouragement of friends, Teri Woods recognized the selling power of her story. She credits her overwhelming success to being a ‘hustler’. Teri Woods often slept in her car and on the couches of acquaintances, as she spent countless hours selling her books on the streets of New York. Moving thousands of books primarily from the trunk of her car she was determined to have her story read. Her grassroots tactic paid off; Teri Woods became a self-made millionaire in just three years selling her novel, True to the Game. She landed a major motion picture deal for the book as well. With the release of True to the Game, Teri Woods has reinvigorated the urban fiction market and created a growing trend in publishing.
Noted as the female successor to street-life authors Donald Goines and Iceberg Slim, Teri Woods is an enthusiastic, sharp woman whose ambition has allowed for success in the face of adversity. The characters and events that she writes about are written with realism and compassion allowing readers to experience the true essence of urban realities. Teri Woods’ passion for urban realities caught the attention of Karen Thomas, editor at Warner Books, who facilitated a multi-million dollar book deal and signed Woods to Hatchette Book Group, a division of Warner Books. Warner Books will re-release the blockbuster, True To The Game in spring 2007 and the sequel, True To The Game II, in the fall of 2007.
As the owner of Teri Woods Publishing, Teri Woods has published 12 novels: True to the Game, DUTCH I, DUTCH II, Deadly Reigns I, Deadly Reigns II, Angel, B-More Careful, The Adventures of Ghetto Sam, Triangle of Sins, Rectangle of Sins, Tell Me Your Name and Double Dose. True to the Game, B-More Careful, DUTCH, Triangle of Sins, Rectangle of Sins, Deadly Reigns I, Deadly Reigns II, and Angel have been featured on the Essence Bestseller list numerous times collectively. True To the Game and B-More Careful have sold over 500,000 copies independently. DUTCH I, DUTCH II, Deadly Reigns I and Deadly Reigns II all sold over 100,000 copies in its first 90 days of release. All together Teri Woods Publishing has sold over 1 million copies independently and generated over 15 million dollars in gross revenue. Not to mention, jump started the entire urban-book marketplace. Woods can be proud that fans both young and old are reading her books, passing them to friends, and dubbing them ‘literary classics’.
Teri Woods' success has garnered her national media attention in publications such as Newsweek, XXL, Savoy, The Source, and Vibe magazines. She continues to have her finger on the pulse of the urban community and was recognized for voicing the state of African American males in today’s society. Her statements in a Newsweek roundtable discussion featuring African American industry notables, Star Jones, Beyonce Knowles and ABC Correspondent Deborah Roberts, created a national buzz in major media circles.
With her publishing company flourishing Teri Woods is concentrating on juggling her film projects under her film companies, Teri Woods Films and Tahluu Films, Inc., and publishing the works of new authors as well as building her non-profit organization, The Teri Woods Foundation. The foundation will donate proceeds from all the novels to the Teri Woods Scholarship Fund, which is designed to provide financial assistance to inner city youth interested in pursuing a career in journalism and literary arts.
Now that Teri Woods has attained great success as an entrepreneur she is more focused than ever. “When you really work hard to build your success, you’re very cognitive of being careful about maintaining it.” With a full line-up of books to be released in 2007-2008 from Teri Woods Publishing, Teri Woods is the most successful African American self-published author remaining in the publishing industry. Her story is one that is sure to motivate and inspire women and writers everywhere, as she has persevered through unbelievable challenges to emerge triumphant –a shining example of how one must always pursue unimaginable dreams.
