Wahida Clark - Her Story

From inmate to four-time New York Times best-selling author
Four-time New York Times bestselling author, Wahida Clark, has become one of the most sought after urban lit authors of this generation and is one of only 4 urban lit authors to appear on the New York Times bestseller list. She is the only urban lit author on the list to have also served time.
Wahida Clark has an amazing story. Tenacity, vision and sheer determination are what helped her rise to become the successful author and business woman she is today.
Clark began writing her first novel while serving a 9 ½ year prison sentence, including 9 months in solitary confinement, at the Lexington Prison Camp in Lexington, KY. While behind bars, Clark inked publishing deals with two major publishing houses, wrote and released 7 novels, including one New York Times bestseller, and laid the groundwork for her own publishing company, Wahida Clark Presents, with the help of media queen/mentor and prison-mate MARTHA STEWART.
Released from prison in June of 2007, Clark immediately signed to and catapulted Cash Money Content, the publishing arm from iconic record label Cash Money Records, home to multi-platinum hip-hop recording artists Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne and Drake. To date she has released 14 successful novels.
Her own publishing company, Wahida Clark Presents Publishing, is one of the fastest growing independent publishing houses in the country. Her Publishing Company, Wahida Clark Presents boasts 30 authors, 75+ Novels and 10 Series.
Her Novels
Wahida Clark has sold more than 900,000 novels to date including one New York Times best-seller with Hachette Publishing and three New York Times best-sellers with Cash Money Content. Her latest novel, in stores April 24, 2018 is Thugs: Seven her 15th novel.
Wahida Clark has become known as the official “Queen of Street Lit.” Per Professor Vanessa Irvin Morris of Drexel University School of Library Science’s Readers Guide to Street Literature, “Wahida Clark is the creator of the Thug Love Fiction genre which is a sub-genre of street lit. She is also the first street lit author to pen a series, thus establishing the trend. Wahida's style of writing has become the template for urban literature. When you read her novels, they are so real you are convinced that you either know the characters; you want to know the characters; or you are one of the characters!”
Clarks bestselling novels include: Thugs and the Women Who Love Them (Part 1 of her “Thug Series”), Every Thug Needs a Lady (Part 2), Thug Matrimony (Part 3), Thug Lovin’ (Part 4), Justify My Thug (Part 5/NY Times bestseller), Honor Thy Thug (Part 6/NY Times bestseller), Payback is a Mutha (Part 1), Payback With Ya Life (Part 2/NY Times bestseller), Payback Ain’t Enough (Part 3/NY Times bestseller), Blood, Sweat & Payback, The Golden Hustla and Sleeping with the Enemy. Just Released Thuggz Valentine. She has also edited her first anthology, What’s Really Hood!: A Collection of Tales from the Streets.
Her Business
A naturally business-savvy woman, Clark followed the invaluable advice of jailhouse mate and multi-millionaire Queen of Media, Martha Stewart, who she consulted with on her business plan for Wahida Clark Presents Publishing. Meeting Martha was Clark’s “Aha Moment” which sparked her desire to make WCP Publishing a national multi-media company. WCP Publishing opened its doors in 2008 and is one of the top independent publishing houses in the country as well as home to 30+ successful and award-winning urban lit authors.
Her Legacy
As well as an accomplished author, Wahida Clark is a gifted motivational speaker. “I share my story as often as I can in hopes of opening the eyes of young people caught up in the life of fast money on the streets of our urban communities,” says Clark. “If my story changes the path of just one at-risk youth, I have done what I have set out to do.”