12 Popular Street Lit Authors to Know

The top writers and best sellers in urban fiction.

Zane Files for Bankruptcy - Kristina Laferne Roberts, widely known as the erotic author Zane, filed for bankruptcy in Maryland in June, the Washington Post reports. Roberts owes the IRS $540,000. A film that adapted Addicted, one of her most popular novels, opens in theatres Oct. 10. (Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

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Zane - Zane is synonymous with erotic fiction with her most popular novel being Addicted. Her publishing company Strebor Books International, an imprint of Simon and Schuster, publishes urban erotica and her subsequent imprint, Strebor on the Streetz focuses solely on street lit novels.(Photo: Jemal Countess/Getty Images)

Teri Woods - Teri Woods was one of the first Black authors to create the “urban” genre.  Woods was working at a law office in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1992 when she penned the New York Times best seller True to the Game. On the heels of that, Woods turned the electrifying novel into a trilogy.(Photo: Courtesy of Teri Woods Publishing)

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Teri Woods - Woods is the mastermind behind the True to the Game trilogy. As an independent publisher, she's also helped other street lit authors like Shannon Holmes and Kwame Teague become popular in their own right.(Photo: Courtesy of Teri Woods Publishing)

Wahida Clark - Writer and literary agent Wahida Clark has been taking the thug love fiction scene by storm with her books Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, Every Thug Needs a Lady, and Thug Matrimony.(Photo: Courtesy of Wahida Clark Publishing)

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Wahida Clark - Writer and literary agent Wahida Clark has been taking the thug love fiction scene by storm with her books Thugs and the Women Who Love Them, Every Thug Needs a Lady, and Thug Matrimony.(Photo: Courtesy of Wahida Clark Publishing)

Sapphire  - Sapphire's Push was turned into the drama film Precious in 2009 and this past summer released a sequel to the raw novel titled The Kid, which focuses on Precious' son as he becomes an adult.  (Photo: Ben Rose/PictureGroup)

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Sapphire - Sapphire's Push was turned into the drama film Precious in 2009 and this past summer released a sequel to the raw novel titled The Kid, which focuses on Precious' son as he becomes an adult. (Photo: Ben Rose/PictureGroup)

Nikki Turner - Nikki Turner has her own imprint within Random House called Nikki Turner Presents and was the first author to sign onto 50 Cent's G-Unit Books. Her debut novel A Hustler's Wife is one of Triple Crown's bestsellers.(Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images)

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Nikki Turner - Nikki Turner has her own imprint within Random House called Nikki Turner Presents and was the first author to sign onto 50 Cent's G-Unit Books. Her debut novel A Hustler's Wife is one of Triple Crown's bestsellers.(Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Rob Loud/Getty Images

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Treasure E. Blue  - His first book Harlem Girl Lost sold more than 65,000 copies and caught the eye of Random House publishers. He later released A Street Girl Named Desire that went on to appear on bestseller lists around the country.  (Photo: Courtesy of Harlem World Publishing)

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Treasure E. Blue - His first book Harlem Girl Lost sold more than 65,000 copies and caught the eye of Random House publishers. He later released A Street Girl Named Desire that went on to appear on bestseller lists around the country. (Photo: Courtesy of Harlem World Publishing)

Vickie Stringer - Vickie Stringer penned the hit novel Let That Be The Reason and is the founder/owner of Triple Crown Publications, which gives other urban fiction authors a chance to be heard and recognized.  (Photo: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster)

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Vickie Stringer - Vickie Stringer penned the hit novel Let That Be The Reason and is the founder/owner of Triple Crown Publications, which gives other urban fiction authors a chance to be heard and recognized. (Photo: Courtesy of Simon & Schuster)

Kwame Teague - Kwame Teague's Dutch series have been dubbed classics. Teague has also written underground works like The Adventures of Ghetto Sam and Glory of My Demise.(Photo: Courtesy of Teri Woods Publishing)

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Kwame Teague - Kwame Teague's Dutch series have been dubbed classics. Teague has also written underground works like The Adventures of Ghetto Sam and Glory of My Demise.(Photo: Courtesy of Teri Woods Publishing)

Photo By Photo: Courtesy of Teri Woods Publishing

Mark Anthony - Not only did the author develop his own QBoro Books to manage other writers and become one of the top publishers of urban fiction, but he also merged with Urban Books and has deals with 50 Cent's G-Unit Books. One of Anthony's best works is Paper Chasers.(Photo: Courtesy of Macmillan Publishing)

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Mark Anthony - Not only did the author develop his own QBoro Books to manage other writers and become one of the top publishers of urban fiction, but he also merged with Urban Books and has deals with 50 Cent's G-Unit Books. One of Anthony's best works is Paper Chasers.(Photo: Courtesy of Macmillan Publishing)

Shannon Holmes - His debut novel B-More Careful sold over 100,000 copies in just six months, and when Simon and Schuster's imprint Atria published his second book Badgirlz, he became one of the first urban lit authors to have a deal with a major publishing house. Teri Woods signed him as her publishing company's first author and Holmes later helped Vickie Stringer launch Triple Crown Publications.(Photo: Courtesy of Macmillan Publishing)

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Shannon Holmes - His debut novel B-More Careful sold over 100,000 copies in just six months, and when Simon and Schuster's imprint Atria published his second book Badgirlz, he became one of the first urban lit authors to have a deal with a major publishing house. Teri Woods signed him as her publishing company's first author and Holmes later helped Vickie Stringer launch Triple Crown Publications.(Photo: Courtesy of Macmillan Publishing)

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K'wan Foye - With a growing list of raw stories like Gangsta, Hood Rat, and Road Dawgz, K'wan has started his own publishing company called Black Dawn Books.(Photo: Courtesy of The Agency Group)

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K'wan Foye - With a growing list of raw stories like Gangsta, Hood Rat, and Road Dawgz, K'wan has started his own publishing company called Black Dawn Books.(Photo: Courtesy of The Agency Group)

Sister Souljah - Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever is hailed as one of street lit's greatest novels and is responsible for reviving the genre.(Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images)

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Sister Souljah - Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever is hailed as one of street lit's greatest novels and is responsible for reviving the genre.(Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: David Livingston/Getty Images