Every year, thousands of new books are released and most of them are published by hundreds of book publishers. Of those are hundreds of book publishers, quite a few of them are Black-owned - meaning they are owned by African American entrepreneurs and usually produce titles for African American readers.

Here are seven of the top Black-owned book publishers:

#1 - Amber Books: This Phoenix-based publishing company is the nation’s largest African-American publisher of self-help books and music biographies. The founder/CEO is Tony Rose, an NAACP Image Award Winner.

#2 - Black Classic Press: Founded in 1978, Black Classic Press is devoted to publishing obscure and significant works by and about people of African descent. They specialize in republishing works that are out of print and quite often out of memory.

#3 - Urban Ebooks: Launched in 2016, this publishing company publishes educational and empowering e-books for African American and other minority readers. All of their books are $3 or less and can be instantly downloaded to computers, tablets, and smart phones.

#4 - Third World Press: Third World Press provides quality literature that primarily focuses on issues, themes, and critique related to an African American public. Their mission is to make this literature accessible to as many individuals as possible including our targeted market of primarily African American readers.

#5 - Triple Crown Publications: This company is one of the first major publishers of urban fiction books. It's founder and CEO is best-selling author and world-renowned publisher Vickie Stringer.

#6 - Smiley Books: Founded by media pioneer Tavis Smiley in 2004 as a co-publishing venture with Hay House Inc., SmileyBooks is a general trade book publisher that specializes in quality nonfiction.

#7 - Life Changing Books: Established in 2003, this publishing company offers a variety of African American literature including contemporary fiction, women's fiction, urban/ street literature, and more. Azarel, the founder/CEO launched the company with her own self-published title

BONUS: Who's Who Publishing: You can't have a list of Black-owned book publishers without mentioning this amazing company. Founded in 1989 by entrepreneur C. Sunny Martin, this company produces thousands of books every year that highlight the positive achievements of local African Americans, Latinos and members of the GLBT community.