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"Bad Boy" of literature Michael Baisden broadens author horizons with videos and new talk show
Success did not come easy for this 37-year-old Chicago native. In 1993 he was driving trains for the Chicago Transit Authority and struggling to keep a small business from going under. In 1995 he released his first book, Never Satisfied: How and Why Men Cheat, a controversial book of short stories about unfaithful men and the women who support their irresponsible behavior. The large New York publishing companies rejected his work, saying it wasn't marketable - which basically meant, it wasn't good enough. Not willing to concede defeat, Michael decided to self - publish. He borrowed money from friends and family, charged his credit cards to the limit, and sold his automobile.
Within eight months, he sold more than 50,000 books and was on Essence and Emerge magazines best sellers' lists. He toured with black expos, sorority conventions, and book fairs. He even signed books at the local nightclubs, and hair salons.
"I was determined to make it!" he says. "I would sell books at a funeral if they let me."
Eventually, his popularity grew and so did the demand for his next book. This time, instead of writing another book on relationships, Michael took a gamble on a novel. "There was a void in African-American novels written by men," he...