So now that we’ve got our list of YA & MG novels by black US-based authors, it’s time to figure out who’s responsible for giving these books the green light. We finished up with 47 titles by 35 authors. Here are their publishers:
Kensington/Dafina: 11
Kimani TRU: 7
Simon & Schuster: 6
Scholastic: 5*
Penguin: 2
Hyperion: 2
Aladdin: 2
Harper Teen: 1
Harper Collins: 1
Plenary: 1
Egmont: 1
Hatchette: 1
FSG: 1
Candlewick: 1
Bella: 1
Bloomsbury: 1
Push: 1
Nancy Paulsen: 1
Razorbill: 1
*two Scholastic titles were reissued
Once again, Kensington and Kimani Tru (Harlequin) are in the lead; together they publish almost 40% of black-authored novels for teens. The following authors had multiple titles in 2011: Celeste Norfleet (2), Kelli London (2), Rachel Renee Russell (2), Nikki Carter (3), Andrea Davis Pinkney (2), Patricia McKissack (2), Veronica Chambers (2), Walter Dean Myers (3), Artist Arthur (2), and L. Divine (2).
But should the imprints be identified with their owners because that way you would get higher numbers for some; e.g., FSG is part of Macmillan, and Hyperion is part of HarperCollins, as is Harper Teen, etc.
I thought about it, but the numbers are still so small…plus eventually I want to look up how many books each imprint published all together. It’s easier to do that without reducing all the imprints to the big six publishers.
Looks like some great publishers there, publishing so many. As Jill mentioned I’m interested to see the breakdown by high level publisher now… I don’t know my publishing industry well enough to know who owns what (ahem, please don’t revoke my blogging credentials! hah). I’ll have to do some Googling 🙂
Well, there’s quantity and then there’s quality! I haven’t read the Kensington or Kimani books, though, so I’ll just say they publish the most black-authored books. Let me know if you figure out which imprints belong to which mega-publisher. I’d still like to hold individuals accountable, and that means finding editorial directors of each imprint since they make the decisions to acquire these books.
According to my records, which I confess I haven’t updated lately, there was ONE black-authored YA novel published in Canada this year. About slavery, of course.
I don’t know an emoticon that’s expressive enough for how disappointing this is 😦
I know, Tricia. I can’t tell what’s worse–the stats themselves, or the fact that I’m no longer surprised…
Considering how huge Harper Teen seems (I always seem to be reading books by them)…wow
I’m tempted to look up the number of books Harper Teen published in 2011 and then post the name of the editorial director. Not sure I’m up for a letter-writing campaign, though…
Do you have stats on how many black authors submitted books for consideration? Or how many of those submission were of publishable quality? Or how many editors first checked to see what race the author was before making a decision on a book? I think it’s totally fair to say that books with ethnically diverse characters (let alone books with ethnically diverse protagonists) are significantly underrepresented. And I’m not saying that there’s not passive racism in publishing. I think it sits right there alongside passive homophobia, both of which are tied directly to purchasing habits. (By passive, I mean simply not acquiring a project by saying “it’s not right for us” and not even mentioning sales data or any other reason to avoid a project with ethnic or homosexual themes.) But I also don’t think the numbers you present here are significant without answers to the first three questions I posed.
I acquire for a small house. I don’t seek to determine (nor do I care) about the ethnicity (or sexuality) of potential authors when I’m considering a submission. What I care about is: 1) do they write well? 2) is the project a good fit for what we do? 3) do I have a vision for this project to make it sell? If I answer no to any of those questions, then I pass on it. In 2011, I received very, very few projects that featured ethnically diverse characters. (I don’t have exact numbers.) Most of that small number either: 1) weren’t written well, 2) wasn’t a good fit for our house, or 3) didn’t grab me enough to be a champion for it. I made these assessments based solely on the writing, not whether or not the characters–or authors–were of a certain race. And, yes, I did acquire a couple projects with diverse characters. But I didn’t first stop to say, “Now, hold on,, let’s find out first if the author is white or not.” I feel that a majority of my colleagues approach submissions in the same manner.
Again, I agree with the idea that ethnically diverse books are rare. I just don’t think the methodology here to back up the assertion is sound.
Hi, Anonymous Editor. thanks for stopping by and taking the time to write such a lengthy response. Unfortunately, the only data I have access to is this list of published titles. If you look at the Essays tab on this blog, you’ll see that I’ve been writing about equity in children’s publishing for some time and one of the biggest challenges is the lack of transparency and the silence of editors. How many people of color work as editors at your small press? That’s another factor I’d love to consider but I can’t do that unless publishers are forthcoming with that information. Observation and anecdotal information tell me that the children’s publishing industry is 99% white, and they produce books that are 95% white(-authored). For some time I’ve been advocating for a Diversity in Publishing Network like the one established in the UK; it requires publishers to sign a charter and agree to disclose information about their diversity initiatives, including hiring practices—what do YOU do to find quality submissions from people of color? I think far too many editors sit and wait for the perfect manuscript to cross their desk—or they attend conferences and conventions that are 99% white. I don’t know how many writers of color submit manuscripts each year, but I know that I spent nearly a decade trying to get published and I still have dozens of unpublished manuscripts despite being an award-winning author. I know half a dozen authors of color who have speculative fiction YA novels and yet can’t get an agent and so can’t get a foot in the door. I have tried to collaborate with literary orgs so that we can convene a symposium and talk openly about institutional racism in the children’s publishing industry and for the most part, I’ve gotten no response. So if you’re willing to speak openly, not anonymously, about practices at your press, that would be great! And if you could get your colleagues at other presses to join in, that would lead to real progress, I think. Right now the only editor speaking openly about racism and white privilege in publishing is Laura Atkins; we’ll both be presenting at the Race, Ethnicity, and Publishing conference in France next spring. If you’re sincerely looking for writers of color, you could contact Laura or read her articles to get some ideas. You could go out into communities of color and look for writers. You could contact published writers of color and ask them for referrals. You could hold a contest—like the New Voices contest held annually by Lee & Low Books—in order to develop a pool of manuscripts. But you can’t tell me that black authors represent 3% of all children’s book authors published annually because they just aren’t “good enough.”
Actually, Zetta, as far as a diversity in publishing network, several editors and I have been working on that for over a year, and have just partnered with the CBC to really get it going. (We haven’t really publicized it yet because we weren’t really ready for prime time yet, but it’s been coming since last fall.) I and Cheryl Klein are the only white editors on the committee–the rest come from a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds–so we have hope that in the coming year or so we’ll get the word out a little more effectively. We’re planning several events in the coming year to work on the issue, including a three-pronged approach to diversity: in the books themselves (characters), in authors, and in publishing (recruiting, and letting kids know that publishing is a viable career via school visits). Keep an eye out for announcements from the CBC in early 2012.
Also, I’m a tiny bit confused–is this list for coming books in 2012 or for those published in 2011? (Your header here is 2012, but I’m assuming this post refers to your last post for 2011.) In 2012, I have an anthology coming out co-edited by Tobias Buckell and featuring a number of authors of color at Tu Books (Tobias is multiracial), but if this is for 2011 then nevermind. 🙂
One thing that I struggle with in attracting authors of color is knowing where to reach out to. I’ve been working on reaching out to writing societies such as the Carl Brandon Society, because SCBWI itself isn’t always the most diverse place (and this is something that I think we need to encourage SCBWI to work on–I’ll actually be talking about diversity in MG/YA at the NY SCBWI this Jan., but when I give such talks my audience tends to be 95% white). I would love more suggestions as to where our call for submissions can go. (And of course, I’m not just looking for African American authors, but Latino/a, East Asian, Native American, Pacific Islander, South Asian, and so forth.) And of course the complicating factor for me is fantasy/science fiction/mystery. That narrows it for me–I often get submissions that are realistic (which should be directed to Lee & Low, the realistic side, rather than Tu) with diversity—no speculative elements—or speculative without diversity. I need both! So it takes some reaching out to authors and agents, and we’re always working on how to do so. (I am also working on a possible Tu Books New Voices-esque search for authors of color, so stay tuned on that too.)
And P.S.—if those friends of yours sitting on novels because they can’t get an agent haven’t submitted to me at Tu Books, please let them know about it. As I said, sometimes the biggest problem is communication that we’re open to such things.
I completely agree that if a book isn’t well written it should not be acquired. However authors of color are working at a disadvantage, especially if they decide to publish a book about a person of color, especially in MG/YA. There are many diverse picture books and more diversity in adult books but children’s literature lags behind.
A decision on a book should not, obviously, be made based on the author’s ethnicity. BUT I don’t think white agents/editors are willing enough to work with authors of color and go the extra mile in terms of promotion. Even when publishing companies do acquire books about poc there is rarely a unified effort to promote the book online or in real life (no virtual or real book tours). And I think sometimes the house needs to adjust its vision to be more inclusive.
Call me stubborn but I refuse to believe that there are only 46 excellent titles by Black authors submitted in years past to be published in 2011. There’s just no way especially when there are at least 3,000 YA books published a year. The math does no work
I won’t call you stubborn, Ari—to me, you’re simply a steadfast ally and advocate for social justice. This isn’t about quality (which is subjective), it’s about EQUITY. These numbers are not a distortion of reality, they’re evidence of inequity.
Anonymous Editor, I value your opinion on this post and I am grateful because it ignited such great dialogue, but why you are so defensive or are you just a little guilty. I am going to go with you are a little guilty. How many black authors have you turned down, while still clinging to, “I do not judge submissions based on the color of the author or its characters, but by the quality of their work?” Also thank you for acknowledging, “Books with ethnically diverse characters (let alone books with ethnically diverse protagonists) are significantly underrepresented.” That alone should express the urge for this post by Zetta. Also forgive me for asking this, but what do you consider publishable quality? I believe many publishers use lines like, “it was not publishable quality or sorry it is not a good fit for the house” to hide their racism, especially when the target of these positions are directed mostly to the African American authors. So it was nice to hear you self-justify your actions and stand strong for your beliefs while remaining “anonymous”.
Thanks for chiming in, dacysmile. You’ve read my novel, and I had to self-publish it because editors rejected it over and over for five long years. You’re right—many editors can’t see how their specific identity (race, class, gender, sexual orientation) impacts, or even impairs, their judgment. The question is, how do we help them to SEE difference in a way that doesn’t lead to automatic dismissal b/c an author’s worldview doesn’t seem like “a good fit”?
Esi Edugyan shopped her award winning novel Half Blood Blues to American publishers first but everyone turned it down, If Edugyan did not have the option of getting her novel published elsewhere chances are the world would’ve missed out on what I hear is a wonderful story. While Edugyan is an adult novelist I think this still clearly illustrates some of the problem.
A lot of great stories are not aquired for whatever reason, but the issue here is there are not nearly enough authors of color being published. So while publishers do not reveal numbers what novels are or are not acquired , the fact that so few authers of color are being published it’s obivious that something is very wrong. Part it stems from editiors or those invididuals in charge of acqusitions being unable to see beyond the scope of what they think will sell. Publishing is a bussiness and a profit must be made which is understandable but what isn’t is the publishing industries unwillingness to admit that there is a problem. One would think publishers would be eager to hire more people of color for the simple fact that many will be able to tap into reader markets that they just can’t seem to understand.
Publishing industry is one industry that seems deterimined not to accept to diversity.
I haven’t done the hard numbers yet for MG/YA novels published by authors of color who are not African Americans but I am 95% if you all the titles released by South Asian, Latino,Asian, and Native American authors it would not add up to 35 authors. I have a soft tally in my head of about 30, and I’ll do an official look soon..
Don’t even get me STARTED on the Canadian publishing industry! And you’re absolutely right about the need to develop markets—all major corporations are rushing to exploit the growing Latino market. But not publishers—perhaps because they’d need to first HIRE some Latinos! So glad you’re compiling a list so we can see just how many people of color are having their voices heard. Please do share the link!
I wonder if another problem may be that black authors are hit with the ‘perfect or nothing/you’ve got to be exceptional’ bias, that operates in other areas like politics.
If an author is black and not putting out the perfect novel, no one wants to know, but publishers are more than happy to publish great novels with flaws by a whole bunch of white authors, because a.) publishers think the positives outweigh the negatives and b.) publishers have to publish a lot of stuff. And they’re perfectly happy to put out good, but not exceptional novels, novels that aren’t exactly going to challenge ideas about how narratives work, by white authors.
I’ve read a lot of Half Blood Blues and it showcases a really interesting side of history that is rarely explored, but it’s a pretty standard example of established narrative tradition (alternating past and present time line, historical fiction set in WWII)and the writing is perfectly solid and interesting, although it’s maybe not going to light the world afire. So maybe, fair point, no publishers were enthused about it. However, when you consider how many pieces of solid historical fiction, with alternating time lines about WWII seem to be published from white authors without much struggle, it starts to look a bit iffy. Especially as at least ‘Half Blood Blues’ has what in the current marketplace is still quite an original angle on the WWII story (exploring Nazi hatred of jazz and racial persecution).
I couldn’t agree more, Jodie. It’s the infamous “black tax”—we’ve got to be far better than our white peers just to get a foot in the door. And then we have to out-perform everyone else because we are THE ONLY ONE. And if we fail (which is likely, since we won’t be given sufficient support), then other blacks will be punished—“Sorry, we tried that and it didn’t work out.” Publishers put unfair burdens on their black-authored books, in part, because they know they only intend to put out that ONE title. Whereas with white authors, they’re publishing hundreds each year, so quality control isn’t as strict, nor are the consequence of failure/mediocrity.
With Esi’s novel (I’m waiting for my copy to arrive) there’s something else going on, I think. In Canada it seems as though black novelists get a book published once every 5 years—and that book almost ALWAYS wins a major award (or earns a nomination). Now, I’m not siding with the jerks who claim black women win literary awards (like the National Book Award here in the US) because of some unspoken affirmative action policy in the literary world. I don’t think that’s true in the US. But in Canada…Half Blood Blues won a major prize and according to my friend (who read the other nominated books) it wasn’t the best novel by far. But there’s such GUILT, I think, around the obvious racism in the publishing world…that if you DO persevere and you do get a halfway decent book published, you’ll be feted in a disproportionate way. I wrote an essay about this for a Canadian literary journal and they have refused to publish it. Think I’ll turn it into my conference paper for France…
Sorry, I’ve written a bit of an essay here – which I think I’ll also post on my blog.
Thanks for speaking up, even if you did do it anonymously. This was an issue I saw in the publishing industry when I worked within it. People aren’t generally comfortable sticking their heads above the parapet when it comes to talking about controversial issues – especially diversity and publishing. So while I wish you could identify yourself and your publisher, I also know how difficult it can be.
I think the main point of your post is that you don’t ask (or necessarily want to know) the ethnic background of authors who submit to you. Instead, you judge a book only on the quality of the writing and story. And you think most publishers do the same thing. I think you’re right, that this is the approach taken by most publishers. You also said that the quality of many of the books you received which featured diverse protagonists was low (not knowing the background of the author who wrote the book).
There are a few things I would say to this. Firstly, I think it CAN matter who has written the book. I would not say that people can’t write outside of their background – authors do that all the time (men writing women, writing about people in different countries, etc.). But when you live in a world that is dominated with certain sorts of images and stories (generally white, middle class – think about it, what’s on TV, advertising, books, etc. – read Neesha Meminger’s fantastic post on aesthetics: http://neeshameminger.blogspot.com/2009/09/aesthetics.html), then it is really important to write outside of your background with sensitivity, research and understanding. And I have heard authors of color say on various occasions that their book has been rejected because the publishing house already publishes a well-known white author who writes on the same theme. Or sometimes worse – an author who wanted to remain anonymous told me that she wrote books set in one continent, and was told the publisher already published a white author who wrote about an entirely different continent. I think this kind of thing goes on behind the scenes all the time, but it isn’t visible (as Zetta said in her reply to you about transparency in the industry).
And when people write from an insider perspective, there is a much higher chance that the story will have nuance, and won’t reflect generally-held stereotypes. As Zetta has said many times of the books that get published featuring diverse protagonists, a large number focus on racism, oppression, slavery… Leila Rasheed wrote a blog post about how her childhood of reading about south Asians was so full of racism and council estates, that as an adult author she found herself struggling to write imaginative, fun stories featuring south Asian protagonists (http://bookchildworld.wordpress.com/2009/05/29/an-entirely-personal-response-to-an-important-topic/). I finally think this is starting to shift, and there are more books that feature characters of color in fantasy, or stories that aren’t focused on race. This focus on problems can, I think, reflect a more white middle class-led idea of what “multicultural” books should be. The US has a black president, but how many books would reflect the lives of his young daughters?
And finally, have you considered how you respond to manuscripts based on your own background (not knowing what that background is)? And if this idea is extended, considering that the publishing industry is dominated by people from a white middle class background (and generally female), then isn’t this going to shape the reactions editors and sales people are having to submissions? Again, Neesha’s post on aesthetics is helpful to read here. As is Cynthia Leitich Smiths’ article, “A Different Drum: Native American Writing” (“Field Notes,” The Horn Book Magazine, July 2002, p. 407). She gives examples of responses she had to her writing, including the use of humor which non-native readers didn’t get, and how she was told that repeating four times was incorrect – it should be three (drawing on fairy tale tropes rather than Cynthia’s cultural traditions). This is a lot of what I wrote about in my essay which Zetta mentioned, White Privilege in Children’s Publishing (http://www.winchester.ac.uk/academicdepartments/EnglishCreativeWritingandAmericanStudies/publications/write4children/Documents/w4cissue2cApr.pdf), and I think gets to the heart of the issues with the publishing industry. As long as the people working there don’t reflect the people who live in the country (demographics are shifting, ethnic minorities becoming majorities in some places) – then how can the books published really reflect and speak to children from truly diverse backgrounds?
You also talked about quality of submissions, and that the ones you received featuring diverse characters weren’t generally publishable. It’s difficult to know how many of these were written by authors who weren’t white. But in general, as people in publishing know, getting through the door to try to be published is incredibly difficult. I spent this past weekend at the SCBWI British Isles conference. This was full of people dedicating enormous effort to figuring out the whole publication process, committing £200 ($300) plus accommodation and travel, plus the $80 to join SCBWI for a year. And of those people, a select few have been published (and we were pleased to celebrate their success). But the huge challenges to getting published make it difficult for talented authors, or authors with promise, to find their way through if they don’t have this sort of time and money to dedicate to the project. Or, as I was speaking to a colleague about last night at the Muslim Writers Awards, many of those dedicated authors of color turn to writing for adults rather than children – which seems to be the case in the UK (where I’m based).
When I worked at multicultural publishers (Children’s Book Press and Lee & Low Books), we made efforts to find and attract diverse authors and artists. I wrote a list of what we did in an interview with Zetta (https://zettaelliott.wordpress.com/2009/11/25/from-the-other-side-an-editor-speaks-out/). I’ll quote from that post:
[begin quote]
· seek out published authors for adults (fiction and non-fiction) who I thought could write for young readers;
· contact editors of anthologies (especially those featuring diverse authors, or, for instance, Native American stories) and ask for suggestions of new talent;
· post on listservs and bulletin boards for writing groups featuring authors of color – sometimes saying I was looking for something in particular (such as contemporary Native American or Filipino American stories – anywhere I saw a hole in the market)
· contact journalists who wrote in relevant areas to see if they had considered writing for young people
· talk to curators from museums representing diverse communities to have them tell me about artists or concepts that might work for children’s books
These days, you could post on blogs saying you are actively seeking diverse new authors and illustrators and the word would certainly spread. I get frustrated when I hear editors say they would love to publish more diverse authors if their stories would only come across their desks. Getting through all the steps it takes to get published is a huge obstacle, so this really needs intentional efforts from editors.
[close quote]
At the Muslim Writers Awards last night (http://muslimwritersawards.org.uk/), they had a category for “best unpublished children’s writer.” If I were a publisher, I’d follow up and ask to see samples of the work. This is one of so many opportunities to find diverse talent who have already been deemed to be high-quality from within a particular community.
I know that people who work in publishing have vast workloads, tight deadlines, and enormous sales pressure. All of this works against actively looking out for and developing new authors. Many publishers won’t accept unsolicited submissions, which makes it even harder for aspiring authors to have their work considered. I often feel getting published is 95% going to events, knowing how to network and make contacts so you can get your foot in the door. Again, this takes enormous effort, and the time to dedicate to the project. Sometimes I wonder how much things can change because of the way the industry tends to work now. Though I am inspired by publishers like Frances Lincoln, whose author Na’ima B. Robert won the “best published children’s book” category at last night’s awards. But I would like to see the larger publishers taking more of a lead on this.
And more and more I’m looking to alternatives like self-publishing. If the publishers aren’t quick to respond and to ultimately serve an unserved market out there, then some foresighted people will jump in there and use new technology to get there. Look at the music industry and the diversity of artists who are performing and selling their work. Children’s books are so far behind – I’m waiting to see the publisher, author, artist who breaks the mold and shows the way.
You rock, Laura. Every US publisher should hire you as a consultant. Can’t wait until you publish a handbook for editors!
Much of what I want to say has been expressed above by others, so I will just add a bit more from my experience.
I am one of the few that was published this year and while I’m happy that I am finally published it is still very sad to see that there are so few others. I know the talent that is out there I see it all the time. That black writers aren’t getting a full and equal chance to get their work out in the world is heart breaking.
When I was submitting my novel two agents one black and one white just flat out told me that while I wrote well and had a strong story they didn’t believe they could get any white editor to pick it up. When I finally did get an agent, editors told her that while they loved my book they thought white people wouldn’t pick it up and that black people didn’t read speculative fiction. I’m happy to say that my novel is proving them wrong but I only got a chance to prove them wrong by being picked up by a independent publisher who was willing to take a chance on me and is taking chance with other black writers.
That makes two of us, Karen. All we’re asking for is a CHANCE. Let our work speak for itself. Sometimes the arrogance of gatekeepers astonishes me…it’s like they live in a bubble and we’re out here in the real world.
You know, the thing is that even when we are “given” a chance (plenty of editors will, these days, *read* works by PoC), there is no guarantee that our work will be understood. There is often a different value system, different aesthetic, and different style of storytelling that comes into play in culturally diverse works. Most editors do not (and don’t care to) understand these cultural differences, and simply reject a manuscript because it’s “not the right fit.” As a result, most of the truly radical, creative, and innovative work out there by PoC will never be the “right fit” because it is too unfamiliar — too foreign for an extremely insular American market. Until things change drastically, I have very low hopes for publishing and much higher hopes for a more leveled playing field through new technologies.
Zetta, you knocked it out of the ballpark with this post, hon. I wrote a more substantive response on Child_Lit, but I wanted to honor you here as well. Thank you *so* much for your talent, your courage, and your passion. “Take it from me, someday, we’ll all be free.” – Donny Hathaway
Hey, Ebony! I’m sorry for the delay—I just found your comment in my spam folder. We have to keep the faith, right? Thank *you* for fighting the good fight on the Child_Lit front and in your classroom.
Another thing that those of us not in the publishing industry can do is to request that our local libraries purchase books from Zeta’s list, especially those published by smaller independent publishers. I just requested that our library purchase Karen Simpson’s book, and am looking forward to reading it.
Thank you, Jackie—that’s a great suggestion. Karen’s book is on my TBR list, too!
Thank you Jackie I really appreciate it.
I think of two things that tend to preoccupy me a lot as a writer and/or as a human being who is also an avid reader and writer.
First, I think of storytelling traditions which are culturally specific. Different cultures have different, sometimes significantly different, standards of storytelling. Some people may not have considered this, but truly, it’s not debatable.
In this respect, because I write from within and about a Native American culture, I think a lot about the oral tradition of storytelling, which operates as an interplay between audience and storyteller within culturally proscribed norms. How would this translate to print? Can someone not of the culture recognize the writer who is playing with this, on a craft level, in innovative and even stunning ways?
In other words good writing is good writing…to a degree. And it is also culturally defined, to a degree. No, I really don’t have the degrees worked out. But I think of it a lot and I think it is apropos in evaluating the ethnicity of editors.
Secondly, I think a lot about the mass culture lens through which we tend to view young adult literature and about cultural lenses in general. Editors and reviewers often fail to recognize the increasing significance of this. I just blogged about it at Cynstations: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2011/11/guest-post-debby-dahl-edwardson-on-lens.html
Thanks for hosting an important discussion Zetta.
Hi, Debby! Thank *you* for this brilliant example of the importance of cultural competence. I think we really need to look at the training (or lack thereof) that editors receive. I’m off to read your guest post now!
Excellent discussion, Zetta.
I have an unpublished manuscript that I’ve been shopping around for over a year. So I’m on the side of the writer of color who’s gotten the “not quite right for us” bit. There’s a whole emotional rollercoaster aspect to the submission process that could dampen a writer’s (esp. POC) courage and determination to press forward.
We’re here. We’re writing. We’re publishing stories and winning some awards. Then what?
The closest I’ve gotten was having an editor read my entire manuscript & that wasn’t without the help of a *very* well known & award-winning black author. Even meeting this editor was through another writer-of-color.
We need the support of published & established writers. This “big fish in a small sea” phenomena where only very few poc writers dominate any given genre is not helpful to anyone. A strong network is needed. Maybe a collective of independent writers. A seachange. Sort of like Barry Gordy & Motown in the 60s. But for writers & new uses of technology. The writing & subject matter need to be innovative. Marketing methods should include a nation-wide reading campaign. I work with young people and they CRAVE seeing themselves in books. They just don’t know what’s out there & there are so few options.
Hey, Ibi—thanks for adding your voice and sharing your experience. What I’ve realized is that people who benefit from the current system have no real incentive to challenge the system. They are embraced, at least in part, because they aren’t threatening the status quo. I was watching Book TV last weekend and heard Toure read this brilliant quote from a speech given by Arundhati Roy:
“The tradition of ‘turkey pardoning’ in the US is a wonderful allegory for new racism. Every year, the National Turkey Federation presents the US president with a turkey for Thanksgiving. Every year, in a show of ceremonial magnanimity, the president spares that particular bird (and eats another one). After receiving the presidential pardon, the Chosen One is sent to Frying Pan Park in Virginia to live out its natural life. The rest of the 50 million turkeys raised for Thanksgiving are slaughtered and eaten on Thanksgiving Day. ConAgra Foods, the company that has won the Presidential Turkey contract, says it trains the lucky birds to be sociable, to interact with dignitaries, school children and the press.
That’s how new racism in the corporate era works. A few carefully bred turkeys – the local elites of various countries, a community of wealthy immigrants, investment bankers, the occasional Colin Powell, or Condoleezza Rice, some singers, some writers (like myself) – are given absolution and a pass to Frying Pan Park. The remaining millions lose their jobs, are evicted from their homes, have their water and electricity connections cut, and die of AIDS. Basically, they’re for the pot. But the fortunate fowls in Frying Pan Park are doing fine. Some of them even work for the IMF and the World Trade Organisation – so who can accuse those organisations of being anti-turkey? Some serve as board members on the Turkey Choosing Committee – so who can say that turkeys are against Thanksgiving? They participate in it! Who can say the poor are anti-corporate globalisation? There’s a stampede to get into Frying Pan Park. So what if most perish on the way?”
I think you’re right—we don’t only want to “break into the industry.” We want to REFORM and TRANSFORM the industry.
That’s VERY welcome news, Stacy! I look forward to hearing more about the diverse network of editors you’ve pulled together and your plans for creating change in the industry. And sorry for the confusion–this is the breakdown of black-authored books published in 2011. When I do the list for 2012, I’ll be sure to check TU’s list for eligible titles.
Zetta,
Excellent discussion, for which I am especially thankful today (and I will be counting you).
I just returned from the International Children’s Literature conference in Madison, WI. At this conference we were graced with the presence of Atinuke, a Nigerian author who is published in the UK by Walker. Atinuke writes the Anna Hibiscus series, which features a middle class African family. No slavery. No drugs. No single mother family. This series is about a very happy family. It is beautifully written and recently won an Honor from Horn Book. This series is for newly independent readers–while some of my first graders are able to read them, they are just above first grade level for many in my class.
It did not make our ALA Children’s Notable book list and Booklist did not review it because, I suspect, of the opening 2 lines: “Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa. Amazing Africa.” On Notables the argument was that Africa is a continent and anything that suggests otherwise is a failure. So despite the fact that it deals with race, class, and culture so exceptionally well (and is poetic), it has not seen wide-spread acceptance in the school and library markets, which is not simply because of committee slights or review neglect (though with no members of color on our committee for the past two years and several books missing making our list by one vote, including Anna Hibiscus, I do wonder). I am in the process of editing a video with Atinuke and I ask her about her decision to avoid a specific, Nigerian, geographical reference, among other topics.
Atinuke was flown to Madison smack dab in the middle of the NCTE conference, but neither her publisher nor her agent thought to find a way to include her in the NCTE conference (and she arrived on Monday for a conference in Madision that did not start until Saturday and only had one school visit). Schools are an important market for her work!
I don’t know about you, but I cannot think of too many books that feature happy middle class families that avoid the traditional problem trope that is basically the only aspect that my students ever get to see. And books that are warm and loving dealing with Africa for very young readers? This makes me wonder why Candlewick (Walker’s US partner) passed on this series? The US publisher is Kane Miller. It makes me think that simply publishing a book (while a necessary first step) is NOT enough. Atinuke is published but certainly not selling well in either the UK nor in the US. (I hope this changes). Distribution, reviewer notice, marketing dollars, promotional effort, … all factor in the discussion.
I know my remarks are not strictly on topic, but this discussion reminded me once again how important it is for my students to see a much broader perspective than they do. Keep up the pressure!
Gratefully,
Ed
Ed I too love the Atinuke books it I have to confess that I did wonder about the decision not to locate them in a more defined setting. I’d love to hear what she has to say about that.
Hi, Ed! On this and every day I am so, so grateful to have teachers in my life. I truly believe that the publishing industry would benefit from recruiting educators into its ranks. YOU are the ones who work with children every day and see how they engage with different narratives. I meet so many teachers who say, “My students need a book about X, Y, and Z,” and I tell them I’ve written on those topics but simply can’t find a publisher. And you’re right—it’s not enough to just add more titles by authors of color; we need diversity throughout the industry so that those in editing, marketing, design, publicity, and sales are working together to create books that accurately reflect our world. I think the lack of diversity in publishing has led to a distortion of the lives of people of color—we don’t have enough stories, nor do we have a broad enough *range* of stories. But we also have to grow the market for stories that don’t meet people’s (limited) expectations. Publishers keep cranking out these slavery & civil rights stories because they know librarians will feature them in February. We need to develop ways of integrating diverse material into our everyday lives. Publishers might need a teacher like you to show other educators how to use a book like Anna Hibiscus in the classroom—how to get around the anxiety and/or apathy that Africa inspires in some minds…
I’m following this discussion with much interest; thank you, Zetta! When I reviewed Cheryl Foggo’s Dear Baobab, I’d mentioned the lack of country-specificity as something I found puzzling (the publicity materials mention that the protagonist Maiko is from Tanzania, but the book talks about Africa). Foggo replied that it was an editorial decision to remove the reference to a specific country, and she also mentioned an anecdote with an ESL teacher who “was pleased that neither the city/country of Maiko’s origin nor of his resettlement were named in the story, because she has students from 6 African nations in her class and believes they will all connect with Maiko in a way they would not do if Tanzania had been named in the text.” Foggo said she thus gained “some insight into why publishers prefer to keep locations general.”
Like Uma, I’m curious about Atinuke’s decision to keep her setting non-specific, and look forward to learning more about this.
Ed’s interview with Atinuke is now up on YouTube:
Zetta,
Thanks for posting this!
Ed
Great interview, Ed. I love Atinuke’s work. Thanks, Zetta, for posting this.
What a wonderful interview with Atinuke! Thanks so much for posting. I am so taken with her descriptions of negotiating cultural boundaries. This is the growing territory of the future and I do hope the publishing industry is ready for it because if it is not, books will not fare well.
Ibi makes me think of a dream of mine–I would really like to see more writing programs geared towards writers of color. I would love to see a Native American writing writing conference, for example, and have thought of sponsoring one here in Alaska. I know that my own Alma Mater, Vermont College, is very interested in seeing more diversity amongst it’s student body. It’s faculty is already a very diverse group–Uma included. I really think the thing that will most affect the industry is for writers to come together and mentor and support one another. FWIW.
Debby, do you know picture book writer Rick Walton? He’s talking about doing a similar thing in Utah (where there is a strong children’s book community, but not as strong a focus on diversity currently, despite the growing diversity of Utah’s population). Utah is strong with writers’ conferences and I think he could pull it off if he had the right teaching staff to pull writers in.
Stacy–yes, I do know Rick. Good to know he, too, is thinking of this!
Doret has posted her 2011 list of authors of color over at The Happy Nappy Bookseller:
http://thehappynappybookseller.blogspot.com/2011/11/mg-ya-authors-of-color-published-in.html
Thanks for the link Zetta, I was just about to leave, I was reading through these comment while on campus earlier today, and just now getting a chance to comment (again). It’s nice to see so many people contributing their thoughts to this post. Previously I stated the number of authors published by all other ethnic groups would not add up to the number of Black author published 2011. After doing the numbers and going over them again and again, I was proven wrong, and happily so.
Combined (excluding Black authors) there were 49 MG/YA authors of color published in 2011.
49 is still far too low but it looks like its getting better or maybe I am just want so much for author representation to be diverse and inclusive that I will grab for any brightness.
I have come to this discussion rather late in the day, but have now read it from top to bottom. There is much that is hugely thought-provoking for me. The figures are depressing, but I shall be looking through those lists carefully. For some time now I’ve been aware that the majority of the books we’ve reviewed on PaperTigers over the past year, while diverse in character and story, are not actually written by poc. That’s not the fault of the books themselves – but there are serious issues to be addressed there. All those practical suggestions for publishers to get out there an activiely seek out books are so doable, even if they require some creative thinking and focus. I am loath to admit it, but sometimes I feel guilty about being white and middle-class , but I tr y and keep that in perspective. And I know that my (white, middle-class,and growling up in an area with very little ethnic diversity) children’s outlook on life/global perspective has been transformed by the huge diversity they have encountered in books – but they are getting older and they now need to find that same diversity reflected in the middle-grade/ya fiction they read, and it is so much harder to find…
Hi, Marjorie–you’re right on time! There’s so much to say about the impact of white supremacy/white privilege in the publishing industry, but one of the ways we can begin to address it is through open, honest discussion. So thank you for being so direct about where you stand in relationship to multicultural literature—the fact that you’re *conscious* of the significance of your race, gender, class, region, etc. means that you’re willing to think about difference and power in a serious, critical way. Plus you’re raising your children to be aware and appreciative of others. Defensiveness and indignation from white editors isn’t helpful, but neither is guilt so don’t get mired in that emotion. If you’ve got privilege and you’re aware that it’s largely unearned, then using the power you’ve got to address (and even correct) the marginalization of others is VERY important—and Paper Tigers does great work. I think the issue of white authors writing about people of color is complicated; I’m not trying to censor anyone, but it is a function of white privilege that enables some voices to speak for all others…especially when those Others aren’t given an equal chance to tell their own stories in their own way(s). I sometimes think that white editors are simply more comfortable working with white authors—you’re right, it isn’t hard to find writers of color but perhaps the work of connecting across cultures is more than most editors are willing to take on. And that’s why we always have to talk not only about diversity, but about EQUITY. Asking more white authors to include more characters of color in their books is important but not enough because that doesn’t shift the center—all the power still rests in the hands of gatekeepers and creators who are white. The problem isn’t with whiteness per se, it’s DOMINANCE.
I thought everyone who joined this discussion would be interested in our latest initiative: The Birthday Party Pledge. Find great multicultural titles for kids:
http://birthdaypartypledge.com/
Thanks for pointing this out – it’s a great idea and thank you for putting together all the reading lists too. We’ll add the button to the PaperTigers blog, and the blog to our reading lists page…
Thanks, Marjorie!