Are Book Publishers Racist?

Great article by NYC publicist Sherri Rosen: Are Book Publishers Racist?

Seg-book-gation

Happy 2011, Readers!

Writing to share a thoughtful two-part piece in the Examiner by Wendy Coakley-Thompson. I was featured, along with authors Bernice McFadden, Carleen Brice, Kathryn Stockett, et al.

Unity Tastes Good

It sure does. The thoughtful Carleen Brice put together this really insightful video - check it out:



And here's a discussion on a She Writes Blog Talk Radio show, hosted by Kamy Wicoff. Carleen Brice and Bernice McFadden are among the authors in the discussion. It's an hour-long show, but has some progressive nuggets.

The Ongoing Saga of Jim Crow Publishing

Yes, it's happened again. Yes, I'm still talking about it. And yes...I'm pissed.

Jaclyn Dolamore, author of MAGIC UNDER GLASS wrote a "brown" skinned protagonist.

Her publisher "white-washed" the cover:

Putting a white person on the cover of a book about a brown-skinned character doesn't merely imply that people of color aren't worth as much to publishers; it pretty much says it outright.

 (To see Jaclyn's view of her lead character, check out her trailer for the book here.)

So now we have yet another crop up that exposes the publishing industry's present-day Jim Crow practices. Remember Justine Larbalestier's cover just a few short months ago?

Why do you think this topic is ignored by the mainstream media? Why isn't this a hot topic on The View? Could it be because of the "crony" and "good-old-boys" club? After all, journalists and producers want book deals (and powerful friends), too. So shining a spotlight on the blatantly racist practices of the publishing houses probably wouldn't keep one in their good graces.

This upsets me because I feel the implications of each and every one of these incidents deep in my soul. Things like this should not still be happening.

Justine Larbalestier expressed it very clearly:

Every year at every publishing house, intentionally and unintentionally, there are white-washed covers. Since I’ve told publishing friends how upset I am with my Liar cover, I have been hearing anecdotes from every single house about how hard it is to push through covers with people of colour on them. Editors have told me that their sales departments say black covers don’t sell. Sales reps have told me that many of their accounts won’t take books with black covers. Booksellers have told me that they can’t give away YAs with black covers. Authors have told me that their books with black covers are frequently not shelved in the same part of the library as other YA—they’re exiled to the Urban Fiction section—and many bookshops simply don’t stock them at all.

She also said:

The notion that “black books” don’t sell is pervasive at every level of publishing. Yet I have found few examples of books with a person of colour on the cover that have had the full weight of a publishing house behind them. Until that happens more often we can’t know if it’s true that white people won’t buy books about people of colour. All we can say is that poorly publicised books with “black covers” don’t sell. The same is usually true of poorly publicised books with “white covers."

When does this end? When does the book industry's white supremacist activity end? So many people are affected by this insidious system, yet the scars go unseen, the pain ignored.

Freedom? How can people who are treated like 2nd-class human beings actually be free? Every time something like this happens, it exposes the unspoken and closeted enslavement that still exists in the United States. And the offense is compounded by the fact that, for various reasons, people allow it to continue month after month, year after year, both directly and indirectly. In silence.

"The Negro was to accept the biracial system and his subordinate status. He was to seek advancement within the confines of his segregated black world. He was to develop the friendship of influential whites and use their assistance.

By cultivating habits of hard work, thrift, and honesty, he was to demonstrate his claim to wider acceptance and better treatment. Above all, he was never to present any organized challenge to the existing order of things or engage in movements which might be regarded by whites as detrimental to their economic and political interest." - Booker T. Washington

The Great "Czech" Pretender

Reginald Brooks and family continue to demonstrate the universal nature of their story with their arrival in the Czech Republic! My first novel, THE GREAT PRETENDER, is "Zůstaň se mnou" in the Czech Republic. "Rolkesen" in Turkey. "Wielki Klamca" in Poland. Citizens of the world, right?

And in other news, check out this great post from author Bernice McFadden. She asks a great question! How are we going to get that very important memo to the publishing industry?

The Advantages of Being a White Writer by Justine Larbalestier

I'm extremely encouraged to see this recent post by author Justine Larbalestier. In my last post on character treatments, I asked who is decent enough to get honest about the literary climate and its effects. Justine Larbalestier certainly is. And we need more writers willing to step up to the plate like her and be honest about the climate and what it means for authors who aren't white...until the climate improves and provides equal opportunity for all.

This writer has a very clear understanding of the problem, as you can glean from the way in which she introduced the discussion:

I know that the title of this post is going to lead to some comments insisting that it’s not true that white writers have any advantages and that many white people are just as oppressed as people of colour. I don’t want to have that conversation. So I’m going to oppress the white people who make those comments by deleting them. I don’t do it with any malice. I do it because I want to have a conversation about white privilege in publishing. We can have the discussion about class privilege and regional privilege and other kinds of privilege some other time. Those other privileges are very real. But I don’t want this discussion to turn into some kind of oppression Olympics.

Can you even imagine the verbal lynching a non-white author would receive saying something like this?

Justine goes on to say:

I want to make it clear that I’m not saying that we white writers should feel guilty about any of this. Guilt is a pointless emotion. White writers who’ve written about people of colour and won acclaim and awards don’t have to hand their prizes back. That would change nothing.

What I am saying is that we need to be aware of our privilege and listen to criticism and act upon it. We need to do what we can to change things. The more novels with a diversity of characters that are published and succeed in the marketplace the more space there will be. The more people who can find themselves in books, the more readers we’ll all have, and the more opportunities there’ll be for writers from every background. Of course, it’s not just the writers who need to be more diverse, but everyone in publishing, from the interns to agents to the folks in sales, marketing, publicity, and editorial, to the distributors and booksellers.

There are many wonderful books by writers of colour. Read them, talk about them, buy them for your friends. Point them out to your editors and agents. Be part of changing the culture and making space for lots of different voices. The problem is not so much what white people write; it’s that so few other voices are heard. If the publishing industry were representative of the population at large we wouldn’t need to have this conversation.

Thank you, Justine. Where have you been all my life? :-) You've actually lifted my spirits and renewed my hope.

Character Treatments: Do They Tell a Story?

Here's commenter Rowan Michaels' enlightening view on my previous post:

Millenia - it is so true what you say about white writers. If they can't even see their characters equally, what does that say for how they see real people? White characters get described to the reader: face features, hair color, eye color, etc. but when the character is not white, they get treated differently. They can't just be described to the reader like the white characters are, the reader is told first off that this is not "one of us". It's really sad. I always noticed it, but never thought of it in terms of how it exposes the way most whites (even when they don't consider themselves racist) view non-whites and how that results in subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) acts of discrimination.

Can Oprah do anything about this? Hell yes! Oprah is one of the most influential people in the world. She commands attention and respect. Nobody preaches finding your "authentic self" and living your "best life" like Oprah. Is it just a sham brand, or does she really mean it? She could make a huge difference by talking consistently about these types of ways that racial division rears its head and hurts people, cripples many lives and family potential.

It is not so hidden after all, is it? Walk into any bookstore and crack open a bestseller--race division screaming at you. So true. This is no doubt a hard post to read for white authors and white persons in general, but it is still the truth, and somebody needs to have the courage to say it.

What is the key to solving a persistent problem? When symptoms of an imbalance keep cropping up, doesn't that mean the cause of the imbalance isn't being addressed? Complaints abound, but for those of us seeking a solution, isn't something missing?

Who is decent enough to get honest about the literary climate...and its effects?

Book Industry Racism...Where is Oprah?

With the news that Oprah’s latest book club selection will be announced on September 18th, the question of where she stands on the indisputable practice of racism in the publishing industry remains outstanding. Her announcements are major events, and play a significant role in the landscape of the book industry and marketplace.

In December of 2006, The Wall Street Journal published an article entitled, “Why book industry sees the world split still by race.” Considering the fact that Oprah Winfrey is the publishing industry’s greatest marketing tool, it isn’t unreasonable, in my view, to wonder why she hasn't addressed the sustained system of racial marginalizing in which, even as I type this, most publishing houses are engaged. Oprah's selections help to line the pockets of these corporations, while they consistently - and unapologetically - treat acquisitions according to the author's race vs. the manuscript's content. And in many cases, expect and force non-white authors to write their manuscripts according to their race so the publisher can limit the author's marketability to his/her own race of readers, and not to the much larger, universal marketplace.

Why haven’t we heard from Oprah on this issue?

Here's my view. She’s likely not really aware of it. Unless an issue reaches her directly, it must go through the Oprah Show’s “producer mill.” If they decide an issue isn’t important or have reasons for not wanting certain things made public, it never gets through to Oprah herself. On the issue of racism in an industry Oprah has such a powerful influence on, many of her producers work and have formed relationships with the major publishing houses – they are not interested in disrupting their cushy acquaintances, and the advantages they may provide. So they turn a blind eye to the blatant racism their “buddies” are engaged in, even tipping them off about efforts to call Oprah's attention to the matter. Like most of white America, the producers are invested in ignoring it. It’s not their problem, and most of them cringe when Oprah does shows about racism, anyway.

I submit that due to her attained significance in the industry, Oprah, herself, is the only one who can have a significant impact on this issue, and put it to bed once and for all. If she speaks out against some of the proven, racially discriminatory practices, the publishing houses will listen. They will have to stop seeing the world split still by race, hence stopping the perpetuating of the split itself. They will have to stop justifying racially-based marketing and internal business practices. They will have to think twice about angering the biggest marketing tool they have ever had, and maybe ever will have.

How can she not talk about this?

The recent issue with author Justine Larbalestier’s book, Liar, shows that such incidents aren’t going anywhere, as the real dirt has yet to be cleaned up. Publishers continue to maintain (despite their vehement denials) a very racist mindset, culture, and business model, and it’s reflected in their most consistent practices. The fact that this white author sees a need for greater inclusion and commercializing of non-white characters/story/plot, etc., into the “mainstream” shows that clearly non-white authors are marginalized, even to the disturbance of fellow white authors, who are feeling urged to do something about it.

Who has noticed this about most books by white authors? That the use of racial identifiers is reserved for the non-white characters in the stories. I have noticed this for years. It’s an easy place to see the deeply ingrained racist conditioning that still plagues this entire society, and will continue to do so until it is acknowledged by those who perpetuate and sustain it, and is finally honestly addressed. Most white authors don’t even realize they are subconsciously marginalizing “others” who are not of their own race. Think about it. What is a non-white reader to think as they read these books? Books that are clearly being written with a white audience in the subconscious mind. Why doesn't the author have to tell the reader that all the white characters are white? But they feel compelled to tell the reader when a character(s) is Black, Hispanic, Asian, Native American, etc. Why is that? What does this reflect?

So why wouldn’t Oprah – the most prominent figure in publishing – want to talk about this?

A Horse of a Different Color

So I always dreamed of being like Jackie Collins or Danielle Steel. Of having a career that had nothing to do with my color, everything to do with my stories.

I dreamed of reaching an audience so large that I, too, would one day sell over 400-500 million novels. Or over 300 million, like Sidney Sheldon. Or over 200 million, like Nora Roberts. Or (even) over 70 million, like Sandra Brown. My dream was sooo bright; as bright as the sun itself. I always believed it was attainable. Sink or swim...

I thought there was an equal opportunity.

But despite the current atmosphere, I still have a great deal of faith in the American publishing industry. I am an American. And I believe we can repair the hurtful, Jim Crowesque climate that plagues American publishing. We must. For as Eckhart Tolle carefully explains in A NEW EARTH: What we do to others, we do to ourselves.

I maintain confidence that my stories will find their way into the American mainstream, where they belong. Like any other, they deserve to have a fair chance in the marketplace, don't they? Unfettered by any "color-of-the-author" impositions?

If Reginald Brooks and family can be Polish, and Turkish...surely they can be American. Very few self-published novels prove themselves to be captivating stories with tremendous universal appeal. So that proven appeal validates the dream I've always had for my stories, and keeps it alive. Who knows? I may even be inclined to launch my own (equal opportunity) publishing empire to help foster fair chance in the industry; set an example for what it means to provide equal opportunity...

The last three years of my life have been dreadful...but now, thank God, healing begins; because what I know for sure is this: I am, as they say, a flame keeper. And the flame glows brightly. I can see it going before me now, leading the way to a much better experience.

On Writing.
The seeds of a third book (THE GREAT MASTERMIND) have been patiently awaiting my return to the keyboard. Those seeds deserve life and nourishment; it's high time I saw to them. And ditto for my blog! There's so much going on these days, and I've not had an ounce of energy to participate. But I'm getting back to creating now. After being down in the dumps, unable to write for such a long, long time - I pledge to start living again. That means birthing my next page-turner! I know my fans have been patiently waiting...and I love them for it.

The Discrimination Lawsuit.
I've received several inquiries about the status. I'm very pleased to share that the matter has now been resolved to my satisfaction through an agreement, the terms of which can never be discussed.

In the interest of my blog's archival integrity, I fully disclose that all previous discussions about the case have been removed. There will be no further information about the lawsuit on my blog. I'm extremely happy to have this heartbreak behind me - I give beaucoup thanks to my wonderful attorney. And I likewise send a deep, heartfelt THANK YOU to everyone who offered their unwavering support. I'll remember it always.

Census: Bestsellerdom.
Beyond all of that, here's a very important question:

Was having such a dream foolhardy?

Would Jackie Collins, or Danielle Steel, or Nora Roberts all have been foolish to dream of achieving what they have, in fact, achieved?

Should the horse have known not to enter the race? Is having a white body a prerequisite for access to the stratosphere of the commercial fiction business? Access to the upper crust, where Jackie, Danielle, Nora (et al.) reside?

"The Negro was to accept the biracial system and his subordinate status. He was to seek advancement within the confines of his segregated black world. He was to develop the friendship of influential whites and use their assistance.

By cultivating habits of hard work, thrift, and honesty, he was to demonstrate his claim to wider acceptance and better treatment. Above all, he was never to present any organized challenge to the existing order of things or engage in movements which might be regarded by whites as detrimental to their economic and political interest." - Booker T. Washington

Boy. Why can't we simply stop making color distinctions and just allow love to unite all Americans?

Is Booker T's observation of 100 years ago -still- true for commercial fiction publishing in the United States? If so, who bears the responsibility?

At this time in our history -2008- does our publishing establishment have any non-white, commercial fiction authors with sales/audience comparable to Danielle Steel's? Jackie Collins'? Or (even) Sandra Brown's? If so, who?

(Well, I guess there are a few very important questions.)

The Great "Turkish" Pretender

As most of you can imagine, I've been experiencing some very trying times, and just haven't had the energy to blog in the last few months. But I had to make a special effort to share the cover of the Turkish edition of THE GREAT PRETENDER (ROLKESEN) with my readers; as I've previously shared the Polish cover (WIELKI KLAMCA).

And it's worthwhile to note (though I'm pretty sure I've mentioned it before) that these foreign versions were garnered by the 2002 self-published, general fiction edition of TGP......

How often do self-published books sell foreign translation rights?

It's interesting how these covers reflect and illustrate the universal substance of the very same book.

Publishing Survey

Blogger Karen Scott's conducting a survey. Check out what she has to say about it, and participate if you're eligible.

The Wall Street Journal Investigates

There's a very interesting article by Jeff Trachtenberg in today's WSJ entitled, "Why Book Industry Sees the World Split Still by Race."

Definitely worth reading.

The Pressure to Conform

Publishing is already a tough business, but it's made even tougher when you're burdened by the pressure to conform. To fall in line with the status quo of racist traditions and expectations.

Suffice it to say, I am definitely so burdened - and I get it from both sides of the fence. When I was born, my palette of choices and interests were pre-determined, and God forbid I stray from that palette, as I apparently did when I chose not to write ethnic content!

"Burn her! Burn her now! Burn that &%@# at the stake!"

It appears history has conditioned whites to expect blacks to know and conform to their station as "minorities". And black people have also been conditioned to expect each other to know and conform to said station, as well.

Not surprisingly, these racist expectations aren't exclusively black and white (no pun intended). Author Tess Gerritsen wrote about the intense criticism and anger she's gotten from within the Asian-American community. In one account, she'd been invited to speak at a gathering of Asian-American journalists and wound up fielding "Uncle Tom" insults in response to her presentation! Here's some of what she shared:

"I told them, during the presentation, that I had made a conscious decision as a novelist to feature mainstream characters and mainstream themes in my books, and not limit myself to Asian American plots. While I do use Asian characters, they are more likely to be secondary characters. As I explained it to the audience, I'm a working writer, and I want to sell to the largest audience possible. I have a mortgage to pay and kids to send to college and the bottom line for me is ... where's the money?

.......Audience members were visibly angry as they rose and said, essentially, that I was an Asian Uncle Tom. That I had a responsibility to my race to write about Asians. And why the hell was I writing under the name "Gerritsen" (my legal, married name) and not under my Chinese name? Clearly, I must be ashamed of my race.

They didn't accept my choices, which were purely practical. My goal was to reach the widest audience and become a bestselling author, which indeed I was -- and the reason I got invited to the convention in the first place. The very fact of my success, you would think, would make them listen and take notes. All it did was get them angry.

Even after I got home, the criticism didn't end. I continued to read online grousing about my status as an Uncle Tom. "Asian Americans should strive for success without resorting to the disgusting strategies that Tess Gerritsen used." And of course, they were never, ever going to buy any of my books.

No wonder so few Asian Americans make it onto the bestseller lists. We're too busy shooting each other down.

The lesson here? You can't count on your own race to applaud your success."

And that's the discouraging truth. My own decision to write universal subject matter has been met with equally harsh criticism and resentment in the black community, and in the white, raised eyebrows when I object to being prefaced and defined by my skin color. How come you're not writing about black ghetto or thug life? Or baby mama drama? Or race relations? Or slavery? How come you're not primarily focusing on African-American media, bookstores, and conferences? How come you're not doing what we expect of people with that skin color? How dare you. Just who do you think you are? What makes you think you're special?

"Burn her, burn her now!"

My Take?
Tess Gerritsen is right. If you want to appeal to the largest possible audience, you must write mainstream material. The decision is indeed practical.

Writing for a specific ethnic group - a smaller, segregated audience - will never yield the same potential rewards as writing for the mainstream - a much larger, commercial audience. It's about numbers - not ethnic obligation - though many people just don't see it that way, and proceed to harbor malice toward you for making what they see as the "race traitor" choice. And it is a choice. One that should be afforded to all---and respected by all.

I respect the right of any author who chooses to pen black (or African-American as it's called) characters. And they should respect my right to choose not to. I will never succumb to the pressure to conform with insidious racial ground rules by starting to write ethnic content and characters. Likewise, I will never swallow the unjust ridicule or cower to the judgmental admonishment that comes with being a "minority" (as some Americans are ridiculously branded) who chooses to write for a mainstream audience. That's a passionate declaration for my critics. I was not born in debt. And further, I don't project my choices onto others, criticizing them for not choosing accordingly. Govern yourselves, not me.

The only thing I've ever wanted to do is tell engrossing stories people find difficult to put down---As many people as humanly possible. Why don't I have the right to do that freely? You know, if we don't erase the latent expectations - allowing writers to enjoy the freedoms and liberties they're entitled to as human beings - the publishing industry is doomed to the warfare of racial division.

Your Take?
What are your thoughts on the pressure to conform? Be honest. Are you a contributor? Do you - consciously or unconsciously - expect non-white authors to stick to writing with an obligation to their skin color in mind? Why or why not?

How are the pressures of racial conformity impartially beneficial to all, as opposed to some?

Bookstore Prerequisites?

I shit you not...

The following is an e-mail I received last week - although the store contacted me over a month ago requesting and scheduling the appearance. I've omitted the identifiers.

Referral: From a Friend

Subject: Your Race

Message: Greetings, my name is [--] and I'm the director of [--], you are slated to do a book signing with us on the 18th of March. I want to know if you are a black/ African American person.

Thanks,
[--]

OK. Now. I have two questions for my blog audience. 1) Do you think this is an appropriate e-mail? 2) Author or not, if you receive this type of an inquiry, what's your response to it?

My Take?
1) Heck no. I don't think it's appropriate by any stretch of the imagination. Just what exactly happens if they get the "wrong" answer?

2) I'd cancel the appearance.

Done.

Lynn Raye Harris ~ The Borders Report

I've dubbed her "Agent Lynn." See why.

Storm Brewing - The Motive for Racism in Publishing

You know, God bless Tess Gerritsen.

It appears she got a very important ball rolling on what is one of the most important subjects in America today.

Here's some of what Tess had to say:

In this way, I've been able to slip into mainstream publishing, without the barriers that black novelists, who are often confined to "black niche publishing" have to face. The exception that's been pointed out on other blogsites is Stephen Carter, whose debut novel hit the bestseller lists. But as others have also pointed out, his novel was NOT marketed as a "black" novel, but as a mainstream mystery. The author's race was simply incidental to the larger marketing plan. His race did not hurt him.

Another case in point is James Patterson, whose megaselling thrillers feature a black detective (even though the author himself is white.) The character's race doesn't hurt sales, which shows that, yes, white readers ARE happy to cross racial lines and read about black characters. Patterson's photo is frequently missing from the books, so you'd have no idea what race he is. The important point: his books are marketed as MAINSTREAM fiction. You look at a Patterson book, and the main impression you get is that it's going to be a scary ride. Not that this is a book about black characters.

And the storm has brewed into an excellent discourse. This is the kind of exchange and awareness that's been lacking. More than lacking - avoided. Which reminds me of a recent exchange I had with a very well-known, writing advice presence in the blogosphere. I asked him what his thoughts were on the subject and he replied that "minorities" were not discriminated against in publishing anymore than he was. And he's white.

Now - he seems to be a fairly intelligent guy - is that just plain ignorance on his part? Or is it a conscious choice to remain blissfully unconcerned with that which does not directly affect him, but still corrupts the industry within which he takes part? One has to wonder.

I'll quote a few of the brave commentators.

Patrick from Willoughby says:

We all would likely assume that if a publisher didn't think the book would be a success, the deal would never be made. That is to say, a publisher is unlikely to buy a book that it thinks won't find an audience.

So the question that comes to my mind is this: if a publisher thought that it could get more sales by going mainstream rather than reducing a potential audience to 15% or so of the total reading universe, why would it still cram the book into the niche?

Again, I'm not trying to justify their behavior; I'm just wondering what information they have that so completely convinces them that this is the right way to do things. It would be illogical for them to intentionally limit their own profits, so logically, they must be certain that the only way to make a profit is going the niche route. If they were trying to "hide" black fiction, why would they publish it at all? So how on earth could they believe that non-racial fiction that happens to be written by a black writer can't be a mainstream success?

Could it be flawed marketing research? Could that play any part in it? If so, then that's another thing that needs to be corrected, right?

Millenia's response:

Now - on the surface - it would seem logical to arrive at the above question. But, this question is irrelevant. I'll tell you why.

Publishers never think the works they acquire from white authors are better suited for cramming into an ethnic niche.

Therefore - to ask why they would do this if the odds could easily be in favor of mainstream success, is irrelevant. It's a given that publishers are not in the business of creating and operating under self-defeating business models.

If the practice imposed upon authors of color was equitable, we would see them carving out niches such as:

Irish-American Fiction
Danish-American Fiction
Scandinavian-American Fiction
Jewish-American Fiction
British-American Fiction

The relevant question is not why they would do something to hinder their own profit.

The actual question is this - how do publishers justify reserving this ethnicity-based, market-suppressive business practice, exclusively for the work they acquire from authors of color?

This seems to run counter to the civil rights laws. Does it not?

Monica Jackson chimes in saying:

If you are black aspiring author or a black published author, you will be treated and regarded differently than a white author regardless of the content of your work, based on your race.

When James Patterson or any other white author writes black characters, they are not relegated to the [AA] Niche.

But if you were black, your work wouldn’t be considered suitable for the greater white market, no matter what you wrote, with the possible rare exception of literary fiction–unless you concealed the fact of your blackness.

That is the outrage. There are no excuses, no stuttering rationalizations, no worrying about who or who not makes the NYT list that can adequately excuse that ugly fact.

It is institutional racism and if it’s not decried and condemned, we of all races including fellow blacks, are guilty of condoning the practice.

Bestselling Author, Pontif. says:

There are many authors who do write books that should be in the AA niche. The genre is valid for books that pertain to AA culture and therefore an AA audience or AA interested audience. This is true for any genre.

The first step to ending this problem is that publishers and booksellers have to start judging books based on content, NOT AUTHOR SKIN COLOR. What's so hard to get about that?

Would you disagree that a publisher should NOT use an authors skin color when deciding how to classify a book? Was Amy Tan classified as Asian/Oriental fiction and marketed to people who look like her? Is Tess Gerritsen?

Did they take James Patterson's Alex Cross novels and label them AA fiction and market them exclusively to AA people? NO.

What's it to you?
Contribute to the discussion. Contribute to the pursuit of a remedy. Open it up on your own blog, journal, or website. Remember - a threat to justice anywhere, is a threat to justice everywhere.

Regardless of race. Black, white, Asian, etc. What do you think?

A Stop at Willoughby

Take a moment and make A Stop at Willoughby. Chime in on the discussion. My hat's off to Patrick for taking the time to do so.

Publishing Suppression ~ Suffer in Silence?

Whilst this author gives his/her reasoning for remaining anonymous - I'm disappointed. They're SO on point it's inspiring!

Now, you know my take on this calamity. I'm doing what I can to bring awareness to this problem, and to protect yours truly from being victimized. However - one of the more frustrating aspects of this deal is that there aren't any well-known authors doing anything about it. Yes, they grumble privately about racism in publishing, but publicly? Nada. Tight lipped. Gloss over. Business as usual. They dry their tears with the scraps from the sectioned-off AA market because it pays the bills. Yes - scraps - in comparison to the financial typhoons available to those lucky authors whose commercial works are not market-restricted because of their skin color.

I still maintain that most white authors don't realize the advantage they have simply because they're white. Many are too busy yapping about supporting their fellow authors....But how often does that support extend to fellow authors who happen to be of color? I wonder. Maybe many white authors choose not to notice their unjust advantage. I wonder.

This is a huge problem that many in the industry aren't even wholly aware of. Ignorant bliss. It's one of the primary reasons the dream speech still commands action.

I'd love to hear some feedback from folks about all this. Authors, readers, passersby, etc. What do you think?

In other news: Did he have to go there with Zane? Yikes.

Withering Injustice

Yesterday we observed what would have been the 77th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I always celebrate it by re-reading his unbelievable speech. It is pure linguistic genius. "I Have a Dream." I believe it should be read by every American. Its value is simply immeasurable.

37 years after his passing, it's unfortunate that we're still feeling those "flames of withering injustice" he spoke about in that magical and historic speech. Yet, we've come so far. It's so unfortunate he didn't live to see the progress. To see that we've gotten a little more from the bank of justice.

Happy Birthday, Dr. King ~ Thank you. We miss you.

In memoriam, and as a testament to the injustices people of color still endure today, I want to highlight a portion of Dr. King's gut-wrenching speech:

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges. But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.

We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone.

As we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied, as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

Race in Publishing - Millenia's Take

This is a very delicate, but timely subject.
Publishers seem more interested in going after niche markets than they are with being good stewards of equal and impartial opportunity. They do not afford writers of color the same opportunities and potentials that they afford Caucasian writers. Author Monica Jackson is wondering whether or not it would be beneficial to pass herself off as a white author.

My take?
Of course it would.

Is there any doubt that this is a pro-white industry?

My take?
Of course there's not.

And to anyone who's spitting at their screen in disagreement, let me direct you to the New York Times Best Seller's List. Take a gander at that. Hell, go ahead and bookmark it. Every week, white authors command this list. It's the Mecca of the publishing industry. 71 years and counting, and every single week, white authors dominate it.

I don't think Caucasian authors fully appreciate the advantage they have simply because they're white.

Despite the arguments made about how the Times list is compiled, the fact is, it reports on sales made in bookstores that have large "Fiction & Literature" & "New Release" sections---access to which black authors are denied because publishers have decided that what they write is automatically "African-American" fiction. Not commercial fiction. Not general fiction. Not marketable to 85% of the book-buying public. Not likely to make the New York Times Best Seller List.

Wait. There's More.
Author Tess Gerritsen recently offered her on-point take about the racist system as well. What if they were marketing her exclusively to Asian America? Simply because she looks Asian. What if Jennifer Weiner was marketed exclusively to Jewish people? Simply because she looks Jewish. How would that business practice go over? Where's the equity in it? So then.....Why label and market a black person's work exclusively to black people? Simply because they're black. A person of color can't possibly write commercial fiction. Is that it? According to the publishers---Nope. They can't.

But....Some unpublished white authors wish they could pass for black.
In recent months, I've heard the dissenting argument made that, nowadays, black authors have a better shot at being published than whites. Since niche marketing is in, this may be true. But how beneficial is that when the publisher's intent is to acquire the work, then restrict its marketability to black audiences? Effectively placing a glass ceiling above their heads. Ensuring they'll never be as successful as white authors get to be (simply because they're white) because black authors don't have the same access to the book-buying public. Where's the advantage in that?

Regarding Monica Jackson?
It's a shame that one would have to lie about the color of one's skin in order to have their work speak for itself in the marketplace and be allowed the same rights afforded Caucasian authors. Is this not the United States of America? The land that prides itself on equal opportunity? Liberty and justice for all? If that's true, why are we still being plagued by the institution of a pro-white society?

My advice?
Make a difference. Do what you have to do. Never allow your integrity to be compromised.