Lack of diversity on our children's bookshelves reflects the lack of diversity in publishing

[dgivensterry]

By Dorothy Givens Terry

 

As an African-American author who is trying to get her middle grade/young adult novel traditionally published, and as a parent of an avid reader, I knew I needed to be at the Publishers Weekly’s (PW), “Salaries and Diversity in Publishing” seminar in New York City.

 

The seminar pegs off of a PW diversity in publishing survey, the results of which appear in the magazine’s October 13 issue. The magazine article and the subsequent discussion, hosted on Oct. 16 at Random House’s headquarters, were eye-openers as I learned that the lack of diversity within publishing may explain the lack of diversity on my daughter’s bookshelf.

 

The racial composition and the number of people in the audience at the seminar were, in themselves, very telling.

 

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http://colormereading.wordpress.com/

 

 

[Troy]

I remember seeing a notice for this seminar.  I did not go because they were charging (assuming I'm thinking about the one you attended). Besides the story is as old as segregation.  The numbers are dismal, but the same is true in all the professions.  What is the percentage of Black males, for example, work in New York publishing, teaching, banking, etc  The numbers are small and getting worse.

 

I'm also not too keen on the word "diversity," because it weakens the benefits to Black folks as every other so called minority is included, LGBT, white women, Asians, Hispanics, etc.  Black males have largely been left out.

 

So while the starting salaries are low, as most starting salaries are.  Black folks often 1st or 2nd generation college graduates who had to finance their own educations are going to opt for the higher paying jobs in less expensive cities.

 

I don't see the numbers of Black folks increasing in mainstream publishing anytime soon.  Indeed, over the last decade we lost many of the Black folks that were in senior level positions.  Even veterans like Marilyn Ducksworth had to sue after being let go.  

 

Publish your own books, but we have to work together on everything from production, distribution, promotion and sales.  Relying on a corporation to do it will simply get us where we are today.

 

Even if the room was packed it would not have matter because, nothing would have been done to change anything.