#PublishingPaidMe

How does gatekeeping and the lack of racial diversity in publishing impact Black authors and global culture? I dive into these issues after Black American author, LL McKinney sparked a Twitter discussion about racism in publishing. Part 1/2

[@weirdhillstodieon3322]

The fact that you made such an amazing video diving deep into this subject 10 months ago and it still has less then 300 views speaks to the absolute silence of the White reading/writing community on KZbin. Thank you for putting out this work.

[@coffeebookshelves5919]

I'm so grateful to L.L. McKinney for getting authors to discuss the issue. Hopefully the more we all talk about it the more pressure on publishers to do better. Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@zezeest.9744]

We do need our own stories. Jamaican author Marlon James said something similar in an NPR interview last year. He was talking about the important of having and developing our own myths. Stories do help to shape a people, and it's horrible that Black voices aren't encouraged in publishing. I also agree about the Black children's books mostly focusing on serious topics. I think it's only recently that we are seeing more children's books that feature Black main characters that are about lighter topics or just a child having fun.

[@coffeebookshelves5919]

I really like what Marlon James has brought to the table. Such an important voice.

[@buffyshellmouthcollection]

I want to thank you for creating this video and expressing your thoughts on the disparity of black authors in publishing. I am a Haitian American author who started writing at 12. I finally published my first Dark Horror fantasy fiction novel in 2020, that depicted a strong black Caribbean woman as the protagonist. The book is centered around a group of diverse characters from different walks of life. I wanted to write horror that finally showcased black people, Asian, Hispanic, American, etc…… I am now marketing in every platform you can think of and have had great support but to be honest there is still discrimination going on especially on Twitter and Instagram when it comes to black authors who write other genres that don’t depict slavery or racial tension. As a community it’s not all all about supporting Black Lives Matter. We all should be treated equally . It’s all about the story we are telling. Main stream media only picks what they think will be accepted. It’s truly sad and I pray that things get better. I as a an author will continue to spread the word about black authors needing to be more recognized and supported. God bless you and thank you again for this great video

[@coffeebookshelves5919]

Thank you for sharing your experiences. The treatment is very unequal from both audiences used to seeing only certain types of books from Black authors and from publishers. Good luck with your dark horror fantasy! What a great addition to the canon.

[@buffyshellmouthcollection]

@@coffeebookshelves5919 you’re very welcome. We can only hope that a change comes. We all should be treated equally. Color should never be defined by the craft of writing. Thank you so much for the well wishes. Means a lot . God bless

[@ranramatgan4113]

Your description of people-group profiling when it comes to non-white writers is happening here in the United States. Even if you immigrated from an African country, your work (if published) will be adorned with literary awards and critic's choice accolades, but it is understood by the white population that your book is black (or otherwise) and not one of "ours."