Resources and tips for the self-published author.

Publishing News Roundup Series – The Role of Diversity in Publishing

by Maureen Crisp •  February 8, 2016  •   Follow

Published in Publishing Tips  •  No comments

 

Diversity is a huge topic in publishing

Diversity is what makes books more realistic, more educational, and just better. Its a crucial element in writing a story that is fully developed. Many campaigns have been started in an effort to publish more diverse books. As the publishing world progresses into a more modern world, writers and readers hope to see more diversity in best sellers, as well as all books, in publishing.

 

Diverse Publishing

The Pic is the cast of the new Harry Potter play. Yes, that is the Golden Trio. J K Rowling has said she never mentioned skin colour in the books for Hermione. Score for Diversity!

 

This week I have been thinking about Diversity and the representation of diversity in publishing. Some of this was sparked by the campaign of an 11 year old girl who was searching for books that showed people of her
race as the main characters in books.

 

I was talking with my writing buddy recently over my characters and I made the comment that none of my main characters were the same color as me. I always saw them as mixed race though I never made a point of
describing them as such. As my writing buddy hears and critiques my writing first… the fact that the characters were mixed race was news to her. This sparked a conversation about whether to info dump character information. (NO)

 

Info dumping statistics this week was Lee and Low, children’s publishers, with their report on Diversity in Publishing. We all know that publishing is White Skin dominant… It is also female gender dominant…Porter Anderson takes a look at other statistics to pop out of the report.

 

Here in very multi cultural NZ, the loss of many of our NZ publishing offices to Australia has always concerned writers here. It widens the ditch that our distinctive Maori/Pasifica stories have to hurdle over to get published.

 

Today I was watching #Pit2Pub on Twitter. It was interesting to see the number of pitches that used diversity hash tags. A new kid on the Twitter pitch block is Pitch Match. – this is a 3 hour pitch fest broker party happening on the 11th.

 

A brief Twitter storm happened with the reporting that Amazon was opening bricks and mortar bookstores across the U.S. This was quickly shut down on Twitter but it still raises questions…
Bob Mayer has been rallying the writing troops this week with two great posts on ambushing writing fear and what is becoming his annual exhortation to writers to face up to the harsh truths of this writing business. Go in with your eyes open…
 
This has been echoed by Agent Jennifer Laughran when she answered a question about sham agents and how you can tell who they are. (Especially important for people doing Twitter pitches)
You’ve dodged the sham agent and got your diverse story polished, what can you do next on your publishing journey? You need an Author Business plan. This one is a comprehensive lists of things to think about on your way to establishing your author business.
 
Joel has put together a workflow checklist for book designing and publishing your project.
 
When it comes to selling this discussion on Ingram’s acquisition of Aer.io, a turn key bookstore that can be dropped into an author website, by Bookworks has some interesting opinions.
 
In the Craft Section,
 
 
Using a scene template– C S Lakin Bookmark
 
 
Seven stages of the writer process– Orna Ross- Bookmark
 
 
 
Drafting in layers– Elizabeth S Craig- Bookmark
 
In the Marketing Section,
 
 
 
 
Book Marketing ideas -Bookbub- Bookmark
 

 

To Finish,
The last memory I have of the late, great Dame Katerina Mataira (Ngati Porou) was the speech where she didn’t mince any words to the publishing establishment. ‘Where are our Maori books? ‘The market is too small’
they said. So I have to do it myself.’ She went on to write, publish and sell in all genres across the board at over 70 years of age. “You have a niche product. No one will publish you. Get out there and do it yourself.”

 

Maureen

@craicer

About Maureen Crisp

Maureen Crisp has been writing her weekly publishing roundups for over seven years. She is a traditionally published children's author as well as indie-published. She lives in New Zealand and is heading the team organising the 4th National Conference of Children's Writers and Illustrators. She is currently trying her hand at writing a children’s book series if she can drag herself away from forever tweaking her Mars novel or obsessing over space.