Publishers want more black authors. Why have they silenced us for so long? | Candice Carty-Williams

As Black Lives Matter protests take place across the world, the publishing world is rushing to support those ‘ignored by the mainstream’. Who is the mainstream, then?The publishing industry is stilted and archaic. I worked in it for seven years, and left due to reasons I can’t legally talk about. Though, in that time, I was able to enforce and oversee some steps towards sustainable change. At 4th Estate, an imprint of HarperCollins, I started the Guardian 4th Estate BAME Short Story prize (still going strong, five years later). Staggered by the lack of underrepresented voices, I knew I had to do something, anything to give those voices a way to permeate the industry.It is taken for granted that would-be writers will know what a literary agent is. But most have no idea how to structure a book proposal, or where to send it. This information is possessed by those in the know, and the people in the know often want to keep it to themselves. Let’s talk about literary agents for a second; they are, effectively, tastemakers. Editors trust them to deliver books and authors that adhere to their (sometimes limited) taste. And what happens when these arbiters continue to work within the circles of writers who they already know? The same thing that always happens: books that follow trends, that look the same, that are written by the same kinds of people. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-06-11 09:44:22 UTC ]

Other news stories related to: "Publishers want more black authors. Why have they silenced us for so long? | Candice Carty-Williams"


Is this inclusive? Why only 4% of children's book heroes are BAME – video

More than 33% of students at UK schools are from black and minority ethnic backgrounds, but only 4% of the protagonists in children's books in the UK are BAME. The publishing industry has made big claims about its push for inclusivity both on and off the page, but some believe progress is... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-29 10:10:28 UTC ]
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25 Literary Agents to Follow on Twitter

Follow these 25 literary agents on Twitter to learn about their interests specifically and the business of writing in general. The post 25 Literary Agents to Follow on Twitter by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-28 22:31:24 UTC ]
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LVMH bids for Tiffany and Disney media review causes controversy: Monday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-28 10:22:02 UTC ]
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Publishing Trends to Watch in 2020

The weather is cooler, the pumpkins are here, and it’s time for people with opinions to start publishing articles announcing what to watch for in the media and publishing industry in the coming year. There are many others like it, but this one is mine. The media industry is experiencing a flood... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2019-10-24 12:50:31 UTC ]
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Zuckerberg faces Congress as Facebook prepares to debut news tab: Thursday Wake-Up Call

Welcome to Ad Age’s Wake-Up Call, our daily roundup of advertising, marketing, media and digital news. If you're reading this online or in a forwarded email, here's the link to sign up for our Wake-Up Call newsletters. You can get an audio version of this briefing on your Alexa device; sign up... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-24 10:29:51 UTC ]
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Subscriber-only podcasts are on the rise

Podcasts are ever so slowly pivoting to subscriptions. The broad move to consumer revenue in the publishing industry is spreading to podcasts, as publishers like Slate and The Athletic look to use the loyal audiences podcasts attract to drive paying subscribers and monetize this platform in new,... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2019-10-24 04:01:40 UTC ]
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How to Get a Literary Agent: A Simple Two-Step Process

Guide to Literary Agents editor Robert Lee Brewer shares his simple two-step process on how to get a literary agent. The post How to Get a Literary Agent: A Simple Two-Step Process by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-22 17:30:09 UTC ]
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Rights Buzz as 2019 Frankfurter Buchmesse Opens

Literary agents at the 2019 Frankfur Book Fair tell us which books they have on offer and about rights deals for their hot new titles. The post Rights Buzz as 2019 Frankfurter Buchmesse Opens appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-10-16 07:01:47 UTC ]
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I was proud my literature award. Then came the talk of ‘box-ticking’ | Chitra Ramaswamy

It’s clear that the publishing world needs more diversity. Why do some see this as compromising quality?Let me tell you a story. A few years ago, months after this riven old island voted to leave the European Union, and days after an ex-reality TV host became the leader of the free world, a... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-11 15:37:44 UTC ]
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What HBO’s ‘Succession’ can teach us about advertising

As an abashed former News Corp employee (thankfully at HarperCollins, one of the Murdoch portfolio’s least-offensive holdings), HBO’s "Succession" is my straight shot of Sunday-night dopamine. The show’s great even if you aren’t attuned to the devastating, thinly veiled media and publishing... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-11 11:22:17 UTC ]
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Advertising lessons learned and reaffirmed by HBO’s ‘Succession’

As an abashed former News Corp employee (thankfully at HarperCollins, one of the Murdoch portfolio’s least-offensive holdings), HBO’s "Succession" is my straight shot of Sunday-night dopamine. The show’s great even if you aren’t attuned to the devastating, thinly veiled media and publishing... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-10-11 11:22:17 UTC ]
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An Unsolicited Manuscript Becomes a Hot Pre-Frankfurt Property

The debut novel ‘A Kindness,’ which literary agent Helen Heller received a little over a week ago after responding to an unsolicited pitch letter, is gaining pre-Frankfurt Book Fair buzz after being preempted in the U.S. by Pamela Dorman for high six figures. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-10-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Literary Agents Seeking Under Represented and Unique Voices

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Find literary agents open to submissions from under represented and unique voices in this post. List will be updated regularly. The post Literary Agents Seeking Under Represented and Unique Voices by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on... Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-02 14:41:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: Jesseca Salky Opens New Agency; Wattpad Partners in Latin America

Literary Agent Jesseca Salky opens her own literary management company in New York, and Toronto's Wattpad announces a deal with Wise in Rio. The post Industry Notes: Jesseca Salky Opens New Agency; Wattpad Partners in Latin America appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-09-26 06:37:07 UTC ]
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How to Hook a Literary Agent to Represent Writing and Get Published

Finding a literary agent is one thing, but the hard part is gaining representation. In this post, we share how to hook a literary agent to represent writing and get published by looking at the query letter, synopsis, book proposal, and sample pages. The post How to Hook a Literary Agent to... Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-09-25 23:48:10 UTC ]
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Google experiments with its own contextual ads, as privacy legislation looms

Google is experimenting with contextual ads at "much lower costs" when it comes to marketing its own products—even as it leads the way as one of the most vocal proponents of the power of personal data for targeting ads online. Marvin Chow, Google’s VP of marketing, peeled back the curtain on... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2019-09-24 23:11:20 UTC ]
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RCW's Peter Robinson leaves publishing after 30 years as agent

Rogers, Coleridge and White’s Peter Robinson is leaving the publishing industry after 30 years of being an agent. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-24 06:39:15 UTC ]
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Joanne Harris speaks out against publishing's focus on debuts

Joanne Harris has spoken out against an “absurd” focus on debuts in the publishing world.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-09-23 16:30:46 UTC ]
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For One Day, Hulu Is Picking Up the Tab for Adweek Readers

As a lowly editorial assistant, Aidy Bryant is hustling to break into the publishing world on the Hulu series Shrill. So it's fitting that the streaming service is making journalism more accessible for everyone. For today only, Hulu is offering everyone free access to all of Adweek's content.... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2019-09-23 04:01:50 UTC ]
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Women’s Fiction Literary Agents Open to Submissions

Literary agents are gatekeepers of the publishing industry. Find women's fiction literary agents open to submissions in this post. List will be updated regularly. The post Women’s Fiction Literary Agents Open to Submissions by Robert Lee Brewer appeared first on Writer's Digest. Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-09-18 13:00:29 UTC ]
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