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"


Spanning the Globe

The last 10 days have been an especially busy period for all parts of the publishing industry, with major events taking place in London, Minneapolis, and Austin. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Liz Thomson to Step Down at BookBrunch

Thomson, a founding editor of the London-based online daily newsletter and website about the publishing industry, will leave her post after the London Book Fair. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


In London, Lit Agents See Action Around LatAm, China, Harper Lee

In the Rights Center of the LBF, literary agents are reporting deals swirling around Latin America, China, and Harper Lee's Go Set a Watchman. The post In London, Lit Agents See Action Around LatAm, China, Harper Lee appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-04-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Columbus Dispatch Captures Audience Information, Ad Revenue

The Holy Grail in the publishing world is to harness our ability to maintain a direct relationship with our customers when using various third-party data providers and applications.   Publishers such as us – The Columbus Dispatch & ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2015-04-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Frankfurt Book Fair Unveils New Opener: Digital Spotlight 2015

Through countless discussions, experiments, challenges, and conferences, the digital transition has been front and center in the publishing industry for over a decade now. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


5 Digital Magazine Trends to Keep an Eye On in 2015

By Ron Matejko A fter speaking to numerous professionals within various segments of the publishing industry, there's a clear consensus about the key trend for digital magazines in 2015 and it can be summed up in... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Publishing Industry Antics on April Fools

Books are a serious business, but the publishing industry had a little fun on April 1 to commemorate April Fools' Day. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-04-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Hawks, butterflies, coasts and footpaths: how nature writing turned to literary gold

Books about the natural world are now huge sellers, tapping into a new appreciation for the countryside and scepticism about material wealthBondage is so last year. Publishers who spent much of the past year in search of the next Fifty Shades of Grey are now seeking to exploit another literary... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Making the Decision About Native Advertising

[Sponsored Content] Love it or hate it, native advertising is making a solid impact in the publishing world. It won’t be long before your advertisers will expect you to have a policy on whether or not you embrace it. The post Making the Decision About Native Advertising appeared first on Folio:. Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2015-03-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Legality of Spotify’s lyrics feature called into question

The real-time lyrics feature that Spotify added to its desktop app this past week hasn’t impressed the U.S. karaoke industry. Joseph C Vangieri, the CEO of DigiTrax, has called it “unfair competition for us American ‘Karaoke’ companies.”Lest you think that he has a beef with Spotify, know that... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2015-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Self-published Rodgers hits a million in sales

Self-published author Sheila Rodgers has sold a million copies of her ebook Only the Innocent and two sequels, agent Lizzy Kremer has confirmed. Rodgers, who writes under the pen name Rachel Abbott, sold her books through Amazon Kindle after being rejected by literary agents. The first, Only... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Little City Books to Open in Hoboken

An unlikely trio—a literary agent, a singer/songwriter, and an investment banker—are bringing the first general independent bookstore in over a decade to this New Jersey city. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


HC's Killer Reads makes 'open submission' buys

Killer Reads, HarperFiction’s new digital-first crime and thriller list, has made its first acquisitions through an open submission process it held last summer. Sarah Hodgson, deputy publishing director and Kate Stephenson, editor, have acquired three new titles from the hundreds of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-02-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


How Data Is Accelerating the Publishing Industry

By Denis Wilson Yes, data has become a buzzword and anyone with a little extra hot air will be eager to tell you it's the cure to what ails your business. The collection of articles in this issue of Publishing... Continue reading at Publishing Executive

[ Publishing Executive | 2015-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


On Writers and Writing review – Margaret Atwood on her profession

Drawing on her panoramic reading and her experiences of the authorly life cycle, Atwood surveys her trade with a mix of seriousness and gentle fun“You may find the subject a little peculiar,” warns Margaret Atwood, before she discusses the writer’s relationship with mortality. “It is a little... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


TV books programmes: if nobody watches them, make better ones

The novelist Robert Harris was right to call the BBC’s lack of a books show a ‘disgrace’. There’s plenty the corporation could do to make a popular literary programme on TVWith injury, there is always a little insult. When a BBC spokesperson, responding to Robert Harris’s complaints at the Costa... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


James Patterson resorts to blowing up new book Private Vegas

James Patterson, already among the world's best-selling authors, plans to shake up the publishing industry with the launch of his new novel, Private Vegas, which will self-destruct within 24 hours. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2015-01-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Authors speak out against ethnic and cultural stereotyping

Writers believe that the publishing industry still views them largely through a prism of ethnicity, but industry insiders say that there is no pigeonholing based on race. Authors told The Bookseller they are still defined by their racial identity for marketing purposes and receive more success... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-01-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Spanish publishers demand the return of Google News

Google removed its news aggregation service from Spain a few days ago, but the Spanish Newspaper Publishers’ Association (AEDE) is already asking the government to bring it back. AEDE claims the removal of Google News will be bad business for the publishing industry overall and will have more of... Continue reading at Betanews

[ Betanews | 2014-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this


Morris joins Tonkinson at Pan Mac

Olivia Morris will be assistant editor of Pan Macmillan’s new lifestyle imprint headed up by Carole Tonkinson.   Morris comes to Pan Macmillan from Simon & Schuster, where she held the role of Editorial Assistant. She previously worked as assistant to literary agent at Diane Banks... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-12-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this