Since 2011, all my book editors have been white. Why wouldn’t I want another perspective on the characters I invent?Until a few years ago, only publishing industry insiders would have understood the role of the sensitivity reader. Then came American Dirt. The Jeanine Cummins novel sold to a US publisher for a seven-figure advance, was chosen for Oprah’s Book Club, and was touted as “the new Grapes of Wrath”. On release in 2020, early readers noted that the white author’s depiction of Mexican people was, at best, flawed, inaccurate, and riddled with stereotypes and, at worst, simply racist.A sensitivity reader is an additional editor who works alongside the publishing house staffer who acquired the rights to your book. This individual will conduct a very specific read of the manuscript, and offer notes on characters from marginalised groups, or elements which may cause offence. The argument goes that if American Dirt had been sufficiently scrutinised by a reader of Mexican heritage, some of the furore could have been avoided. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2022-03-08 09:00:06 UTC ]
The publisher of Jeanine Cummins’ novel “American Dirt” canceled her book tour Wednesday, saying she has received death threats. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2020-01-30 19:02:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
If you’ve been distracted lately by the presidential impeachment trial, you may have missed this tertiary symptom of the collapse of our democracy. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-30 17:52:10 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The 13 events left to promote the highly anticipated -- and then, highly-condemned -- novel will instead be replaced by town hall-style discussions between the author, Jeanine Cummins, and critics of the book. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-30 12:25:04 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Children’s book publisher Lee & Low Books, a minority-owned company that focuses on multicultural literature, recently released the results of a survey geared towards finding out one thing: What do the numbers say about the widely perceived lack of diversity in the publishing world? The... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-29 21:40:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The latest Oprah's Book Club pick by Jeanine Cummins, a white woman, has been widely criticized for stereotypical depictions of Mexicans and migration. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2020-01-29 21:08:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
'American Dirt' publisher Flatiron Books announced on Wednesday that it was canceling its book tour with Jeanine Cummins. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-29 20:47:11 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Oprah Winfrey is finally addressing the controversy surrounding her latest book club pick, "American Dirt," and promising to take its critics seriously. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-27 23:16:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Jeanine Cummins’s novel, acclaimed by Oprah Winfrey, Stephen King and others, also faces scathing criticism from Latinx writersJeanine Cummins’s British publisher, Headline, is standing shoulder to shoulder with the American press that published her divisive thriller, declaring that it is proud... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-01-24 14:53:36 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Today, Jeanine Cummins appeared at Winter Institute in Baltimore, and as Michael Calder reports for PubishersLunch, commented on the ongoing controversy over her new novel, American Dirt. Bookseller Javier Ramirez, who introduced Cummins, brought up the topic at the end of the formal interview:... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-01-22 18:16:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this
“I wished someone slightly browner than me would write it,” said Jeanine Cummins, the author of the highly anticipated book. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2020-01-22 12:23:18 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Jeanine Cummins' book has been lauded by Stephen King and Lauren Groff, but also lambasted as "problematic," "harmful" and "brownfacing." Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2020-01-21 23:31:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Oprah Winfrey chose "American Dirt" as her latest book club selection. Author Jeanine Cummins' novel has sparked a backlash for its portrayal of immigrants. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2020-01-21 20:14:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As the challenges and competition in the consumer publishing industry intensify, publishers have sought top talent from betting firms, streaming music services and scientific publishing. The post The Guardian is the latest old-line publisher to reach outside the business for a CEO appeared first... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2020-01-16 05:01:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The publishing industry mourns Ram Dass, the bestselling author of ‘Be Here Now’ and other books on spirituality, following his recent death at age 88. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-01-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
There are a multitude of effects the changes in publishing have had on the industry -- but less well understood are what it has meant for the people working in the industry. We surveyed over 200 publishing employees in business and revenue roles to understand how work culture, mental health, the... Continue reading at Digiday
[ Digiday | 2020-01-07 05:01:49 UTC ]
More news stories like this
In the 2010s, the publishing industry finally wrestled with its problems with diversity. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2019-12-22 13:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The L.A. Times Book Club's 2020 selections include "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" and "American Dirt." Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-12-21 16:00:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this
L.A. Times Book Club's 2020 lineup also includes 'American Dirt' and 'From Our Land to Our Land.' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-12-20 15:00:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Picador commissioning editor Kishani Widyaratna (pictured) and Influx Press co-founder Kit Caless have launched a fundraiser for people in the publishing industry to donate money to the Trussell Trust with nearly £4,000 raised within five hours. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-12-16 19:29:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Now more than ever, the publishing industry finds itself on a quest for more effective ways to make money. For the past few years, the industry has been working through a regular cycle of taglines and keywords: ‘metered models,’ ‘memberships,’ ‘registration paywalls,’ dynamic paywalls,’ and so... Continue reading at Publishing Executive
[ Publishing Executive | 2019-12-11 16:35:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this