Comments on: >Who Will Read About Whom? http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/ Publications about books for children and young adults Tue, 14 May 2013 17:58:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9492 Anonymous Tue, 09 Feb 2010 20:03:07 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9492 >This is such a tricky question, I've held off on asking it. We've asked if these books would have been published if they hadn't been written by white authors. I would like to ask if they would have been written. In comments after the Sharon Flake article in the HB there seemed to be a pretty deep river of resentment of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the African-American community. When I say that I wish there were more SF and Fantasy written by people of color, am I really saying that I wish they would write more like white people?<br /><br />We write from our experience and from our dreams and I would really like to see more diverse fantasies and Science Fiction. I don't like to think that there is something necessarily white about it.<br /><br />We've heard accusations that publishers ghettoize their authors by subject. Do authors of color ever feel pressure from their communities not to write SF and Fantasy? >This is such a tricky question, I've held off on asking it. We've asked if these books would have been published if they hadn't been written by white authors. I would like to ask if they would have been written. In comments after the Sharon Flake article in the HB there seemed to be a pretty deep river of resentment of Science Fiction and Fantasy in the African-American community. When I say that I wish there were more SF and Fantasy written by people of color, am I really saying that I wish they would write more like white people?

We write from our experience and from our dreams and I would really like to see more diverse fantasies and Science Fiction. I don't like to think that there is something necessarily white about it.

We've heard accusations that publishers ghettoize their authors by subject. Do authors of color ever feel pressure from their communities not to write SF and Fantasy?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9482 Anonymous Sat, 06 Feb 2010 14:06:46 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9482 >Question: Do authors typically submit a photo of themselves when submitting a manuscript for consideration? Do publishing companies have a box to check for race on their Author Application Forms?<br /><br />At what point does the author's race factor in to an editors decision to consider a manuscript? >Question: Do authors typically submit a photo of themselves when submitting a manuscript for consideration? Do publishing companies have a box to check for race on their Author Application Forms?

At what point does the author's race factor in to an editors decision to consider a manuscript?

]]> By: MissAttitude http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9478 MissAttitude Sat, 06 Feb 2010 00:02:52 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9478 >@Anon-Because all too often authors of color are overlooked, especially in the YA/MG gnere. Justine is a well-known author so if it had been written by a well-established black author then yes it would have been published. But Magic Under Glass? I don't think so. It's so hard for authors of color to even get their littlest toe in the door of a publishing house and I think if they had read that the book was about a dark-skinned girl and that the author was ofo color, it may not have been published. I hope I'm wrong though, I've just gotten a bit too cynical. But I would LOVE to be proven wrong but I think the evidence is in the teeny tiny number of authors of color who get published.<br /><br />Sorry it took me so long to respond! >@Anon-Because all too often authors of color are overlooked, especially in the YA/MG gnere. Justine is a well-known author so if it had been written by a well-established black author then yes it would have been published. But Magic Under Glass? I don't think so. It's so hard for authors of color to even get their littlest toe in the door of a publishing house and I think if they had read that the book was about a dark-skinned girl and that the author was ofo color, it may not have been published. I hope I'm wrong though, I've just gotten a bit too cynical. But I would LOVE to be proven wrong but I think the evidence is in the teeny tiny number of authors of color who get published.

Sorry it took me so long to respond!

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9449 Anonymous Tue, 02 Feb 2010 18:24:08 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9449 >To MissAttitude<br /><br />Why do you think Bloomsbury wouldn't have published LIar and Magic Under Glass if they were written b people of color? >To MissAttitude

Why do you think Bloomsbury wouldn't have published LIar and Magic Under Glass if they were written b people of color?

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9447 Anonymous Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:42:09 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9447 >Just wanted to report back on THE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY. Nobody's skin color is ever mentioned. Mom has sandy brown hair. Dade has brown eyes and dirty blond hair that he dyes chocolate brown at one point. Several people are described as black, including the woman that Dad has an affair with. I think the assumption is that Dade is white, but the refernces are so fleeting that if the reader needed the characters to be something else, they probably could be. <br /><br />Jonathan >Just wanted to report back on THE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY. Nobody's skin color is ever mentioned. Mom has sandy brown hair. Dade has brown eyes and dirty blond hair that he dyes chocolate brown at one point. Several people are described as black, including the woman that Dad has an affair with. I think the assumption is that Dade is white, but the refernces are so fleeting that if the reader needed the characters to be something else, they probably could be.

Jonathan

]]> By: Zetta http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9446 Zetta Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:07:28 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9446 >Good point, Debbie. I think a lot of this comes down to the lack of diversity within the industry--it seems there are very few PoC editors and perhaps even fewer PoC cover designers...Tarie over at Into the Wardrobe brought this problematic cover to our attention:<br /><br />http://peteredmundlucy7.blogspot.com/2010/01/dragons-can-be-whitewashed-too.html >Good point, Debbie. I think a lot of this comes down to the lack of diversity within the industry–it seems there are very few PoC editors and perhaps even fewer PoC cover designers…Tarie over at Into the Wardrobe brought this problematic cover to our attention:

http://peteredmundlucy7.blogspot.com/2010/01/dragons-can-be-whitewashed-too.html

]]> By: Debbie Reese http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9444 Debbie Reese Thu, 28 Jan 2010 22:00:52 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9444 >Another aspect of this conversation... what about stereotypes on covers? <br /><br />Noble Indians sell quite well, as demonstrated by BROTHER EAGLE SISTER SKY. <br /><br />Course, the Indians in that book (like the speech itself) are best-labeled "the white man's Indian" (images developed by people who aren't Native). Borrowing "white man's Indian" from the groundbreaking book by Robert F. Berkhofer.<br /><br />Think, too, of INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD... There are other examples. >Another aspect of this conversation… what about stereotypes on covers?

Noble Indians sell quite well, as demonstrated by BROTHER EAGLE SISTER SKY.

Course, the Indians in that book (like the speech itself) are best-labeled "the white man's Indian" (images developed by people who aren't Native). Borrowing "white man's Indian" from the groundbreaking book by Robert F. Berkhofer.

Think, too, of INDIAN IN THE CUPBOARD… There are other examples.

]]> By: MissAttitude http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9443 MissAttitude Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:04:05 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9443 >Good discussion. I don't think Liar or Magic Under Glass would have been published if they were by a poc.<br /><br />I agree with zetta, the question is why do publishers think they can't put a POC on a cover? or publish more stories about them. At least we're having this discussion and I'm grateful for gorups like RAWW that will be watching out for these things.<br /><br />I didn't know the author of the Vast Fieldso of Ordinary was black. I knew the mc's boyfriend was Latino (I haven't read the book yet but I really want to0 but I assumed he was white based on the cover. And in my mind, if a character's race is not identified, I assume he's white. Sad but true >Good discussion. I don't think Liar or Magic Under Glass would have been published if they were by a poc.

I agree with zetta, the question is why do publishers think they can't put a POC on a cover? or publish more stories about them. At least we're having this discussion and I'm grateful for gorups like RAWW that will be watching out for these things.

I didn't know the author of the Vast Fieldso of Ordinary was black. I knew the mc's boyfriend was Latino (I haven't read the book yet but I really want to0 but I assumed he was white based on the cover. And in my mind, if a character's race is not identified, I assume he's white. Sad but true

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9440 Anonymous Wed, 27 Jan 2010 23:34:27 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9440 >KT, I had just *barely* started the novel when I read this thread. I've still only read the prologue and the first chapter, but the mother is mentioned as having sandy, brown hair so it seems that Dade is white, and your reasoning seems to support this. I will keep an eye on it, however.<br /><br />Jonathan >KT, I had just *barely* started the novel when I read this thread. I've still only read the prologue and the first chapter, but the mother is mentioned as having sandy, brown hair so it seems that Dade is white, and your reasoning seems to support this. I will keep an eye on it, however.

Jonathan

]]> By: KT Horning http://www.hbook.com/2010/01/blogs/read-roger/who-will-read-about-whom/#comment-9439 KT Horning Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:15:02 +0000 http://nyad1/wp-thb/?p=3436#comment-9439 >Jonathan, in THE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY, Dade is never identified as black, white, or biracial (like the author) as I recall, so I think the publisher defaulted to white. The book's not without racial or class awareness, however, as one of his boyfriends is Latino, and another is working class. <br /><br />As a reader, I assumed he was white, and it hadn't occurred to me that that may have been due to the cover art alone. But I think I also made that assumption because the author was so specific about race and class otherwise, and since the character talked a lot about other identity issues in such detail, I think if he'd been black or biracial, living in a small Iowan city, we'd have heard about it. >Jonathan, in THE VAST FIELDS OF ORDINARY, Dade is never identified as black, white, or biracial (like the author) as I recall, so I think the publisher defaulted to white. The book's not without racial or class awareness, however, as one of his boyfriends is Latino, and another is working class.

As a reader, I assumed he was white, and it hadn't occurred to me that that may have been due to the cover art alone. But I think I also made that assumption because the author was so specific about race and class otherwise, and since the character talked a lot about other identity issues in such detail, I think if he'd been black or biracial, living in a small Iowan city, we'd have heard about it.

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