A number of writers have some messages for Straight White Male publishing:
1. “Diversity is not publishing the one story. It’s publishing multiple stories from people of diverse backgrounds.”
—Karissa Chen2. “My main characters are not always black.”
—Sophfronia Scott3. “Read less straight white men.”
—Natalie Eilbert4. “We read. (And buy books.)”
—Lisa Lucas5. “Get over it.”
—Susan Orlean6. “Be honest.”
—Yahdon Israel7. “Listen.”
—Lauren Hilger8. “We owe you nothing.”
—Amanda Bullock9. “Grow up.”
—Roxane Gay10. “Look out the window.”
—Jane Ciabattari11. “Sit down and let us abolish you.”
—Franny Choi12. “Ain’t nobody got time for that!?!”
—Ru Freeman13. “Chill.”
—Morgan Parker14. “Asian American author with an Asian American editor.
—Matthew Salesses15. “She’s coming for you.”
—Emily Bell and Amelia Gray16. “Plz stop.”
—Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and T Kira Madden17. “We are not tokens.
—Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and T Kira Madden18. “You have not doomed us. You’ve doomed yourselves.”
—Saeed Jones19. “Pay attention to the world. (—Susan Sontag)”
—Jynne Dilling Martin20. “Hire women. Diversity makes you strong.”
—Annelies Zijderveld21. “We don’t need you.”
—Jayson P. Smith22. “Take a vacation (a long one).
—Chelsea Reimann and Meg Day23. “Don’t assume that you are at the center.”
—Cheryl Strayed
Are you still buying the “oh, we are just poor homeless writers who only want to join the discourse and find a place at the table” propaganda? They are fascists, they want control, and any publisher who was foolish enough to permit these entryists a place at the table will soon find that he’s been pushed to the side, if he hasn’t been already.
Diversity is self-destruction, because a house divided against itself cannot stand.
Meanwhile, publishing is actually 74 percent female and rising. As recently as 2010, the industry was 70 percent female.
It’s no secret that lots of women work in publishing. But just how
many more women work in publishing than men? In PW’s recent Salary
Survey (Aug. 2) one statistic stuck out: 85% of publishing employees
with less than three years of experience are women.Total Responses: 1,584
70% Female 30% MaleUnder 3 Years Experience: 164
85% Female 15% Male3 to 6 Years Experience: 388
82% Female 18% Male
That was then. This is now: “Women accounted for 74% of the publishing workforce and men only 26%.”