I just read this on the blog of an AA author that I asked to participate in the survey.
Check this out:
Recently I was asked to participate in a survey of black romance authors regarding this very topic. At first I thought, what the hell, it’s black history month and this stuff is bound to happen. Although the person asking the questions is unquestionably steeped in the mainstream of romance, being black herself, I thought she might add some fresh insight on the topic (a little reverse racism on the part of moi, no?)
Well, I took a look at the questions and knew I wouldn’t be answering any of them. I’d seen these questions before, blogged about them myself and read countless blogs, articles, manifestos and diatribes on the same topics. You want to know what I think about racism in publishing, read a few backposts then get back to me if you have any questions.
However, I don’t blame the sponsor of the survey (who will remain nameless. I don’t like to post things obliquely when I give my opinion, but I don’t want to call anyone else out either) for the lack of originality. When black authors discuss racism in publishing there’s only so much to say. Is there racism in publishing? Yes, tick the box. Have you felt the effects of said racism? Tick the box. Same questions, same answers. The rest is providing examples.
You know, I’m not a writer, I’m a reader. Just a plain ‘ole reader.
Monica’s stance on this issue, although sometimes abrasive, is much better than the apathy I see coming from the other authors who are effected the most.
To say that I’m thoroughly disgusted by the lack of response from the very authors that I sincerely want to aid, is a total understatement.
A lot of you guys may feel that the likes of Monica should shut up, and stop bringing negative attention to the AA writing community, but you know what, she’s made far more of a difference than you, or those like you who simply want an easy life, or a quick fix.
To say that nothing has changed, is such total bullshit that I can’t believe anyone would make such a ridiculous statement.
Granted the changes may not have been to the extent that some of you may have hoped, but the changes are there.
I guarantee that the reasons that the changes haven’t been as extensive as you would have liked, is due to the lack of support and solidarity amongst you. One person can make a difference, but in order to effect change, you guys need to stand together, if you can’t do that, then you really shouldn’t be surprised when the status quo remains as is.
Racism has always been an issue in the US, but that hasn’t stopped black people from being successful. In your country, you have judges who are black. You have a strong presence within the police force. You have black lawyers, black doctors, black people in key political positions.
Now compare that to where I live. Do your research, and you will know that in comparison, you guys have it much easier.
All the above was made possible by people who didn’t pansy out because they were tired of the fight. All these things were made possible because those who came before you wanted a better way of life for them and their children. They stood up, and refused to be dismissed.
Why pour scorn on somebody who’s actually trying to help? I have nothing to gain by doing this, and quite frankly it seems to me that if the people who are affected the most don’t give a flying fuck, then why should I?
This attitude is a slap in the face to the whole host of people within the online romance community who have supported this endeavour. Monica’s refusal to lie down and die spurred this on, not you. All you did was scoff at the effort, and for that alone, you deserve to languish in midlist mediocrity. (You know who you are.)
To simply give up because you’ve been here before has got to be the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for taking such a negative stance.
MLK and Rosa Parks would be rolling over in their graves, if they knew that their legacy of strength in the face of adversity has almost become an urban fucking legend.
Monica Jackson
February 9
4:54 pm
“I-I see Black people,” the little dude browsing the Wal-Mart shelves in Wherethahel, KS says
Ann Wesley Hardin
February 9
5:16 pm
“I-I see Black people,” the little dude browsing the Wal-Mart shelves in Wherethahel, KS says
No fair making me spew my Diet Cherry Pepsi. It was my last one. You OWE me.
seressia
February 9
6:58 pm
I’m at work, so I must be brief.
My comment didn’t start with “Dear Karen,” so I was addressing it to the commentators at large, attempting to offer a variety of reasons why SOME authors may not choose to participate. And yes, Karen, I read the list of authors you listed who agreed to participate. Hopefully some of them came in response to the fact that I posted it on my MySpace page.
The wide brush comment stems from comments posted on this and the previous days’ blogs. But if you want examples…
“Monica’s stance on this issue, although sometimes abrasive, is much better than the apathy I see coming from the other authors who are effected the most.”
Actually every time that you used the word “author” after that you used the plural form. So unless Dee is two people (and I know she’s not) I surmised that you were speaking to more than one AA author, since the “you guys” and the “some of you” that followed. My apologies if I was mistaken about the you guys that some of you were talking to.
And you’re right: it’s your blog, you can say what you want to.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
7:39 pm
Publishers care about money far more than race.
Ya lost me there. I know writers aren’t in this for the money. if they were they would chose a different career. But don’t publishers need money to stay in business? Do you want to write for a bankrupt publisher that can’t pay royalties?
This entire conversation is like holding down a pissed off gerbil.
Monica Jackson
February 9
7:57 pm
Ferfe, basically, this seems to be your level of understanding throughout the entire thread.
Read it again.
Publishers care about money.
What?
Yes. They care about money far more than they care about race.
Ergo. Publishers are most interested in what makes them money.
Publishers do what they think will make them the most money.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
8:12 pm
Well. Shame on them for not being willing to go out of business on your behalf.
Dalia
February 9
8:34 pm
What is right, is not always what is most profitable in the short term. (I’m hard pressed to think of example where justice and equality in business loses institutions money in the long term)
E.g. When govt finally legislated that all retail businesses, regardless of size, had to have wheelchair access for customers as well as employees. Big stink from the side of SMEs. Imagine a rinkydink little corner shop forced to spend thousands to install a ramp they think nobody’s going to use anyway.
In the short term, looking only at the black and white (& red) financials, what is ‘right’ is not what is ‘profitable’.
But now, wheelchair users can patronise this rinkydink corner shop, spend their money there. And all is well – in the long term – both socially and financially.
Cindy, no one has said ‘publishers will go out of business if they shelve all romance together but tant pis tough titties for them because that’s what is right’
Perhaps they will see some decline in profit when they initially change their marketing direction or their distribution patterns or whatever whatnot. So what? They’ve lost profits on more fanciful marketing concepts.
Do you think they should continue marketing black authored books solely for blacks or forcing black authors to write their own race because they think its more profitable in the short term?
Also, call me Pollyanna but how exactly is a publishing house going to go out of business because books start to be shelved by genre alone? It’s not an alien concept. Nothing too tough to wrap the reader’s head around.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
8:37 pm
So. Here’s a recap of this entire thread as I have absorbed it in my simple little head.
The original hue and cry (aside from the evils of being white) was that American bookstores segregate African American Romance titles from Whites. The upshot was that Jim Crow was alive and well in the book stores.
I’ve offered to call each and every store that engages in this practice and ask them why? Demographics? Nefarious reasons? Customer requests? Publisher requests?
Monica says AA books tend to sell better when grouped that way. So. It’s a marketing decision to sell more books.
Let’s pretend I am not confused as to why selling more books is a bad thing.
Monica says Publishers are more interested in making money than in race issues.
I suggested that perhaps the purpose of a business was to make money. Monica intimated that I was being simple minded.
So far no one has given me the name, address and phone number of a single store that deliberately segregates book by Author color for reasons other than the sales are better – if they are doing it at all which I doubt. I was also hit with the egregious practice of grouping African American Studies books together as if that was a bad thing because you know those crazy-assed students love searching an entire store for research materials.
So.
Does that about sum this all up?
FerfeLaBat
February 9
8:40 pm
Jesus, Dalia you did not just compare AA authors to the handicapped.
Dalia
February 9
8:59 pm
Cindy,
My example of businesses being forced to have wheelchair access is linked to my comment that: what is right for society is not always what is profitable for business in the short term.
If you’d like to mine from that statement that I have compared AA romance authors to the handicapped, and take from it nothing else, as with all things in life – that’s your prerogative.
As for your statement: ‘Do you think writers get to write anything they want and it sells’.
Is that response directed towards my comment that a black author has allegedly been forced to write black characters by contract?
Perhaps my first comment came across as too generic and you thought I was saying ‘black authors should be able to write whatever the hell they want and get published’. My apologies.
I meant to say: ‘black authors should be able to write novels based on characters not of their ethnicity without being tied by contract’
Well, only two days of this and I’m ready to shut down my own blog. If I had one.
Good luck with your survey Karen. If you don’t get the response you desired, it does not have to be because of AA romance author apathy. There are as many reasons as there are grains of sand on a beach…ok, maybe not that many.
But enough to respect the decisions of those who choose not to participate. Enough to give these women the benefit of the doubt.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
9:02 pm
OK. Here’s the short version of what I am saying. (You will notice that I am the only white person sincerely engaging in this discussion in an effort to understand. Everyone else is either scared to tread there or has decided to just support whateveritisyouarecomplainingabouteventhoughtheyhavenocluewhatyoumean.)
Do AA Authors have it any worse than all the rest of the writers struggling to make a living as writers? If so – why?
Do you realy believe AA Authors should benefit from an Afirmative Action initiative on the part of the publishers at the potential expense of the bottom line that supports thousands of people in an industry that is currently tottering on the edge of financial collapse.
Do you honestly believe that a white person who choses to buy a vampire romance over an AA chick lit is making a racist decision?
Are there realy any bookstores that are segregating books written by AA authors for NO OTHER reason than they were written by AA Authors?
Make a case that is clear. Lay out a cause, effect and viable solution(s). If you want whites to understand and you want them to step up and help, give us something to work with other than complaining that the status quo sucks. It sucks for everyone. It only changes for people who can identify the reason it is sucking and who take time to plan a way out.
seressia
February 9
9:08 pm
Ferfe,
I’ll point you to a WSJ article:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06340/744053-44.stm
Forgive the copying of copyright text, but the article says:
African-American sections are the rule at Borders and Waldenbooks, chains both owned by Borders Group Inc., as well as many airports and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. outlets. Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc., the country’s largest book retailer, don’t follow the practice.
And further down in the article:
When Borders opened its first new book store in Ann Arbor, Mich., in 1973, it included an African-American section. “In the historical context of the Civil Rights movement, when African-Americans were no longer being defined in terms of white culture, it made complete sense to have a separate department,” says Joe Gable, a longtime Borders executive who for many years managed that store. “It still makes sense because race continues to be a defining issue.”
Gwyneth Bolton
February 9
9:18 pm
“was also hit with the egregious practice of grouping African American Studies books together as if that was a bad thing because you know those crazy-assed students love searching an entire store for research materials.”
Be clear and please don’t misquote me. I said that the Borders in my area has both a section for African American fiction and a section for African American Studies. I never said I had a problem with the African American Studies section of the store. You asked about stores that segreated books and I gave you examples of what I’ve seen These are just two examples.
As for their address and number:
Borders
Carousel Center
Syracuse, NY 13290
Phone: 315.466.6100
But, as this is a practice at just about every Borders I’ve ever been in you might just as well go right to the top and call their corporate headquarters…
Gwyneth Bolton
February 9
9:21 pm
Thank you Seressia! Thank you!
FerfeLaBat
February 9
9:41 pm
Thank you for the information. I will call them and enquire as to why they segregate AA romance from White romance and report back.
You are also saying that …
the Borders in my area has both a section for African American fiction and I need clarification on why this practice is offensive.
You don’t want your work to be classified as African American Literature and lumped in with the likes of Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison? Grouping together the writers on this index is racist then? ( http://authors.aalbc.com/author1.htm ) Why?
Dalia
February 9
9:47 pm
Cindy,
Yes, you are the lone white woman left.
You are the only one with enough patience to deal with us black people. You are the only one left with enough intelligence to read between the lines of our incoherent comments and baseless opinions in order to cull out of it the rare specks of logic. You are the only one left who can lead us on the right path to self-empowerment with truly innovative concepts for The Way Ahead.
“Make a case that is clear. Lay out a cause, effect and viable solution”
Perhaps you think all AA romance authors just hang out around Karen’s blog in a heaving collective, posting their every action for your immediate edification. Why are you assuming that efforts have not been made in the direction that you suggest?
When in this discussion did anyone say a reader who choses a vampire romance over a …you know what, never mind.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
10:04 pm
You’re right. I understand now why no one else bothers. Thanks.
Gwyneth Bolton
February 9
10:10 pm
“You are also saying that …
the Borders in my area has both a section for African American fiction and I need clarification on why this practice is offensive.
You don’t want your work to be classified as African American Literature and lumped in with the likes of Langston Hughes and Toni Morrison? Grouping together the writers on this index is racist then? ( http://authors.aalbc.com/author1.htm ) Why?”
It’s not a matter of me having issue with my work being shelved with Toni Morrison and Langston Hughes, but rather, why isn’t the work of Morrison and Hughes shelved right along side say Shakespeare, Elliot, Williams etc…
FerfeLaBat
February 9
10:25 pm
Because it sells better? Because there are college courses on African American Literature and the students and people interested prefer not to have to mine the entire store for the authors they want to read? If they blend the books in with general fiction that seems to defeat the desire to heighten reader awareness of those authors. WTH do you think Nora Roberts books take up an entire wall in two sections? So fans can find her without hunting all over the place. The woman is actually segregated. No other romance novels touch her shelves. That is a marketing strategy to increase sales.
Thank you for answering with out attacking me BTW. I sincerely appreciate it.
Shiloh Walker
February 9
10:35 pm
(You will notice that I am the only white person sincerely engaging in this discussion in an effort to understand. Everyone else is either scared to tread there or has decided to just support whateveritisyouarecomplainingabouteventhoughtheyhavenocluewhatyoumean
I was following the previous discussion, but I gave up watching it so closely after some lady who doesn’t live in America kept throwing out blanket insults and blanket assumptions. I don’t care to be judged by the actions of others anymore than anybody else and it ticked me off. I said my piece to her and went back to work.
Then the conversations started to go the way of insults and such. It’s turned around some from what I can tell, but I can’t keep up with it and still get my edits done on time. Seems like a road we’ve been down before anyway.
I’m not scared to speak up about anything but I don’t have anything to add that I haven’t already said. I don’t think it’s fair to group black romances elsewhere, or black fiction period, off in its own little section. Put the romances with the romances, I say. What does it matter if a mystery was written by a black person vs a white person? It’s a mystery, right? Stick it with the mysteries.
But there’s also apparently readers in that niche that don’t want to look elsewhere.
I have no idea how to solve it. Book shelving space is at a premium so in order to satisfy one opinion camp, somebody else is probably going to be unhappy. If you move the AA romances to the romance section, does that mean those who only want to read books by black authors won’t go look for them in the romance? However, if they are left where they are, I don’t really feel that’s fair to the authors.
Makes you wonder what the solution is.
Now I’m back to my edits.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
10:39 pm
I was following the previous discussion, but I gave up watching it so closely after some lady who doesn’t live in America kept throwing out blanket insults and blanket assumptions. I don’t care to be judged by the actions of others anymore than anybody else and it ticked me off. I said my piece to her and went back to work.
~ Shiloh
Heh. Sam was French. Insults and disdain are part of their charm. Kinda cute actually.
And I’m not seeing a solution that doesn’t financialy cut someones’ throat. But I will continue to dig and maybe write and article or two once I understand what the hell I am talking about.
Sandra Schwab
February 9
10:46 pm
Do you honestly believe that a white person who choses to buy a vampire romance over an AA chick lit is making a racist decision?
But don’t you see? It should not be “vampire romance over AA chick lit”, but “vampire romance over chick lit.” And no, as a romance writer you wouldn’t want to be lumped in with Toni Morrison, because Toni Morrison simply doesn’t write romance.
Because there are college courses on African American Literature and the students and people interested prefer not to have to mine the entire store for the authors they want to read?
If I should venture a guess, I’d say these courses don’t deal with romance, but “highbrow” lit. It’s the popular culture people who’ve got an interest in romance, and the first place they look is the romance section.
Shiloh Walker
February 9
10:48 pm
Heh. Sam was French. Insults and disdain are part of their charm. Kinda cute actually.
you can call it whatever you want… lol. I saw the French Borat thing, BTW. Now that was cute… wonder how she liked being labeled.
FYI, Gwyneth, for what it’s worth, I picked up a book by Morrison and read it ages ago. if I remember right, it was on a table in the front. If it hadn’t been, I don’t know that I would have seen elsewhere browsing or not.
BUT I can tell you this… if it had been in the lit section? I never would have seen it because like a lot of readers, I don’t do literary fiction. I never would have gone browsing there.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
10:57 pm
That’s kinda what I thought Sandra regarding the Literature classification but it is an issue as well it seems.
God I can see the “Romance IS literature” train coming. Egress. Egress!
DO stores segregate AA Romance? I know my local Walmart does or did as of last year.
If so and it’s a sales driven strategy to sell MORE AA romance, why would authors not want that other than the theoretical issue of racism as the root cause. It’s cutting off your nose to spite your face if it results in lower sales. Perhaps I sound stupid saying this and I may cringe like hell when I reread it in a few days but I am genuinely baffled by the logic here.
A white author who shall remain nameless was bitching that romance is mixed in with all fiction in British bookstores and fans complained that her books were difficult to find. She wanted to know why there are no romance sections. Sectioning out fiction by type and sub-type seems to work for book sellers here.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
11:04 pm
I saw the French Borat thing, BTW. Now that was cute… wonder how she liked being labeled.
Dude. I had a complete epiphany in that moment. Until then I did not apreciate the insult humor that permeates Europe and Great Britain. I hate Benny Hill. I’ve try to watch British stand up but just can’t get into it. It was like this black hole of a joke that I just did not understand until Sam went so far over the top with the insults that I finaly understood the humor in it. It’s like Archie Bunker on acid.
I’m doing two Humor in Romance writing panels at RT and the whole thing just gelled for me all of a sudden. It’s a multi-faceted, audience specific art form. I’m still processing.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
11:07 pm
Pardon typos – I am trying to finish up some work and post at the same time.
shiloh walker
February 9
11:12 pm
It’s a multi-faceted, audience specific art form.
Hmmmmm…. well, if that’s the case then I guess I’m not in the audience.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
11:20 pm
Exactly. So. When writing humor as with anything else, you have to define your audience or you end up writing something too germaine to hit the reader the right way with enough oomph.
FerfeLaBat
February 9
11:22 pm
Karen Scott readers are a tough crowd BTW. Just say’n.
shiloh walker
February 9
11:51 pm
oh believe me, I know. I’ve lurked around here for ages.
🙂
Eva Gale
February 10
4:03 pm
I had no idea the convo moved over here. Sorry. I would have embarassed myself more for your amusement.
Eva Gale
February 10
4:12 pm
Actually, maybe not. I’m finally reading Nora and hopefully Ferfe’s theory will work. 🙂
But if it at all matters, I think this whole discussion is becoming pointless. The white readers are agreeing that all stories should be shelved according to genre. I believe the black purchasers are the ones that insisted on the seperate shelving? At least that’s what I remember Monica saying before. So, why are the other races being blamed and told to buy more books by black authors? I already do.
Anonymous
February 12
7:23 pm
I’ve tried, really I have, not to comment as I’m just a lowly reader, who believes convenience is (shelving)GOD!?. But I just want to say to FerfelaBat that you’re way humourous and I’m digging your comments for all sorts of reasons, though some make me mad and crossed eyed, but most importantly, like Monica Jackson and Karen Scott you make me think outside my box. THANK YOU LADIES!.
Chandra
FerfeLaBat
February 12
9:19 pm
(previous Two posts deleted because they were in typo ridden hell)
Thanks, Chandra. Debates should be entertaining even if the subject is grim death. I feel I owe an apology to Dalia.
Brief explainer: My husband lives by the following philosophy. “Never, ever tell someone where your goat is tied or they will take it.” He has this philosophy mostly because I am (as Eva says) a PITA. If you open the console panel to your buttons, and my Skittles supplies run out, I will start pushing every single one on those buttons until the vending machine man returns to refill. Last week must have been the monthly rehab meeting in my office building and the vending machine? She was empty!
I deliberately baited Dalia and for that I am deeply sorry. She’s realy cute when she’s pissed though.
Also. What I said earlier?
A white author who shall remain nameless was bitching that romance is mixed in with all fiction in British bookstores and fans complained that her books were difficult to find. She wanted to know why there are no romance sections. Sectioning out fiction by type and sub-type seems to work for book sellers here.
May have come off as if I believe that British readers can’t locate books shelved in alphabetical order. While that may have been what I was overtly saying, you will note that American book stores, rather than insisting that we take ABC refresher courses at the door, just sectioned everything off into genre nooks identifiable by large posters hanging over them with art that has nothing-what-so-ever-to-do-with-the-books.
Karen Scott
February 12
9:22 pm
FLB, you really should read your comments before pressing send. Less typo’s that way. *g*
FerfeLaBat
February 12
9:27 pm
And for Barbara B. (via my friend Zeke) Stephen Colbert explains it so much better …
http://www.comedycentral.com/motherload/player.jhtml?ml_video=81955&ml_collection=&ml_gateway=&ml_gateway_id=&ml_comedian=&ml_runtime=&ml_context=show&ml_origin_url=%2Fshows%2Fthe_colbert_report%2Fvideos%2Fmost_recent%2Findex.jhtml&ml_playlist=&lnk=&is_large=true
Enjoy
FerfeLaBat
February 12
9:29 pm
Karen Scott said…
FLB, you really should read your comments before pressing send. Less typo’s that way. *g*
They restocked the Skittles today and I went a little crazy.