The Great (Or not So Great) Racism In Publishing Survey…
Monday, February 5, 2007Posted in: Racism in publishing survey
I’m somebody who likes to get the true tale straight from the horse’s mouth, so with this in mind, I decided to conduct a poll based on African American authors experiences within the publishing industry.
I want to know how other AA authors feel about the current shelving policies, I want to know who they feel is to blame for the current problems that they face. I want to know if they feel that their work is considered inferior in comparison to white romance authors. I want to know their thoughts on what needs to change.
I already tried doing this the discreet way, by sending out an e-mail to all the AA authors that I’m familiar with, but so far I’ve only had 9 responses (I sent 50 e-mails out thus far). Two of the authors were too busy, one person didn’t want to be involved, because they thought I was affiliated to All About Romance, and one author decided to forward the supposedly private e-mail and private e-mail address, to a whole host of Yahoo groups. Thanks for that, I do so love getting spam. Incidentally, she didn’t want to particpate.
Now here’s the hard bit, to get this news out, I need help from you guys. (Yes you need to do some work!)
I would like for all the reader and writer bloggers out there who frequent this site to cut and paste the following message onto their blog:
Racism In Publishing, How Does It Affect You?
Are you an African American author who’s been published for at least one year? If so
Karen Scott wants to hear from you.
She’s conducting a survey based on the racism within the publishing industry, and whether or not it’s as prevalent as some believe. She’s looking for black or African American authors who have been published for at least one year.
She would like to know about your specific experiences within the industry thus far. She wants to know how AA authors feel about the current shelving policies, and niche marketing. She wants to know who you feel is to blame for the problems that you face. She also wants your suggestions on how things can be improved upon.
In all, there are twenty questions in the survey, and all that she asks is that people be as honest as possible. Confidentiality is assured if requested, but for the findings to yield more weight, she would request that she be granted permission to directly quote from the answers given by the authors.
She’s hoping to poll at least 100 AA authors, in an effort to ensure that a fair representation is achieved.
If enough authors agree to partcipate, (and depending on the findings) the results may well be sent to representatives within media and press. No promises that Oprah will hear about it, but all efforts will be made to get the message out.
If there are AA authors out there interested in participating in this poll, please e-mail Karen at hairylemony @ gmail. com (without the spaces) with the subject header ‘Please send me the survey’.
The deadline for the survey to be completed and returned to Karen is March 1st 2007
I’d be really grateful if you guys could help me to spread the word, and fingers crossed that I get a better response this way.
Please note that this post will remain at the top of the blog for the next month. For my regular *ahem*, daily posts, please look below.
Thanks to the following AA authors who have agreed to particpate so far:
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that these ladies also have great websites. (g)
Anne
February 5
2:32 pm
Already done my friend *G*
You go girl! I honestly think this whole situation is ridiculous. My Waldenbooks doesn’t have an AA section, just a romance section where ALL romance authors are located so when I heard about this I found it ridiculous.
Eva Gale
February 5
2:42 pm
The Marcia King link is broken.
Will do.
bam
February 5
4:16 pm
Done and done, biatch.
http://dionnegalace.com/wordpress/2007/02/05/for-karen/
MaryJanice Davidson
February 5
4:25 pm
Done! I’m also happy to report that there are NO AA sections in any bookstore around here (Minnesota); everything’s jammed into romance. And thank goodness!
Shiloh Walker
February 5
4:29 pm
I’ve got it up.
Gwyneth Bolton
February 5
4:49 pm
I’d like to see the survey. I’m an African American author who has been published a year.
Also, here is Marcia King-Gamble’s website:
http://www.lovemarcia.com/
And in response to Maryjanice Davidson, I lived in Minneapolis for close to six years and Borders always had the African American section. Most Borders bookstores do. I’d be very surprised if the Borders in Saint Paul have changed. But I’m willing to be pleasantly surprised.
Bestselling Author, Pontif.
February 5
5:09 pm
Good effort, Karen. I’ve posted it, too.
Shesawriter
February 5
5:42 pm
This is my first time posting here.
Most of the bookstores in MY area do segregrate books in the AA section. Not just some books, but MOST, if not ALL of them. It’s a hodgepodge of genres. They toss everything in there. Sci-Fi, Poetry, Romance, Horror, Biographies, Self-help, Cookbooks, you name it, it’s there. Now I find THAT ridiculous. In visiting those sections in the past, believe it or not, it never occured to me that they were “sectioned.” Call me blind, but I didn’t notice it until Monica Jackson started posting about it on her blog. Kudos, Monica!
I posted this survey content on my blog as well. It’s great that you’re taking this on, Karen. Now let’s hope you get a floodgate of responses.
Barbara B.
February 5
6:00 pm
Shesawriter, I guess I’m blind like that too. Over the years I’ve visited sections in bookstores called Black Interest or Black Studies. I’d go there looking for sociological books, biographies, slave narratives, etc. I guess I had tunnel vision because I’d get what I was looking for and then head back to the genre sections. I didn’t find out until last year that romances are shelved in that kind of section. Go figure. I guess that’s why I’ve never seen an A-A romance in a bookstore. Too busy looking in the romance section.
MaryJanice Davidson
February 5
6:25 pm
Gwyneth, ah, that explains it…I never shop at Borders, just B&N and independents. Now I’ve got yet another reason not to shop at Borders!
Ann(ie)
February 5
6:27 pm
Posted. I hope it helps.
rozlips
February 5
6:57 pm
I’ve only been published since September. But I participate on a message board that has a lot of black authors who write interracial romances. I’ll post it there.
DeeandDee
February 5
9:47 pm
I posted it! http://deeanddeedish.blogspot.com/
I hope you get all the participants you need and many many more!
Bookwormom
February 6
12:11 am
Hi Karen~ I posted your request on my blog.
A tidbit of info for your readers. I worked for a large book chain (now open in both the US & the UK) for 5 years, starting in 1998. Early on during my slavery- er..employment- they conducted a survey of store patrons using forms to be filled out & dropped in a box.
The question- did patrons want a separate section for African American oriented books (fiction & nonfiction) or would they prefer everything to be shelved together? The survey boxes were placed in prominent areas of the store & the papers were sent to the home office.
Later we were told that the responses indicated a desire to maintain a separate section, not to reshelve the African American section into other existing sections. I remember my manager said that the responders were very divided. Very much in the yes separate or no maintain categories. Not many fence sitters, I guess.
I have no idea how many responses the chain as a whole had, what proportion said no & what proportion said yes. I’ve not worked for them for several years now, so I don’t have any more current information.
I think the categorization was often arbitrary & irrelevant & made customers have to hunt harder to find the books they want.
Excellent discussion you have going on & I look forward to reading your collected information.
Jaye
February 6
12:18 am
It’s up.
FerfeLaBat
February 6
2:06 am
So. Not just a Walmart thing? I blogged it. Can’t wait for the results.
FerfeLaBat
February 6
2:10 am
Sorry for the double post. My main blog which feeds into my websites http://www.FerfeLaBat.com This SN is just for Kritter reports and other badness.
Kristie (J)
February 6
4:05 am
I’ll post it too and FWIW – AA Romance authors are shelved right along with all the other romance books at both the Chapters and Walmart near me.
Anonymous
February 6
8:18 am
Will post this – and I’m interested in seeing the results.
I’m not black – I’m actually half Arab though and I’ve had my share of racist remarks directed at me.
I still think the US is one of the most racist countries I know – but obviously all the poeple posting here are not, and are actively trying to make a difference.
My saying that Americans are racist shouldn’t be taken as an insult by those who are not – Shiloh I can’t understand why you got your knickers in a twist about that but they say the truth hurts the most. I won’t apologise for thinking that the US is racist when I see that there are separate shelves in bookstores that segregate black from white characters and authors. I will say that seeing your reaction and that of others warms my heart, because it means (to me) that racism doesn’t have long to live in the US – and that hopefully soon it will be gone. I don’t care that you and Beverly got pissed at me – it means that racism is something you abhor and that’s a credit to you.
And no, I’m not saying life is perfect in Europe, and that I was looking at the US from way over here. My family ALL lives in the US, including my son, and I go there very often.
Sam
Jaye
February 6
12:39 pm
I should add that in all of the Indigo-Chapters affliate bookstores I’ve been in here (the Canadian version of B&N) the AA romances either get slotted in with the regular romance OR they get slotted right beside them, the way category romances are *within* the general romance section but grouped together. In addition, sometimes they’re also into the Black writers/books section (if there is one) or the general fiction area depending on the individual stores and how they’ve categorized the book. So you’re talking double exposure, in the same way Linda Howard’s books can be found both in the general fiction *and* the romance sections. Granted not all stores have the square footage to have this type of double shelving.
Barbara B.
February 6
3:00 pm
I’ve bought books by Raine Weaver but I didn’t know she was black until now. Imagine that. Actually I’ve bought and enjoyed books by several writers who I learned later were A-A. Lena Matthews, Camille Anthony, Marilyn Lee, Eve Vaughn, and several others. I only found out when I saw pictures of them or read interviews asking them questions about their perspective on romance as A-A authors. Go figure.
Sandra Schwab
February 6
5:22 pm
It’s now up on my blog, too.
Shiloh Walker
February 6
10:26 pm
Have to say, I love Raine’s website.
MaryJanice Davidson
February 7
1:23 am
You want to talk ignorant? I had no idea Terry McMillan was black when I first started reading her. I just loved the first page of her book (I think it was WHEN STELLA GOT HER GROOVE BACK), when she talks about how her sister forgets her birthday, but it’s a disaster if anyone ever forgets her sister’s birthday. That got me where I live (so, so been there) and I bought it on the spot. Loved the book. Loved the writing. Didn’t give a tin poopie what color the author was. Frankly, given what a smash her debut was, I sort of thought she got the last laugh on everybody.
FerfeLaBat
February 7
2:44 am
My saying that Americans are racist shouldn’t be taken as an insult by those who are not … ~Sam
OK. OK. Is it just me that is finding Sam funny as hell?
Sam. You are killing me. I am literally dying laughing every time you post this stuff. It’s … the irony of the classic stereotypical French disdain for all things American, making blanket denigrating remarks about Americans in general while blindly holding the entire country of France (riots, veil ban and all) up as the gold standard for all things civil … I am genuinely in love with you. The prejudice … the complete and utter inability to see the inanity of labeling three HUNDRED Million people racist is … words fail me. I can’t stop laughing. Thank you.
In theory I know people exist who can think this way but I so rarely cross paths with the genuine article. I almost want to ask what else you think of Americans but … I’m afraid.
FerfeLaBat
February 7
3:15 am
Sam’s like a French Borat. It’s gotta be an act. HAS to be.
Mad
February 8
1:36 am
KristieJ — you’re lucky. Our Walmart doesn’t…they have the AA books in a different section and it drives me crazy when I see them….although BAM has gotten better and puts all the romance novels together so one doesn’t have to go all over the place looking for the specific book they need….now if they’ll just listen to my nagging and remove Danielle Steele from the romance section…blech. *G*
Holly
February 8
8:47 pm
If there’s a separate section for AA romances in my local bookstores, I haven’t noticed. The ones I’ve seen have been right there in the romance isle, but I’ll admit to never looking elsewhere. I know where the romance section is, and I know where the bargain books are. Otherwise, I have no clue..
Post the survey on our site, too.
Karen Scott
February 10
12:10 pm
Thanks to everyone who posted this on their blogs, I want you to know I appreciate it. I really do.
Racy Li
February 10
10:53 pm
I’m a longtime lurker (this may be my first comment). Just wanted to say that as soon as my blog stops being stupid, I’ll be posting it up. But I did fwd the survey to a yahoogroup of IR and AA ebook authors I belong to, so hopefully you might get a few more responses from there.
Lucy
February 22
10:47 pm
Well, I have never done the “blog thing” before… so here it goes. I guess I have a thing or two to say about racism. I do want to say I am not racist. I mean I’m really not! I couldn’t care less about a person’s skin color ( green, blue, white, red, yellow, black, brown, or even hot pink!) With that said. What in the flying blue blazes is the big deal about having a Africian American section in a store for books, music, cards, TV, etc… When all is said and done, this is America the melting pot! So lets melt already and stop segregating everything. That was suposed to have gone out in the sixties! Yeah, I know there were/are still some idiots out in the world that think diferently, but why can’t you just have authors who just happen to be Africian American? Why are you putting the persons work into a box with a label of African American? Let the work be judged by it’s own merit. You know I miss the word black. I grew up with that word. Heck, I’m American Indian, but I don’t go around saying that. People need to be who they are and not have so many hang – ups about skin color or race! I could go on and on… but I do not have the time to do so. Yes, my skin is lilly white and yes, I have been on the receiving end of racism. It is not pretty. I even lost a job because of racism. I guess I feel that racism will keep going strong as long as people feel the need to seperate every part of life wether it is books, music, clothing, culture,you know have a seperate section of the store set aside for “AA” only. ooo does this sound familar? I remember the white only signs during the age and before the civil rights movement. It wasn’t good then and it’s certainly not good now! Ok, I’m done. There will always be more to say. Go with love and have a blessed day!
Karen Scott
February 23
12:27 am
Hey Lucy, thanks for stopping by. You’re absolutely right, colour shouldn’t matter, but it does, and will continue to matter for the foreseeable future. Sad but true.
Well said though.
Lucy
February 23
6:53 pm
Hello Karen, You know what is funny? I found your site while I was looking for Karen Scott clothing. The things one will find on the internet! Anyway, I do want to clear up a point I made earlier. I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea. I do believe we need to know our history. As a people we need to learn from the past because it will guide us and put us on the right path. I love the fact that I have Cherokee blood. I truly believe that people need to know their background, but if they are going to be American, great! Be American first. All of the rest can come later. The sad thing is when people look at each other and think they know how the other person is going to act. Many times they are totaly wrong. I guess the words I am looking for are preconceived ideas. That people have about others, very dangerous and shortsighted. Ok, so I am somewhat of an idealist. I do know that there is a real world out there.( What country are you from? I noticed that the time stamp on your reply was several hours ahead of mine. I am from Texas myself.) Unfortunatly, I have met people who have these preconceived notions about racism, like if the skin is white, you must be a racist. It took me awhile but I changed her mind about me. It took about 4 1/2 years to do it, but she worked part time at the department store where we worked. What can I say I was persistent, and we stayed friends until she moved out of town. Nice lady. Everybody has heard all of the bad stories, I just wanted to add something positive to the rest. There are some sane people out here trying to make a difference. Not everyone from Texas is a redneck 😉 Good luck with your survey. Be blessed!
Anonymous
May 3
9:40 pm
As a reader I get majorly frustrated attempting to shop in a bookstore that seperates books by race. I once hunted several weeks for a LA Banks book before I discovered 1. it had been instore the whole time, 2. the author is AA, & 3. Borders has a seperate section for AA authors. Silly me just about gave up on the author by the time I discovered where she was shelved.
When looking for a new book, I browse the romance, fantansy, and YA sections (for my kids, really). I don’t think to check out other sections, but will check out AA authors if they are shelved with everything else.
Why on earth is erotica shelved in non-fiction under sex self help?
-dl
Sherri Rosen
February 9
8:23 am
Go to Gatekeepers.Com and see the article I wrote titled “Are Publishers Racist?”