Isn’t It Ironic?
Wednesday, May 14, 2008Posted in: Karma is a bitch, Millenia Black Racism In Publishing
Sometimes karma really is a bitch.
Over at the SB’s blog, Sarah has a post up, entitled, ‘Erotica Writer Zane: I’m Facing Discrimination.
Sarah writes:
Thanks to the multiple Bitchery readers who forwarded this over. Erotica author and editor Zane emailed a DC-area email loop the following account of how her latest book is facing an uphill battle in terms of finding places in which to advertise. Why? Because it’s Black erotica? Nope. Because it’s gay. Specifically, according to Zane’s email, lesbian erotica.
SB Sarah also posted the contents of the e-mail.
Now normally I’d be sympathetic, because discrimination of any kind is hard to bear, but on this occasion, I admit to being highly amused at the way fate works.
The reason I have no sympathy for Zane, is because at the height of the Millenia Black v Penguin row, back in 2006, Zane publically delivered a smackdown to Millenia, that I felt was particularly unwarranted at the time. The rant was posted on Thumper’s Corner, but has since been deleted.
Paraphrasing wildly, Zane basically wrote that MB was biting the hand that fed her. Best-selling Author Pontiff expressed her outrage over Zane’s comments at the time.
I recall wondering why Zane felt the need to post such an incendiary rant at the time, and I must admit, I lost quite a bit of respect for her. I felt that it was attitudes like hers that made it even harder for AA authors to take a stand on the Racism in Publishing issue.
I wonder if Zane would still stand by the comments she made at the time?
M. A. Samm
May 14
8:08 pm
Karen
I couldn’t agree with you more. Why pick on Sormag, a relatively small, privately owned e-magazine rather than air her grievances with the national book club (more of the economic giant). It seems me that this is not only bully tactics, but a publicity stunt.
And her anthology isn’t the first to feature lesbian erotica. I’m not sure I believe that a national book chain won’t sell/advertise. Maybe it’s not the fact that it’s lesbian, but a woman fondling her bared tits. And the sales and marketing dept. should have known of this possibility and had plan B in place.
Michelle
LaShaunda
May 14
11:05 pm
My reason for not promoting erotica had nothing to do with her book. I could care less that it featured lesbians. It was my mistake to feature it in the first place. I made a mistake and apologized for it.
Most of the readers aren’t into erotica and it was time I went back to not featuring it as I did in the begining. She made it into a bashing against lesbians erotica, when it was not and never was.
Dee Tenorio
May 15
12:29 am
Alls I got is five words: Stone. Glass House. Big mistake.
sallahdog
May 15
2:22 am
I bow karen, I can’t remember half the shit I say on any given topic… for you to remember Zanes, wow…
Hey, I don’t get all wet over lesbian erotica… so I don’t buy it, so it doesnt really register on my radar. I did notice that it was selling on Amazon, which if they refused to carry it, might have struck me a little more prejudicial…
Capo
May 15
2:24 am
Reminds me of a story my grandfather used to tell. It was old and pretty raunchy at times even in broken English, but to summarize: dismiss not the hardships of others out of hand, lest the hand be turned to slap ye own face.