A Thread (from my Twitter) about RACISM inside Publishing Houses.

Why would a publisher prefer/choose to endorse and publish a white author's book on BIPOC magic and culture (hoodoo, voodoo, folklore, Afro-Caribbean, etc...) when they could publish a real author of color.

I was having this conversation while drinking coffee w/ two priestesses who are planning to write a book in the future: BIPOC, books, ghostwriters, con-artists, marketing, and publishers.

A Thread from my Twitter.

#witchtwt #occulttwitter #writingcommmunity

Before getting into statistics (below) the first reasons why this happens are obviously:

1st MONEY because the big bookstore chains and publishing companies are in the hands of white men who prefer to keep it that way.

The 2nd is the "sympathy" on the part of white male Publishers/CEO toward white male authors. It's called "institutionalized racism" and it's pronounced "white privilege" although we struggle every day to see only one side of the coin, ignoring that both go hand in hand.

White publishers (and white-passing) prefer to publish and endorse mostly white authors because they have a greater opportunity to be invited to podcasts (predominantly white-male market) which give bigger exposure to the author/book, which translates into higher sales.

BIPOC Authors represent only 22% of the US publishing market, male authors are 55% of the market, and 69% of US bookstores are white-owned. While each 2 of the 3 publishers offers a lower advance (and % profit) margin for books sold to BIPOC authors than to white authors.

When the publisher signs a white author, he has a greater chance of being invited to shows (radio/tv/pods) and events than an author of color. So the 1st will sell an average of 10 units for every 2 units that the author of color sells in the same market at the same time.

While BIPOC authors in 92% of cases are only invited to shows and promotional events for two reasons: 1st. The organizing team has at least one person of color. 2nd. The event wants/seeks to avoid any controversy related to racial inequality.

The white author ends up getting more promotion/exposure/sales and ends up getting another publishing deal with the publisher soon after, while the BIPOC author (because of all of the above) ends up retiring or self-publishing due to anxiety and frustration.

Example of the above

A BIPOC woman who only manages to get two books published with a major publisher in five years, or a BIPOC male author who only manages to sign two books in six years, while in the same amount of time. A white author (regardless of being male or female) who is constantly and publicly accused of cultural appropriation, with half the credentials, reviews, and public acceptance, finds to sign for five books in five years, with the same publishing house.

In most cases, the author of color is doomed to receive a narrower spectrum of promotional opportunities with the publisher from the moment it's signed the contract, under the terms of modern contracts which offer the publisher by law the right to ' first refusal'.

The author can spend up to ten years without publishing anything without being officially released from the contract (by the publisher) before having the opportunity to resort to a lawsuit for discrimination and eligibility.

In some cases (too few to be measured statistically) the publisher and CEO may even prefer the option of publishing a BIPOC culture book (ex: Santeria, Hoodoo, La Santa Muerte, Orishas) under the "credentials" of a white editor-ghostwriter masked as a BIPOC author.

A BIPOC will probably accept any contract (even under these conditions) either for the obvious reasons (racial discrimination/lack of opportunities to enter the publishing market) or for total ignorance of the subject, thinking will be treated exactly like everyone else.

If five years working as a promoter for a small Spanish printing company in Venezuela (Circulo de Lectores, S.A.), as well as #digitalmarketer for three Marketing companies in US (NetLatam/ICONYC, EcoLatinPub, Brand Builders) has taught me something, is the next:

From the inside, when these companies seek to hire you to promote their products, ensure higher spending power for products/services created by white males, and lower spending (sometimes as low as 23% compared to previous) for BIPOC/women creatives, authors and entrepreneurs.

Although it is not the fault of a person because of the color of their skin to have a certain range of privileges, few authors recognize the privilege they have and use it to change the industry from within by raising voices of color.

Appendix:

Here below, I enclose for you a brief list of links that I invite you to consult, as well as a brief list of esoteric books by different BIPOC authors (of my preference) who make use of our "status" (so to speak) to promote others in our same industry.

Links:

~ PUBLISHER DEMOGRAPHICS AND STATISTICS IN THE US https://www.zippia.com/publisher-jobs/demographics/

~ 'The Unbearable Whiteness of Publishing' Revisited https://www.publishersweekly.com/.../85450-the-unbearable...

~ How #PublishingPaidMe Exposed Racial Inequities https://www.publishersweekly.com/.../83838-how...

#racism #publishing

Just How White Is the Book Industry? (by New York Times) https://www.nytimes.com/.../diversity-publishing-industry...

The War on Inclusion: How Publishing’s Refusal to Confront Systemic Whiteness Fails Authors of Color https://ryandouglass.medium.com/the-war-on-inclusion-how...

Number-crunching the overwhelming whiteness of the book publishing industry https://boingboing.net/.../number-crunching-the...

Diversity in publishing – still hideously middle-class and white? (by The Guardian) https://www.theguardian.com/.../diversity-publishing-new...

How white people uphold systemic racism in publishing #AuthorToolboxBlogHop https://raimeygallant.com/.../howwhitepeopleupholdsystem.../

revisiting white privilege in publishing https://zettaelliott.wordpress.com/.../revisiting-white.../

‘A Conflicted Cultural Force’: What It’s Like to Be Black in Publishing https://www.nytimes.com/.../books/book-publishing-black.html (by NYTIMES)

BOOKS:

My Own Book on Charm Bags: https://www.amazon.com/Magical-Art.../dp/1578636191/

Orishas, Goddesses, and Voodoo Queens, by Lilith Dorsey: https://www.amazon.com/Orishas-Goddesses.../dp/1578636957/

The Witch's Guide to the Paranormal, by Allen Cross: https://www.amazon.com/Witchs-Guide.../dp/0738772089/

Powerful Juju, by Najah Lightfoot: https://www.amazon.com/Powerful-Juju.../dp/0738767158/

Hoodoo Justice Magic, by Miss Aida: https://www.amazon.com/Hoodoo-Justice.../dp/1578637562/

Brujas: The Magic and Power of Witches of Color, by Lorraine Monteagut Ph.D. : https://www.amazon.com/Brujas-Magic-Power.../dp/1641603992/

Clearing Spaces: Inspirational Techniques to Heal Your Home, by Khi Armand: https://www.amazon.com/Clearing-Spaces.../dp/1454919582/