One of the most concerning issues facing the publishing industry is the alarming lack of diversity, especially when it comes to race.

In the most recent handful of years, diversity has become a much more prominent subject for authors, yet the editors behind these stories have still remained predominantly white in the publishing industry. In a study completed by Publishers Weekly in 2016 alone over 82% of people working in the Editorial Department of publishing companies identified themselves as White/Caucasian. An alarmingly high percentage compared to that of the second highest margin with 7% of people identifying as Asian/Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander.

What does this lack of racial diversity mean for the industry? The lack of inclusivity in the industry will only continue to create issues for future generations as there is a clear misunderstanding of what the experience of life is like for people of color. While white authors are beginning to write about people of color, it is extremely vital to begin to give people of color the opportunity to work with editors of similar dissent to publish their own narratives, otherwise society will never develop of a full understanding of what it is to be a person of color in the 21st century and beyond.

It is important for younger editors that are newer to the field to make conscious effort to search for narratives that go beyond what they are comfortable with in order to better the field as a whole. Luckily, companies such as Random House are splitting off into imprints (One World) to provide the general public with stories from people of all backgrounds and social identities. As these imprints rise in popularity, it is important to remember to support companies that support the representation of people of all shapes, sizes, colors, and identities.

Works Cited

“A Profitable Year for Trade Publishers.” PublishersWeekly.com, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/79675-a-profitable-year-for-trade-publishers.html.

Akbar, Arifa. “Diversity in Publishing – Still Hideously Middle-Class and White?” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 9 Dec. 2017, www.theguardian.com/books/2017/dec/09/diversity-publishing-new-faces.

Oneworldlit.com, oneworldlit.com/.

“Why Publishing Is So White.” PublishersWeekly.com, www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/69653-why-publishing-is-So-white.html.

Last update: 5/7/2019 DL