Rude, Racist Thoughts For "Straight, White Male Publishing"
For the record, my first editor was a woman and the second two have been gay men. Isaac Fitzgerald at BuzzFeed was looking for some clickbait when he took these pictures.
"We asked attendees at the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference if they had any messages for the predominantly white publishing industry. Here are their answers."
Here's one of the photos. Asinine. I don't read books -- or research -- based on what's in the pants (or skirt) of who wrote it. I read books because they seem good.
Also, dearie, you'll do better in being thought a good writer if you learned that it would be "read 'fewer' straight, white men."
Publishing is marketplace. They are very, very careful now to see that authors' books will sell. They are not keeping people out because they are black or whatever; they are keeping them out because they don't come with an audience or their books don't seem like they will garner much of one.
Oh, is that what the sign means? I thought she was suggesting that straight, white men should read less.
The sign should have said (as I was interpreting it), "Read less, straight, white men."
Patrick at April 18, 2015 7:29 AM
People seem to miss that politics is the branch of philosophy that addresses how we treat our fellow humans.Calling me down for for aspects of my being that I ostensibly had no say in is simply bad mojo.
Mbruce at April 18, 2015 7:32 AM
PS, I should probably pre-apologize for appropriating another culture's jargon.
Mbrucem at April 18, 2015 7:34 AM
Unless the author has a bio with a picture, how would I know if they are gay, straight, black white, male or female? The name does not always confer such information and pseudonyms are common.
I have to say I can't remember conclusively the sexual orientation of any author I've ever read. I just don't care enough to remember. And I've never bought or read a book based on the author's demographic. Seems like a non-starter to me.
Matt at April 18, 2015 8:23 AM
This seems to be a meme popular amongst the "social justice" set. We have a "K. Tempest Bradford" pushing the same thing in Science Fiction.
Considering that most editors at big publishing houses are women, it kind of destroys the "logic" (for values of 'logic' . . .) these people are using.
In the final analysis, only two colors matter: black ink on white paper. . .
Keith Glass at April 18, 2015 8:44 AM
I'm getting really tired of people wasting huge amounts of time and effort on being offended over stupid shit.
Use your powers for good, people, not evil.
Daghain at April 18, 2015 9:39 AM
Given her Aryan looks, makes you wonder if 70 or so years ago her grandparents were protesting against studying Jewish Physics. History doesn't repeat, but it does rhyme.
Wfjag at April 18, 2015 10:02 AM
Also, dearie, you'll do better in being thought a good writer if you learned that it would be "read 'fewer' straight, white men."
Instead of seeing them as individuals, perhaps she perceives straight white men as a massive slimy blob.
JD at April 18, 2015 10:36 AM
I'm curious as to which funeral home director did her makeup.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at April 18, 2015 10:39 AM
Unless the author has a bio with a picture...
Exactly. I get Philip Manning's science book list (via email) every week and also get publishers' catalogs. I look at the subject and title of the books and barely notice the author's name, unless it's a researcher I know.
Imagine if I chose books for my radio show based on the color and genitalia of the author. Nina Teicholz wrote a terrific book on the science of low-carb (and the politics and shoddy and dishonest science behind the advice that we eat a high-carb/low-fat diet). Why in the world would I have on an author of a lesser book simply because he's, say, black and male or Asian and gay. (I think Teicholz is heterosexual -- though I don't really know -- but simply because I seem to remember her mentioning a man in her life when we talked. Again, whether you are gay or straight is unimportant. Is your book good or does it suck?
Amy Alkon at April 18, 2015 11:01 AM
ah, threatening the people who sign the checks is always the best strategy, I find.
meh. go indy, and STFU and get some work done. Nobody gives a crap about your politics, only if you can write worth a damn.
SwissArmyD at April 18, 2015 12:57 PM
Actually, I think she's just pointing out that white women can't get published. After all, who's ever read the series about Harry Potter, Outlander, Divergent, Hunger Games, Clockwork Princess, or anything by Anne Rice or that Redheaded advice columnist. Women only can write bodice rippers if they want to get published.
Wfjag at April 18, 2015 1:26 PM
This is more or less behind the Sad Puppies movement in Sci-Fi. People like this wanted more people like this and fewer Cis-Het males winning the Hugo Awards. A group of fans decided that good books should win awards and SP3 happened. People like her are screaming their lungs out now.
If you're interested, here's one of the best explanations of the current controversy.
http://monsterhunternation.com/2015/04/06/a-letter-to-the-smofs-moderates-and-fence-sitters-from-the-author-who-started-sad-puppies/
Nick Gardner at April 18, 2015 2:12 PM
By the way, she's not just racist, but sexist and heterophobic (if that's a word).
Patrick at April 18, 2015 3:16 PM
Actually, if she had a sign that said read more works by women or more works by gays, etc. I wouldn't mind it so much - it's the negativity that is her stupidity.
And, I do check the bio of the author in the back flap of the jacket - I don't care what race, gender, or ethnicity the author is; but, if their credentials are overtly liberal (writes for PBS, the New York Times, etc.) then I often don't bother with the book.
charles at April 18, 2015 3:23 PM
"Cis-Het males"
Now punch yourself in the eyeball and swear you'll never use that Newspeak again.
Gog_Magog_Carpet_Reclaimers at April 18, 2015 4:19 PM
Cornwell, Grafton, Sutcliff, Renault, Holland....
Oh, yeah. C. H. Sommers. Everybody should read her.
As we used to say on the playground,"You and what army?"
Richard Aubrey at April 18, 2015 5:46 PM
"In the final analysis, only two colors matter: black ink on white paper. . ."
Posted by: Keith Glass at April 18, 2015 8:44 AM
To which I'll add green money. If you can't sell it, you can give it away. If you can't give it away...
MarkD at April 19, 2015 6:49 AM
And don't forget Stephanie Meyer. Granted the Twilight series is awful, but it was successful.
Patrick at April 19, 2015 7:51 AM
Oh, I see that "dead white men" (as I remember it from the '80s) has morphed into "straight white men." Why stop with sex and sexual orientation when there are other privileged groups, such as neurotypicals, people with BMIs of 18.5 to 25, etc.? There could be a whole industry of people researching literary figures to ensure that they have at least one trait for which they were, or could have been, oppressed.
Sue at April 19, 2015 8:27 AM
Or would you consider Twilight to be a bodice-ripper?
Patrick at April 19, 2015 10:08 AM
After all, who's ever read the series about Harry Potter, Outlander, Divergent, Hunger Games, Clockwork Princess, or anything by Anne Rice or that Redheaded advice columnist.
And don't forget Stephanie Meyer.
Stephanie Meyer, Anne Rice, JK Rowling, etc. women? Hah! That's what they want you to think. In fact, they are biopods created by the overlords of The Patriarchy.
JD at April 19, 2015 1:06 PM
He's right. Anyone who isn't a straight white male has historically had a hard time getting published. Just ask these folks:
If a novel will sell and make the publisher money, it will get published. Like MarkD pointed out, the only color that matters is green.
Conan the Grammarian at April 19, 2015 1:58 PM
And Oscar Wilde, Harvey Fierstein and Tennessee Williams. All gay playwrights. Some women playwrights include Marsha Norman, Beth Henley, Lillian Hellman, Mary Chase and Lorraine Hansbury (who is also black).
Patrick at April 19, 2015 2:17 PM
Conan - you forgot Truman Capote and Harper Lee, two who were archetypes of the straight and narrow life.
Wfjag at April 19, 2015 7:27 PM
Leave a comment