In recent years, the publishing industry is making greater efforts to increase the diversity within their staff, as well as in works written by BIPOC, queer and disabled authors. The reason why should be obvious enough, each publishing organisation wants to be the cornerstone of societal import. Now that society is starting to pay closer attention to those who were once ignored, we now understand that telling the stories of those who were marginalised matters. With more diverse hires, bias can be somewhat mitigated, as diverse staff means that works written by people that they relate to are more likely to be published.
So, where does that leave the hopefuls from marginalised groups who want to make their breakout into the industry? Evidently, it is great news that the publishing industry is increasing its efforts of inclusion! But, speaking from experience? I think a lot of us are still terrified. Progress is a slow churning wheel, and as an autistic individual, I am still uncertain where being honest about my disability will leave me. We cannot always avoid bias, and with how competitive the industry is, breaking into it leaves a lot of folks nervous about anything that can be held against them.
Here’s the thing, despite me knowing how capable I would be, companies may be unwilling to take that risk. That is subconscious bias and is morally dubious, but at the very least I can mask my disability. For people of colour, however? You can’t hide that.
Despite these fears, I believe that the industry is changing for the better. And the more diverse the industry is, the stronger it will become. Each group has a story to tell, and each group will have a unique perspective on stories that deserve to be told. That story’s worth may not be picked up by someone outside of that group at a first glance, but the more eyes the better. I often wonder how many best sellers were missed because of that insidious, unconscious bias.
Inclusion is so important, not just for sales, but for the betterment of society. I have read one story in recent memory about an autistic person, and it stuck with me for a long time. Representation matters because it inspires others to be creative. The more creatives in this world, the better.
Written by Ash Atkinson
Listening to unique perspectives is important for us to understand more – and I thought that was a great comment: representation inspires creativity and, yes – creativity is what the world needs.