People 7/1
UNC Press Responds to Chair Reappointment Controversy
The University of North Carolina Press released a statement yesterday following the refusal of the UNC System Board of Governors to reappoint the Press’s existing and renominated chair Eric Muller, who spoke out about the university’s handling of race and history. Vice chair of the UNC Press board Lisa Levenstein and director of UNC Press John Sherer write that many individuals and organizations have “rightfully voiced support for the reelection of Eric Muller,” who “served tirelessly and brilliantly as chair of the board during one of the most successful periods in the history of the Press.” While underscoring the Press’s […]
PRH DEI Director Discusses Initiatives, Avoiding Burnout
In a virtual event hosted by People of Color in Publishing, director of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Penguin Random House Annysa Polanco discussed her role and gave suggestions for companies to engage in DEI work. Polanco began by explaining that a DEI staffer looks at “the entire employee lifecycle” and how to infuse DEI into every part of the business, such as looking for diverse suppliers for shipping boxes. Overall, the goal of DEI is, “How do we make structural changes that are good for the business and good for its people.” Polanco spoke about the Inclusion Partner Program […]
Join Us Wednesday, July 7 for Our Next Live Discussion, with Publisher Pam Dorman
At noon Eastern on Wednesday, July 7, publisher of Pamela Dorman Books/Viking Pam Dorman joins as us as the next of our featured regular guests in the new PM user form, Discuss. She’ll answer questions such as submitting to overwhelmed editors; what editors look for in proposals; and more.
Workplace Racism Survey Released
POC in Publishing and Latinx in Publishing released their Workplace Racism Survey, which was conducted in 2018 and asked current and former BIPOC publishing employees about their experiences with racism and microaggressions at work. The report includes action items and resources for further learning, and specifically suggests that white publishing professionals not reach out to their BIPOC colleagues to discuss it, creating more unpaid emotional labor for them. Of the 211 participants, 58% have worked in publishing for 0-5 years, 18% for 6-10 years, and 24% for 11 or more years. They work at Big 5 houses and independent presses, […]