The Association of American Publishers announced it is expanding its work into climate and sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in public policy, as voted on by its board of directors. AAP president and ceo Maria A. Pallante said, “By focusing AAP on diversity and sustainability challenges, the board is not only acknowledging the potential impact of change management within its own ranks, but also acknowledging its responsibility to future generations of publishers, authors, readers, and leaders.” AAP board chair Brian Napack, Wiley president and ceo, led the initiatives, creating working groups with representatives from across the industry “to […]
Diversity
PRH Releases Author Diversity Audit
Penguin Random House released their “phase one” U.S. publishing programs audit, which investigated the identities of contributors — authors, illustrators, and translators — of titles published between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021. Contributors were asked to self-identify, and 3,415 people participated. Initial conclusions were clear: “Our Contributor demographics do not reflect U.S. reader demographics when it comes to race and ethnicity. Black, Hispanic, and Indigenous representation is low, while white representation is overindexed. Significant growth in the underrepresented contributor populations is required to accurately reflect U.S. demographics.” The company noted, “The data also show a correlation between workforce […]
Publishing Rethinks Its Use of “#OwnVoices”
In June, nonprofit children’s book organization We Need Diverse Books (WNDB) announced that it would stop using the term #OwnVoices, in favor of authors’ specific descriptions of themselves and their characters. WNDB said that use of the term has forced authors to self-identify in ways that are uncomfortable or dangerous; some diverse identities, such as disability or LGBTQ identities, aren’t self-evident. The hashtag has also become a way to police marginalized writers, “questioning authors who do have lived experience about whether they ‘count’ as ‘diverse enough’ to write about that specific community (for example, in making multiracial or bi+/pansexual authors […]
Initiatives: B&T Adds Diversity Tool
Baker & Taylor will release a Diversity Analysis tool to help libraries “discover, manage, and report on diversity-related topics.” According to the release, the tool will allow libraries to analyze physical and digital collections and identify gaps. EVP and general manager of Baker & Taylor Amandeep Kochar said, “Creating and managing a collection that encompasses the wealth of human experiences can be complex and time consuming, which was our inspiration behind creating Diversity Analysis.” The service will be available this month for B&T customers. In May, Ingram Library Services launched a similar assessment service to help public libraries “diversify their […]
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 […]
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, […]