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 […]
Diversity
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, […]
In Bologna Panel, Publishers Discuss History, Future of Diverse Books
In a pre-recorded panel at the virtual Bologna Children’s Book Fair, A Decade of Diversity in Children’s Books, publishers and creators of children’s books from around the world discussed the history and future of diverse books. Featuring COO of We Need Diverse Books Dhonielle Clayton; publisher of Lee & Low Books Jason Low; author and founder of LovingKindness Boma publishing house, Cote d’Ivoire, Swaady Martin; Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Settenove edizioni, Italy, Monica Martinelli; American illustrator and wirter Chris Raschka; Founding director of Rue du monde publishing house, France, Alain Serres and moderated by bookselling and international editor of Publishers […]
Briefs
Diversity Penguin Random House published their 2020 Social Impact Report, evaluating their “social impact commitment areas” of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion; Environment & Sustainability; and Free Expression & Joy of Reading. CEO Markus Dohle acknowledges in the introduction, “In some areas, we have a long way to go. Change is overdue when it comes to building a publishing industry that’s truly diverse and equitable—from the authors we publish to the employees we hire. We cannot erase the past, but we can—and will—do everything within our power to help build a more equitable and just world through the power of books […]
Reese’s Book Club Is Now An App, Adds “Pay It Forward” Platform
Reese Witherspoon’s book club launched an app and a dedicated site, which serves up her monthly recommendations alongside merchandise, community features, contests and more. With it comes a pledge, through an initiative called The Readership, to “champion diverse writers” and “support book retailers, especially our favorite indie bookstores.” That marks a significant and welcome change, since much of the club’s market-moving impact had flowed to Audible, which Witherspoon’s company Hello Sunshine prominently partnered with in 2018. Though no formal announcement was made, Reese’s Book Club vp Cynthia Rupeka told PL that “our partnership with Audible has ended.” For the first […]
Hachette Book Group Updates on Diversity and Inclusion Programs
Hachette Book Group USA ceo Michael Pietsch updated staff last week on the company’s ongoing diversity and inclusion efforts: “This is an incredibly important conversation, about a large number of significant goals. Some we can accomplish quickly, others will take concentrated efforts over years.” As Pietsch admitted in a companywide meeting at the end of June, “We don’t have nearly sufficient diversity at HBG.” The company had reported internally that its workforce is 69 percent white; 4 percent Black; 18 percent Hispanic; 7 percent Asian; and 2 percent bi-multiracial. Senior management is 80 percent white. Among new hires in 2019 […]