For generations, the major American publishers have focused almost entirely on white readers. Now a new cadre of executives is trying to open up the industry.
Journalist Marcela Valdes spent a year reporting on what she described as “the problematic history of diversity in book publishing and the way it has influenced editors, authors and what you see (or don’t see) in bookstores.”
By interviewing more than 50 current and former book professionals and authors, Ms. Valdes learned about the past failed attempts to cultivate a black audience, and considered the intricacies of an industrial culture that still struggles to “create the clubby, white elitism.” overcome that it was born in.”
As one publishing house puts it, the future of book publishing will not only be determined by its recent hires, but also by the way it answers this question: can publishers work to increase readership for everyone instead of fighting? for pieces of an ever-shrinking pie? ?
Additional production for The Sunday Read was contributed by Emma Kehlbeck, Parin Behrooz, Anna Diamond, Sarah Diamond, Jack D’Isidoro, Elena Hecht, Desiree Ibekwe, Tanya Pérez, Marion Lozano, Saskia Solomon, Naomi Noury, Krish Seenivasan, Corey Schreppel, Margaret Willison, Kate Winslett and Tiana Young. Special thanks to Mike Benoist, Sam Dolnick, Laura Kim, Julia Simon, Lisa Tobin, Blake Wilson and Ryan Wegner.