Here Are Some Ways to Support BIPOC Romance Authors:
Hi there! If you’re reading this, I assume you’re a romance reader, writer, or both. I’m writing this from the historic month of July, 2020. Here we are at the nexus of Covid 19 and a public reckoning with systemic racism. Never before (in my life at least) have economic disparities, political polarization, culturally-accepted bigotry, access to essential resources (such as medical care), a broken policing system, and systemic racism had a starker and brighter spotlight shone upon them.
What does this have to do with romance novels, you might be wondering? Well, a lot, unfortunately. Diversity, equity, and inclusion in publishing is abysmal, and amongst those BIPOC authors who are getting paid, their paychecks are often insulting and shockingly low in comparison to white authors.
This is (and should be) impossible to overlook. This is not a pothole to swerve around and keep driving. If this information had a road sign attached to it, that road sign would read: !Look out! !Bridge is Out! !Do Not Proceed!
We, as the romance community, simply cannot proceed in the face of this injustice. This, essentially, is legalized discrimination that is perpetuated by the fact that it functions as part of a system made up of thousands of gatekeepers.
So… want some good news? The number of romance readers absolutely dwarfs the number of professionals in the romance industry. We have !power! as consumers, review leavers, social media posters, and attendees.
If you are a romance reader who would like to see your favorite BIPOC authors paid what they are worth and would like to see more BIPOC authors and stories on the shelves, you can:
-tweet, instagram, and tag when you read a book by a BIPOC author that you really liked. Make sure you tag their publisher! You can also tag other publishers to let them know that you are a consumer of books written by BIPOC authors and that you want to see more.
-Leave positive reviews and comments in all the places that you normally leave those reviews and comments.
-Attend romance events that feature BIPOC authors.
-Do NOT attend romance events that don’t feature BIPOC authors (and make sure to let the organizers know the reason you won’t be attending).
-Purchase books through Black-owned bookstores.
-Talk with your local bookstore about the selection of romance novels they currently have. If necessary, provide them with a list of the books and authors you’d like to see on their shelves.
-Listen to BIPOC authors when they speak about their experiences in publishing. Have they listed specific publishers or people that acted as gatekeepers and further limited their opportunities and/or their money? If they have, I highly recommend not purchasing from those publishers any longer, and letting them know why! Tweet, Instagram, etc. your support for your faves.
The publishing industry is filled with good and well meaning people who want to do right by BIPOC authors. Those people have a far higher chance of opening these gates and fundamentally changing the makeup of the industry if we, as their (humongous, gorgeous, accepting, loyal, hard working, righteous, kick ass, unbeatable) readership inform them that the time to change is now! We do NOT want BIPOC authors to be marginalized! We will not passively let this moment pass us by! Let’s meet the moment! Let’s do some good!