tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post2868538768260059850..comments2022-10-21T02:45:14.080-07:00Comments on diverse views: Isn't romance for everyone?: The diversity in romance publishing push? Please. I'm so over that boondogglePJ DEANhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-44309039510844838412015-11-03T21:10:30.018-08:002015-11-03T21:10:30.018-08:00Thanks for coming by. It's never too late. Hap...Thanks for coming by. It's never too late. Happy readingPJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-1521946585155138632015-11-03T17:56:10.986-08:002015-11-03T17:56:10.986-08:00Late to the post. Thank you for the list. And the ...Late to the post. Thank you for the list. And the list in the next post. Now, to research and buy.Lee Sarpelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17952852189854668213noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-3476166106723511772015-10-27T13:48:12.000-07:002015-10-27T13:48:12.000-07:00Will have to check out that writer's catalog. ...Will have to check out that writer's catalog. I have more authors to add. Thanks for popping by.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-30797981445827203752015-10-27T10:38:41.304-07:002015-10-27T10:38:41.304-07:00Melissa Blue's work is fun, too. I love most o...Melissa Blue's work is fun, too. I love most of the authors on your list. Have to look up the ones I haven't already seen.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04126161919372820344noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-37964362941365594822015-10-27T07:51:38.172-07:002015-10-27T07:51:38.172-07:00All you say is true. I don't read ANY one'...All you say is true. I don't read ANY one's billionaire or pregnancy books. Just not what I want to read. But it is up to the reader to sift out the wheat from the chaff. Right? Romance written by any, and all, authors has its dogs. There are levels of craft, skill, subject matter and ability. Not everything is for everyone. The thing is the reader has to find out what should be dropped from his/her list.<br />Also, not all those "stereoypical" Black chick books are written by non-White writers. There is a big, underground business in churning out tomes of crap with the most cringeworthy titles featuring Black heroines in WTF situations. ALL of those titles in those operations are written by folk who are grabbing the bucks and are chiefly penned by non-Black folks. My advice? If you read or come across these sub-par stories, don't buy 'em. STOP supporting junk with your dollars and propping up the most unflattering of depictions of non-White women. These are the books that get noticed and spotlighted. Not the great stuff. NOT all but ALOT of those types of books are self-pubbed, with little characterization, little editing and shoddy production. If better is wanted YOU must search for it and not accept anything but quality.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-45732916306044236782015-10-27T07:23:34.350-07:002015-10-27T07:23:34.350-07:00My problem with IR fiction is some authors go out ...My problem with IR fiction is some authors go out of their way to make the woman uneducated and stereotypical black. I can't stand all the billionaire books and pregnancy books. They may sell well but they don't do anything to put a well educated black woman in the spotlight. IMO shifter romance comes to close to bestiality I'll pass on that .Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14642399006842963910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-82373148688949724432015-10-26T05:53:06.610-07:002015-10-26T05:53:06.610-07:00Oh yes. yes. yes. The "look-i'm-not-racis...Oh yes. yes. yes. The "look-i'm-not-racist-cuz-I-wrote-a-PoC-in-my-book" White writer. The panels become all about how they need help writing a PoC. Which is NOT the point of diversity in romance publishing!PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-65273512517767429152015-10-26T01:47:37.015-07:002015-10-26T01:47:37.015-07:00Very interesting blog. I am very much looking for...Very interesting blog. I am very much looking forward to reading more!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07254025550007873276noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-41983812477097579412015-10-25T19:23:37.594-07:002015-10-25T19:23:37.594-07:00I wish you all the fortitude in the world it's...I wish you all the fortitude in the world it's going to take to get a publisher. I see daily on Twitter where the "YA Wars" never cease. Writers of Color relating being asked the most inane questions, by "pros" in the industry, about their choice of characters. And why are said characters "ethnic" or not the usual cast of characters. My advice: Try a publisher outside the U.S. I am part of a mid-sized Canadian publisher's roster of writers in romance. I wasted many years submitting to houses here and submitting myself to insulting treatment. I wasn't asked endless, mind-numbing questions upon submission of my stuff. They accepted on my work on its content.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-34197473084274077972015-10-25T18:47:19.664-07:002015-10-25T18:47:19.664-07:00Awesome post. I'm Black, shopping around a YA ...Awesome post. I'm Black, shopping around a YA romance with two Black leads. So this post is of particular interest to me. I think you hit many nails on their heads. Thank you for illuminating the truth.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07995267172282765794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-61614578149186897332015-10-25T16:15:44.669-07:002015-10-25T16:15:44.669-07:00Yes. The categorization is the kiss of death for b...Yes. The categorization is the kiss of death for books that already are marginalized due to both the author and the content not being what some would call the "norm."PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-35663802616484596532015-10-25T15:57:03.153-07:002015-10-25T15:57:03.153-07:00Well said! I refuse to categorize my (IR) romance...Well said! I refuse to categorize my (IR) romance novella as "multicultural" or "urban." Might as well slap a label on it, "Warning: Black woman and Asian man might trip and end up on the same page. Enter this book at your own risk!"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-47325872792288936582015-10-25T15:52:21.317-07:002015-10-25T15:52:21.317-07:00Diversity panels...oh lawd...diversity panels. I w...Diversity panels...oh lawd...diversity panels. I won't slam them all, plenty of WOC are on the panels and say some good things but largely, yeah, they are a joke. I can't bear any more. It becomes the 'we're not racist' publicity excuse without actually doing anything. Also it takes the focus of of promoting POC writers and POC characters to 'white writers discussing how they are not racist' which IS NOT THE POINT. Echo Ishiihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15442176616748694171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-12497526413885868402015-10-25T13:20:31.863-07:002015-10-25T13:20:31.863-07:00Your comment is much appreciated. The industry is ...Your comment is much appreciated. The industry is lazy and likes the way it's rolling along until some pencil pusher alerts them that they are losing money because the reading public's dynamic is changing...slowly. Then they'll jump into overdrive trying to make up for lost timePJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-77814364214144972092015-10-25T12:15:59.594-07:002015-10-25T12:15:59.594-07:00Lord, thank you for posting this! I write interrac...Lord, thank you for posting this! I write interracial AND heterosexual and have been trying for years to get an agent and get published. I once guessed that agents/publishers rejected IR romance because they didn't know how to market IR to the "mainstream" (aka a Caucasian reader). When I had that perspective confirmed by a white literary agent at a conference who said, "It just doesn't sell," I said NO, agents just don't TRY to sell it. Marketing 'diversity' means mainstream book professionals need to leave their ivory towers (pun intended) and get out to see that they're missing out on a society that is moving forward. If they were wiser, they would go out on that diversity limb and cash in on good writing from romance writers of all colors.Da Mommahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02602363984942037437noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-90437201727890671922015-10-25T10:47:34.597-07:002015-10-25T10:47:34.597-07:00We are invisible until we open our mouths, then al...We are invisible until we open our mouths, then all Hell breaks loose when we do. We are seen as angry." Impatient." I tell readers spend your moolah as you see fit. It is yours. But with each dollar they spend on the similar books leaves less room to sample the kind of book they say they want. Me? I'm past caring. I mean how many "reports' and "surveys" and "polls" do we need to know the real deal? We know it because we live it. All I can say is, I love what I create. I like it. And no one can steal my joy. thanks for dropping by.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-17050547850496505282015-10-25T10:40:04.186-07:002015-10-25T10:40:04.186-07:00One is always viewed as "divisive" when ...One is always viewed as "divisive" when shady ish is going on. I've heard it all: "You really wanna say that?" "That's not helpful.' Neither is sitting on one's hands, hoping ingrained behavior will change. PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-68273793425041324302015-10-25T10:25:05.002-07:002015-10-25T10:25:05.002-07:00Brutally* damn iPhone just does what it wants! Arg...Brutally* damn iPhone just does what it wants! Argh!<br /><br />What really irritates me is any time an author brings up the topic and opens the floor up for open discussion, it's perceived as divisive. How is it divisive to discuss as you said, the "800lb elephant in the room?" Open dialogue helps bring about change.<br /><br />There is no equality in the romance genre and the sooner we own up to that the sooner we can move forward. All you have to do is look at a handful of Facebook book clubs just to get a sense of the lack of diversity. Any time a book of the month discussion is open never do I see a book featured that was written by an author of color or a book that features characters who are not straight, or not able-bodied. Never. <br /><br />The admins don't see an issue with this and I highly doubt many even recognize that they do it. In contemporary romance, there are tons of authors who are writing amazing stories, but if you tend to just stick with the same authors and you don't actively look for different types of stories, then whether or not they want to admit it, these types of readers keep the cycle going. <br /><br />It's your money and you are most certainly welcome to spend it however you wish, but if you're saying, "the genre needs to change and be more inclusive," but you do nothing to make that happen... well then...<br /><br />You are part of the problem. Lip service doesn't help. Actively seeking out ways to spice up your e-reader helps. Spending your money wisely helps. Spreading the word about authors you enjoyed who write diverse romance helps. This is how we change the system.Harper Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02341017182143260674noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-66401930020651328252015-10-25T09:56:12.793-07:002015-10-25T09:56:12.793-07:00PREAAAAAAAAAAACH!!!!!!!!!!! My heart is bursting f...PREAAAAAAAAAAACH!!!!!!!!!!! My heart is bursting from all these truth bombs you've just dropped. My blogger friends and I were just speaking on this very issue the other day, and the term "diversity" has become so overused and diluted because it's the new catchphrase in romance. Diversity means different things to different people, but to me, diversity in romance means but one thing: non-white. All the authors you've listed have written some damn good stories and can't get on a "mainstream" bestseller to save their lives simply because their heroines are of color. Let's talk about that because that's a serious-ass problem for me, not only as a blogger, but as a woman of color who enjoys reading these stories and supporting those authors who write those stories. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18022285023905234087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-75947685315754440862015-10-25T08:23:31.751-07:002015-10-25T08:23:31.751-07:00You know, L. V., I hesitated in writing this post....You know, L. V., I hesitated in writing this post. I mean did I really want eyes on me? But then again when truth is spoken, most times it gets ignored because it hurts. All I know is I have nothing to lose. This needed to be said. Again. PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-50384303946493589462015-10-25T08:03:49.769-07:002015-10-25T08:03:49.769-07:00Thank you for your courage to write on this blog t...Thank you for your courage to write on this blog topic. Many of us writers who embrace diverse characters in our books are still trying to get the acceptance that Shonda Rhimes gets in her TV productions. It doesn't happen by and large because people react to their reading and viewing media the same way they react to their friendships they make in their real lives. If they perceive that the character isn't relatable, they're not buying. I am hopeful that at some point our book characters (and we as authors) will eventually be judged "by the content of their character and not the color of their skin."LaVerne Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02995948460543168272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-32851364394734697812015-10-25T08:00:08.716-07:002015-10-25T08:00:08.716-07:00Thanks, Slick. Glad you found more authors to add ...Thanks, Slick. Glad you found more authors to add to your list. And for being open-minded in your reading choices.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-15647972402979752882015-10-25T07:56:57.545-07:002015-10-25T07:56:57.545-07:00It is sad. And what's sadder is that I have be...It is sad. And what's sadder is that I have been moved to blog on it because the atmosphere seems to have gotten more inhospitable toward those of us who continue to forge ahead, do our thing and expect/demand equal consideration in this game.. PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-91701522934638088132015-10-25T07:49:45.382-07:002015-10-25T07:49:45.382-07:00Yep. Too many for some I'm sure.Yep. Too many for some I'm sure.PJ DEANhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04084863427097032237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8816992921766830048.post-79890035376573758142015-10-25T07:32:24.601-07:002015-10-25T07:32:24.601-07:00PJ, thanks for this and I agree. Yes I am a white ...PJ, thanks for this and I agree. Yes I am a white woman but I have long enjoyed reading books written by and about all different ethnic backgrounds. You mentioned one in your list, Alisha Rai, I've been reading her work for years and have loved everything she's written. I was introduced to Harper Miller this year and have enjoyed her work as well. So, thank you for your thoughts; it is the readers who needs to change their views and open up their world and see that there are so many great authors out there that offer up excellent books with very diverse characters.Panels on diversity at conferences are a joke; there is diversity out there, people just need to find it. I'm looking forward to checking out some of the other authors on your list. Slickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18038499783643339129noreply@blogger.com