This post was originally published on Michigan Chronicle
By Sherri Kolade
Who is the next Black literary great? Will he or she be from Detroit? Will that writer ever be found? Yes, if you know where to look for the right books.
According to a Diversity in Publishing 2019 survey, 76% of authors were white, 74% were women, and 89% were non-disabled, per Lee & Low Books.
The Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS 2.0) was sent to thousands of literary agents, trade publishing employees and both children’s and adult divisions of their respective companies.
According to OverDrive, Inc., a digital distributor of eBooks, books by Black authors across the board, no surprise, are very popular and have garnered a 200% increase in circulation on all the OverDrive platforms.
What does this mean for Black authors? Despite low publishing statistics, their work is valued and valuable.