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How Self-Publishing Supports Marginalized Communities Naveen ANAVEEN A FacebookTweetLinkedInPin The traditional publishing industry has historically lacked representation and continues to leave marginalized people out of the conversation. But why are People of Color still being excluded from the traditional publishing world and how can self-publishing help? Before we can address diversity, we need to look at the current state of traditional publishing. So, how diverse is the traditional publishing industry? To put it rather bluntly—not very.
In fact, The New York Times found that of the 7,124 books Bangladesh Email List published by traditional publishers for which the author’s race was identified, 95% were written by white people. Just 11% of books published in 2018 were written by People of Color. Can likely be attributed to the people who work in traditional publishing. The heads of the biggest publishing houses are white. According to a 2019 survey, so are 85% of the people who edit books.

The share of LGBTQ+ Employees is also low, with a breakdown of the publishing industry by sexual orientation showing that straight people account for more than 80% of the workforce. Data and studies confirm the sizable inequality of minorities as staff, contributors, and creators throughout the traditional publishing industry. The lack of representation and inclusivity of voices that are underrepresented in traditional publishing in this way enables marginalization.
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