The author Kacen Callender, who worked at a Big Five publisher for five years, has written a great piece on Publishers Weekly about white editors' blind spots when it comes to acquiring books by authors of color. It's a wake-up call regarding both how projects are evaluated:
“I didn’t connect with the character”; “The plot didn’t have enough tension”; “I didn’t find the story relatable”: often times, these are phrases said by white readers who can’t connect with a character of color because they haven’t been asked to in the way that so many people of color are regularly asked to connect with white characters
and how publishing houses are staffed:
To publish more diverse lists across the board, including science fiction and fantasy, publishers need to hire diverse editors who might relate to and connect with more diverse stories, so that they can help to put those much-needed books into the world
Callender also has a new book just out, Queen of the Conquered, which looks fab and is going straight on my to-read list.
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