Literary Agents Discuss the Diversity Gap in Publishing

As promised, I am sharing my various writings on the Internet here. This particular discussion is an important one, since—as Jason Low so eloquently puts it—agents are now, more than ever, the "gatekeepers" of the publishing industry. Enjoy, comment, and please share and discuss!


Literary Agents Discuss the Diversity Gap in Publishing
Literary agents make up a big part of the publishing machine. Most publishers no longer consider unsolicited submissions, so an agent is a must if you even want to get your foot in the door. Each year, agents review many promising manuscripts and portfolios so it is safe to say they have a good sense of who makes up the talent pool of children’s book publishing. So what kind of diversity are agents seeing? Being that the number of diverse books has not increased in the last eighteen years, in order to understand why this problem persists we decided to ask the gatekeepers.

Adriana DomínguezAdriana Domínguez is an agent at Full Circle Literary, a boutique literary agency based in San Diego and New York City, offering a unique full circle approach to literary representation. The agency’s experience in book publishing includes editorial, marketing, publicity, legal, and rights, and is used to help build authors one step at a time. Full Circle works with both veteran and debut writers and artists, and has a knack for finding and developing new and diverse talent.

Karen GrencikAbigail  SamounKaren Grencik and Abigail Samoun own Red Fox Literary, a boutique agency representing children’s book authors and illustrators. They offer a dazzling array of talents among their roster of clients, including New York Times and Time magazine Best Book winners, and some of the most promising up-and-coming talents working in the field today. The agency is closed to unsolicited submissions but it does accept queries from attendees at conferences where they present or through industry referrals.

Lori NowickiLori Nowicki is founder of Painted Words, a literary agency that represents illustrators and authors in the children’s publishing marketplace and beyond. Their goal is to provide the utmost in representation for illustrators and writers while placing a unique emphasis on developing characters, books, and licensed properties.

Do you receive many submissions from authors and illustrators of color? Overall, what percentage of authors and illustrators who submit to you are people of color? Note: Estimations are fine.

AD/Full Circle: I honestly wouldn’t know about percentages, but our agency receives a good number of submissions from authors of color. Proportionally, our agency represents more authors of color than most others. Authors and illustrators who are familiar with our work and/or visit our website know that we welcome diverse points of view, and see that diversity represented in our client list. I will say that I have personally felt for a very long time that there are simply not enough illustrators of color in the marketplace, and I am not quite sure why that is. I am usually very enthusiastic when I receive a query from a talented author/illustrator of color—I wish we received more of those! As a general rule, our agency represents illustrators who are also writers, and such people are difficult to find under any circumstances, as not everyone is equally good at both.

Click here to read the rest of this important discussion.

Join Me in Colorado Next Month!

What: 2012 Northern Colorado Writers Conference

When: March 30-31, 2012

Where: Fort Collins Hilton, Fort. Collins, CO.

In its seventh year, the Northern Colorado Writers Conference is the premiere writers conference in the region bringing in agents, editors and presenters from all over the county. The conference will share how you should take risks in your writing and find that path that is unique to you. Writing is an adventure with lots of ups and downs and forks in the road, but in the end, it is a journey to be enjoyed. The conference caters to writers of all level and genres by offering over 25 workshop choices. Plus there will be agent/editor pitch sessions, a bookstore and networking opportunities. Participants will walk away inspired and equipped with the tools needed to ensure writing success. Conference fee includes all meals, workshops, pitch sessions, and a preconference workshop on March 10. Visit http://www.northerncoloradowriters.com for more information.

If you can make it, join me! I would love to meet you in person! I am seeking writing and illustrating talent (Latino and otherwise) to add to my client list, and I don't go to as many conferences as I would like to, so please help me take advantage of this opportunity by coming if you can, or by spreading the word! See you in Colorado!

Come join me in Los Angeles this weekend!

I will be at this year's Latino Book and Family Festival in Los Angeles this Saturday and Sunday, participating on panels on the state of publishing, and interviewing the fabulous Pat Mora. Come check it out, this year's festival promises to be the best one yet! Click here for more information, and for the festival's full program, which includes events in English and Spanish.

To enter the Hispanic Heritage Month Book Giveaway, click here.