Thread by @redbreastedbird

If you are an author and you’re wondering what you can do about @clpe1’s #ReflectingRealities report (because you should be), here are some suggestions.

1. Put BAME characters in your books. You need to do this thoughtfully. You need to research, you need to listen, you need to make them actually different to your white characters. But you need to do it!

Look around at the human beings you share your life with. I’m willing to bet that many of them are actually not white (if they *are*, then perhaps consider why this is). ‘Write what you know’ is a good general rule, but remember that what you know is more than whiteness.

We are all fed the white default by books and TV and films from day one. It is SO easy to think that it reflects the truth. But spend some time looking at the actual world and you’ll see how out of touch that default is. We all need to stop perpetuating it.

Remember that you’re doing this not just to make money (though diverse books = diverse readers = bigger market for your words), but because it matters SO much for a child to see themselves in a story. It is deeply life-changing, and all kids deserve that wonderful feeling.

2. Champion books that are by BAME authors and/or feature BAME characters. Often, when these books exist, they aren’t given very much fanfare. So change that! Go WILD about the diverse stories you see, and your platform will help them reach more readers.

3. Mentor BAME authors. If you are in a position of privilege, use it to help someone without that privilege navigate the often confusing and closed-seeming world of publishing. There are SO many barriers to getting published, and they are harder to get over for BAME voices.

4. If you have the power to help choose your illustrator, or your audiobook narrator, put forward some BAME names. If your publisher sends you an entirely white list for ANYTHING, ask them to think again.

5. Notice who is in the room. If everyone is white, why is that? Can you bring someone in who is BAME? Can you mention to those with power over the room’s constituents that you’re surprised not to see any BAME faces? Speak up!

6. Ask your publisher how they are diversifying their workforce and their list. Remember that part of the issue is that most people in publishing teams are white, and so no matter how good they are (and they are brilliant, kind people) their range of experience is small.

(NB: don’t be mean about this, obviously. Don’t be mean about any of this, but do be engaged and forceful where you can use your power.)

7. Remember that, although this report is focusing on BAME representation particularly, this issue encompasses a lot of interlocking things. Those barriers are high if you’re from a low socioeconomic background, if you’re LGBTQ+, if you’re disabled - or if you’re all of those!