tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post3870575003191107646..comments2024-03-29T05:05:13.961-04:00Comments on YA Authors You've Never Heard Of: Diversity in YAChristine Norrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05657651210128892443noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2874501477620914375.post-69260764329848475042013-01-01T09:02:08.150-05:002013-01-01T09:02:08.150-05:00I, as a writer and a female of color,have attempte...I, as a writer and a female of color,have attempted to submit my ms series to top agents that represent that although they are looking for my genre( ie, thriller/mystery), are not interested in my ms. I've been rejected at least 50+times. I understand those rejections that declare that it not good enough ( which happened once). But most are that it's not for them or we are not looking for this type of story at this time. I've had editors and writers read it; their comments are far different from those previously mentioned. At the time I made the submissions the Twilight series, Patterson, Kellerman,Grisham, etc were the hot tickets. Did you see one black woman protagonist in any of these novels? Not one! I blame the agents. They are not about what's good, well written or even what people might be interested in reading. They want the basic story, with the basic white character leading the way, what's hot and going to make money like the 'others'. Until we can wrap their heads around other characters being presented in the mainsteam, it will continue to be a long haul. I have been more fortunate with a small press and my very first YA mystery ms. They were delighted to read a story with diversity and mystery. But I accomplished this without an agent. Publishing companies need to wake up and shake these agents free from their coat tails that do not have the vision. Read the paper. See what's happening with our population and politics! Diversity is here, and we should continue conversations like these in order to feed the world with what we want to read, not the money grubbing agents, to move forward.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com