Tackling Systemic Inequalities in the Publishing

Industry:

Approach of the Big Five

Jonas Hoffström
S164050

Department of Management & Organisation

Hanken School of Economics

Helsinki

2022
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HANKEN SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS

Department of: Type of work: Thesis

Author: Date:
Title of thesis:

Abstract:

Keywords:
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SVENSKA HANDELSHÖGSKOLAN

Institution: Arbetets art:

Författare och studerandenummer: Datum:

Avhandlingens rubrik:

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Nyckelord:
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CONTENTS
1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 1

1.1 Problem Background................................................................................................... 2

1.2 Purpose of the Study ................................................................................................... 3

1.3 An Overview of the Industry and the Publication Process ......................................... 3

1.3.1 The Big Five ............................................................................................................. 3

1.3.1.1 Macmillan......................................................................................................... 3

1.3.1.2 Penguin Random House .................................................................................. 3

1.3.1.3 Hachette Group ................................................................................................ 3

1.3.1.4 HarperCollins ................................................................................................... 3

1.3.1.5 Simon & Schuster ............................................................................................. 3

2 Theory ................................................................................................................................. 4

2.1 Systemic Inequalities .................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Diversity and Inclusion ............................................................................................... 5

2.2.1.1 Functional vs Symbolical Diversity .................................................................. 6

2.2.2 Cultural Appropriation ........................................................................................ 6

2.2.3 Identity Trap ........................................................................................................ 7

2.2.4 Doing Race ........................................................................................................... 7

2.3 Diversity Networks ...................................................................................................... 7

2.4 Understanding Value in the Creative Industry ........................................................... 7

2.4.1 Artistic Freedom .................................................................................................. 8

2.4.2 Uncertainty & Biases.......................................................................................... 10

3 Methods ............................................................................................................................ 12

3.1 Research Philosophy ................................................................................................. 12

3.2 Research Strategy ...................................................................................................... 14

3.3 Data Collection .......................................................................................................... 15

3.3.1 Comments on the Different Sources .................................................................. 15

3.4 Data Analysis............................................................................................................. 15

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3.4.1 Step 1: Familiarizing yourself with your data .................................................... 16

3.4.2 Step 2: Generating Initial Codes ........................................................................ 16

3.4.3 Step 3: Searching for themes ............................................................................. 16

3.4.4 Step 4: Reviewing themes .................................................................................. 16

3.4.5 Step 5: Defining and naming the themes .......................................................... 16

3.4.6 Step 6: Producing the report.............................................................................. 17

3.5 Trustworthiness ........................................................................................................ 17

3.5.1 Credibility .......................................................................................................... 17

3.5.2 Transferability.................................................................................................... 17

3.5.3 Dependability ..................................................................................................... 17

3.5.4 Confirmability .................................................................................................... 18

4 Results .............................................................................................................................. 19

5 References ........................................................................................................................ 47

6 Timetable and Overall Comments .................................................................................... 54

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No table of figures entries found.

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1 Introduction

Stories can inspire, educate, and deeply move people. They can be joyous, exciting,
fulfilling. They can be horrific, vulgar, even revolting. They can be vastly different and close to
anything one can possibly imagine.

Stories are able to unearth lived experiences and help facilitate a more nuanced and
multifaceted understanding of difference (Aveling 2001). The literary arts have always had a
strong connection to society as often it is a representation or adaptation of the author’s
perception of society. Thus, readers can identify with the stories. Storytelling has the ability to
confront complex social issues and bridge vast differences reflected in society through sharing
experiences and can raise affective resonance and empathy among readers (Fox & Short 2003;
Johnson 2012; Papacharissi 2016).

Between 1950 and 2018 So & Wezerek (2020) looked into published literature by major
American publishing houses and found that 95% of books were published by authors whose
ethnicity could be identified as white. Considering the long time period, the ever-positive
human being might proclaim that the large time frame skews the data and that nowadays that
figure would be far more equal and not resemble anything like that, as would be reasonable to
believe. And sure, they are right, but few would find any comfort, perhaps in fact be even more
alarmed, by the answer of 79% identifying as being white in 2020 (DBS 2.0 2020). The notion
that anyone can tell a story is well accepted in modern society, but the question is now rather
who get to tell their stories.

This issue has been highlighted in recent years and companies have followed suit and
strived to become more diverse. However, evidence of the industry being slow to change and
more reactive than proactive is underlined by Penguin Random House being the first of the
big five publishers; Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette Book
Group, and McMillan, who together control around 85% of the industry to publicly release a
multiyear report on the subject in 2021 (Tager & Shariyf 2022).

These kinds of trends tend to come in waves and the jury is still out on whether this last
wave is the one to finally reach the shore. As Dutton-Brown, a publishing veteran of 55 years,
put it: “Black life and Black culture are rediscovered every 10 to 15 years. Publishing reflects
that” (So & Wezerek 2020). Certainly, these inequalities are not something newly discovered
(see e.g., Kean 2004; Spread the Word 2005), but with the rise of woke culture there is a
greater than ever awareness of these systemic inequalities that have persisted even though
they been brought up previously for decades. Although this trend has given rise to the
awareness a lot of the issue has focused on representation within the stories themselves rather
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than the people behind them. This can be seen in publishing, where stories are now more
reflecting the diversity of our society. However, a lot of the literature have been conformed to
target the same white core audiences or in other cases written from the perspective of white
authors (Saha & van Lente 2020; Tager & Shariyf 2022). This can be considered as cultural
appropriation where cultural experiences and practices are voiced by ‘outsiders’, which often
lead to misinterpretation, misuse, and theft of stories of people who have been already
historically socially marginalized (Matthes 2016). This is not only morally problematic but
further marginalizes the already oppressed groups.

1.1 Problem Background

One of the major problems in tackling systemic inequalities is that they are often obscure
and already deeply embedded in systems and practices (Schmidt 2005; Acker 2006;
Braveman et al. 2022)

Determining the quality of a work can be ambiguous and actors in the publishing industry
face an immense challenge in assessing their quality and foreseeing the potential of relatively
unpredictable investments. When faced with the unknown, people tend to rely on familiar
practices and processes.

The current issue is the fact that there is evidence the lack of diversity is systemic, meaning
the diversity problem is inherent in the overall system of processes. Ideally, the work is judged
based on its quality but there are alarming signs that especially the ethnic diversity of UK and
US societies are not reflected in the industry in terms of number of authors. Saha & van Lente
(2020) found that writers of ethnic minorities do not have the same industry access, creative
freedom, nor do they receive equal payment compared to their white counterparts. Writers
from marginalized communities face a range of barriers at every stage of the publishing
process. Often people of color, when they do get publishing deals, their voices are forced
through editing to sound more ‘white’ to become more appealing to the general audience.
Consequently, the industry is considered quite conservative and not highly adaptive. How can
then diversity be increased in a market where there is already an abundance of material and
not enough editors and agents to review it. It is no wonder they tend to choose what is familiar
rather than taking risks and exploring other channels or options in finding new authors.
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1.2 Purpose of the Study

This study sets out to highlight the importance of why there is a need for rethinking in
the publishing industry in tackling the systemic inequalities. Moreover, the pernicious effects
current practices in the industry are causing are elaborated on and scrutinized. The main
issue remains that writers of ethnic minorities are not allowed the same industry access nor
creative freedom as their white counterparts, and the aim is to clarify the underlying reasons
as to its cause.

The purpose of the study is to showcase that the inequalities are systemic and delve into
what practices and processes allows them to form. Moreover, to clarify what obstacles and
barriers are keeping them in place and recommendations on how to tackle them.

RQ1: How are the systemic inequalities formed and why do they persist to exist?

RQ2: What are the current barriers keeping up the issues and how can they be broken?

1.3 An Overview of the Industry and the Publication Process

1.3.1 The Big Five

1.3.1.1 Macmillan

1.3.1.2 Penguin Random House

1.3.1.3 Hachette Group

1.3.1.4 HarperCollins

1.3.1.5 Simon & Schuster

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2 Theory

This chapter presents the theory developed to connect key concepts of systemic
inequalities and how they relate to current practices and processes of the publishing industry.
Being an abductive study, this chapter has been built iteratively as empirical data has been
gathered and analyzed.

2.1 Systemic Inequalities

In order to deem there to be systemic inequalities in the publishing industry, one needs to
grasp what constitutes systemic inequalities.

Inequalities or discrimination in societies are not always conscious, explicit, or visible, but
rather often systemic or structural. Systemic inequalities are forms that are embedded in
systems, laws, policies and spreads unfair treatment and oppression on a societal level.
(Braveman et al. 2022)

Both Acker (2006) and Schmidt (2005) argues that the complex nature of systemic
inequalities are too often viewed as individual bias and therefore lacks to grasp the broader
aspects of the problem. Feagin (2001) defines systemic racism as a combination of a diverse
set of racist practices, unjust economic and political power of whites, resource inequalities,
attitudes, and institutions preserving the power balance and advantages of whites. This
definition encompasses far more than any individual prejudice or phenomenon. Concurringly
Schmidt (2005) argues race ought to be understood as socially constructed phenomenon that
gives meaning to a set of physiological attributes on not only an individual level, but more
importantly on an institutional and cultural level. When speaking of systemic racism
Braveman et al. (2022) denotes that “systemic racism is so embedded in systems that it often
is assumed to reflect the natural, inevitable order of things”.

Understanding that these inequalities are not generated on an individual level but even
institutionalized, nor can always they be readily seen but sometimes even unconsciously
contrived, raises the awareness of the problematic nature of systemic inequalities.

In recruiting processes and advancement opportunities there is usually notable characteristics

or the absence of them, that decisions are based upon (Amis et al., 2020; Amis et al., 2018;
Markus, 2017). These characteristics are not systematically or explicitly sought after but are
rather invisibly embedded in these processes and therefore harder to notice. The deleterious
ramifications on individual’s health of these practices (Marmot, 2015; Pickett & Wilkinson
2015), nor those on a more societal level (Amis et al., 2018; Suddaby et al., 2018), cannot be
disregarded and ought to be scrutinized to point out these embedded inequalities.
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While a lot of discussion concerns systemic racism, Acker (2006); Schmidt (2005) argues that
systemic inequalities are multifaceted, and it is not solely one of the categories of race,
ethnicity, gender, or class that can holistically explain these inequalities. As Acker (2006)
proclaims: “focusing on one category almost inevitably obscures and oversimplifies other
interpreting realities”.

2.2 Diversity and Inclusion

The common answer in organizations to tackle inequalities have been different effort of
increasing diversity and inclusion. It has not only been justified as a defensive mechanism of
ensuring equal treatment but also as something that enriches and brings opportunities for the
organizations that engages in them. When talking about the publishing industry and the
creators of fictional literature, much of the focus ought to be placed on recruitment. However,
in order to wholistically comprehend diversity and inclusion it needs to be an integral part
integrated throughout organizations and thus it cannot be solely placed as the responsibility
of various recruitment processes.

Albeit closely related concepts and often spoken of in the same sentence both Roberson (2006)
and Mor Barak et al. (1998) argues there are clear distinction between the diversity and
inclusion. As Roberson (2006) denotes “there is a critical difference between merely having
diversity/…/and developing the organizational capacity to leverage diversity as a resource”,
which is argued to be enabled through inclusion.

Mor Barak (2015) and Janssens & Zanoni (2014) state that inclusive efforts are successful
when they remove any hindrances to full participation and grants participants access to both
formal and informal processes of organizations as well as information and enables their voice
to be heard and competencies valued. However, when these goals are pursued the
implementation of certain practices does not guarantee systemic inequalities are abolished.

One ought to assess critically how efforts of inclusion actually attempts to eliminate
inequalities and how the processes are constructed. All too often the problem with inclusion
efforts is that they demand participants to conform with the majority culture and thus does
not truly contribute to the goals of equality it set out to achieve (Colgan & McKearney 2012;
Dennissen et al., 2019). It is not a question of joining cultural thoughts and values but rather
asking the minorities to conform to already established standards.
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2.2.1.1 Functional vs Symbolical Diversity

It is exactly the notion of inclusion which bridges the next subtheme of diversity viewed as
functional or merely symbolical. The disentanglement of the concepts of diversity and
inclusion is indispensable in order to achieve any sense-making of functional and symbolical
diversity.

Pasztor (2019), in analysing corporations top-ranked in diversity management, found that

how diversity is framed is semiotically and linguistically consistent regardless of industry or
organization type. Furthermore, while notions of actual results do not tend to appear in their
external communications, corporate websites and reports are deemed necessary and symbolic
in assuring stakeholders of their diversity management. Highlighting, how by ‘power of
language’ corporations can showcase what they want to be seen, rather than actually reflect
how diversity and inclusion efforts are made and true equality achieved. (Pasztor 2019)

This only underlines the need to critically assess whether diversity is functional or symbolic in
organizations and find new measurements that not merely display representation as an
indication for functional diversity. Diversity is not just a box needing to be ticked off but ought
rather to be intwined in all practices and divisions of organizations. Henry et al. (2019) found
that more diverse top management teams have a positive effect on functional diversity in
organizations. Concurringly, Martins (2020) found that “how senior leaders envision diversity
within their organizations and symbolize its value in their communications and actions affects
the extent and nature of diversity and inclusion”. Martins (2020) also underlines how
recursive and unequivocal communication of these values is integral in establishing inclusion
and guaranteeing functional diversity in organizations, tying back to similar notions by
Pazstor (2019) of the importance of the topic emerging iteratively in internal communications
as well. Highlighting the commitment needed from top management and senior leaders in
order to manifest diversity as functional and not merely symbolic.

A hot topic especially in the publishing industry is tokenism, where BIPOC authors are seen
as tokens filling a quota in order to showcase diversity. Putting them on display to boast of
their diversity does certainly not guarantee any form of inclusion and actors in the industry
ought to be wary not to solely rely on diversity numbers and data when assessing how well
they have tackled the issue of systemic inequalities in the publishing industry.

2.2.2 Cultural Appropriation

Cultural appropriation is a wide concept and always determining who is intitled to what
can be equivocal to determine (Rogers 2006; Young & Haley 2009). However, it is a topic that
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has polarized the landscape of the literary arts. Although, some of it as Young & Haley (2009)
is inevitable, it cannot be disregarded as completely harmless. Rogers (2006) argues that the
conditions vary depending on the degree and relevance of (in)voluntariness, (in)equality,
(im)balance, and (im)purity in cultural appropriation. Moreover, historically they have been
subjugated through dominant-subordinate models, where the minority culture has been
forced through assimilation, involving internalization of the imposed culture, and then full
integration to the dominant culture to conform (Rogers 2006). Similarly, Matthes (2016)
argues that the matter of membership complicates matters, but that ignorance or dismissing
the fact that cultural appropriation can have harmful effects in relationships with binary power
structures of dominant-subordinate forces would be insensitive and imprudent.

2.2.3 Identity Trap

2.2.4 Doing Race

2.3 Diversity Networks

2.4 Understanding Value in the Creative Industry

“One’s own free and unfettered volition, one’s own caprice, however wild, one’s own fancy, inflamed
sometimes to the point of madness – that is the one best and greatest good, which is never taken into
consideration, and the omission of which always sends all systems and theories to the devil.”

– Dostoyevsky (1864/1972)

It takes a brave person to try to define what constitutes creativity and freedom, and how they
both are constrained and an even braver one to determine their value. Yet that is exactly
what Philip N. Johnson Laird (1988) took upon himself to do. To many it may seem like a
mystery and describing and assessing what ought to be new or unique, ground-breaking, or
perhaps even yet discovered seem hardly possible to be put into words. Does that then mean
that putting a value on a creative work is putting a price tag on a mystery box before
revealing its content?

Although, many different definitions of creativity exist, there is still no direct formula to
determine the value of it. Hardly, surprising then that Johnson-Laird (1988) first notion of
creation yields is “They are novel for the individual who creates them.”. A notion probably to
the pleasure of one Oscar Wilde, who in his preface to the back then highly criticized novel
‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ wrote:
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“Diversity of opinion about a work of art shows that the work is new, complex, and vital. When critics
disagree, the artist is in accord with himself.”

Before continuing more famously:

“We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for
making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely.

All art is quite useless.”

– Wilde, Preface to The Picture of Dorian Gray, (1890/2012)

This reference is often used to fuel the now age-old battle between art versus business in
creative fields and paired with the phrase ‘art for the sake of art’ stands for the philosophy
that ‘true’ art is independent of any monetary value. However, the publishing industry is not
one to adhere to such lofty a dogma, and it cannot be denied that they very much put a
monetary value on all creations. Though, how these practices are put to work and how they
reinforce systemic inequalities ought to be scrutinized.

2.4.1 Artistic Freedom

Another perspective of the difficulty in determining value in the literary arts is the expression
of artistic freedom. Surely value can be found in a lot of different forms, but what constitutes
artistic freedom, and does it not become even more ambiguous to determine value in such a
statement. Determining an intrinsic value in art would be impossible, envisioning artistic
freedom as a concept without a judge. Now, portraying it as such can be extremely harmful as
it thus fails to acknowledge inequalities and the systemic nature of them. The thought of letting
a system of artistic freedom roam free has proven time and time again that a dominant
template will prevail on which all is measured, and inequalities will emerge, only now they
cannot be derived from a singular person, entity, or source but from the notion of artistic
freedom.

Johansson & Lindström Sol (2021) acknowledge, artistic freedom has been constructed in a
way that has given some individuals legitimacy in determining what is considered quality and
act as safeguards to preserve quality. These regimes are subtly interlocked in a system where
quality is defended on an already valued ideal. The paradox of artistic freedom and the
centralized aesthetic authorities determining value, contrives disparities in processes which
are often invisible yet constantly legitimized. (Johansson & Lindström Sol (2021)
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Johansson & Lindström Sol (2021) highlights that artistic freedom is interpreted ambiguously
and may nurture systematic reproducing of asymmetrical power relations in creative
industries. Furthermore, the authors note that loosely defined concepts of artistic freedom and
contradicting arguments and definitions of artistic freedom as opposed to equality, diversity,
and inclusion only infuses that the pursuit of equality will hamper the quality of works.

The concept of artistic freedom is more often used to designate aesthetic authority (Johansson
& Lindström Sol, 2021). Meaning there is a gatekeeper in charge of designing value in the
ambiguous concept of artistic freedom and thus risk reproducing and reverting to already
established views on value.

The French philosopher Michael Foucault, who famously theorized around the relationship
between power and knowledge as a form of social control, argued that invention and creativity
is preceded by a rejection of current beliefs, critical thinking of ourselves and others as well as
the realization that the conditions of possibility for being subjects are malleable, and a
willingness to reshape and create (Engels 2019). However, what if these creators are restricted
by external prejudice, by other people or entities? Certainly, every new idea cannot be blindly
accepted by editors and publishers, however the current issue is that ideas are not merely
rejected based on and in of themselves, but rather prejudicially judged based on the people
behind them. To spin a bit further on the theory proposed by Foucault, creativity and invention
takes place in a social context (Engels 2019). Thus, to grasp any creative solution or idea, one
needs to understand the particular social context to accurately ascribe it any value.
Highlighting the need for diversity and inclusion in publishing organizations to understand
stories from diverse cultural and social backgrounds. Whilst creativity is seen as something
new, what it needs to be considered useful and usable is a connection to the contemporary
landscape and thus, there needs to be a connection to the ‘known’ for it to strike a chord among
editors and publishing organizations. One final remark of Foucault’s, strengthening the belief
of creativity needing to be understood in its own context is the belief that, our own individual
autonomy and agency is not originary, but must be developed through reflection and practice
(Engels 2019). Hence, the frameworks for normality and abnormality are socially constructed
around us depending on our surroundings. Subsequently, what guides imagination and
creativity, is not inherently created within the human self, but guided and more importantly,
limited by external entities within our environment.

Sagiv et al. (2009) aligns themselves with the notion by Foucault by presenting that creativity
is influenced by external structures. Moreover, Sagiv et al. (2009) concurs with Kristof-Brown
et al. (2005) that creativity is allowed to blossom and proliferate when the people are
congruent with their environment. Although, creativity is often seen as freedom to explore and
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go beyond pre-set boundaries, these notions highlight that the external environment not only
affect peoples’ creativity, but also how it is then subsequently perceived and valued. Taking
this into account it becomes clearer to see how a dominant cultural understanding of what is
seen as value in the creative industry is limited to the understanding of those holding the
power. However, marginalized ethnic groups may struggle to bring forth their culture or
traditions in a way that is perceived to be valuable if those in power fail to understand the
origin and viewpoint of the stories. Although individuals can be seen as extremely creative in
terms of novel never-before-heard stories, if they fail to fall into the predetermined framework
of the understanding of those wielding the power, they will fall on deaf ears.

Both Kristof-Brown et al. (2005) and Sagiv et al. (2009), propose that individuals more in tune
with their environment are perceived as more creative. Additionally, Sagiv et al. (2009)
suggests that processes of trying to see how previous ad campaigns have performed and trigger
thoughts and ideas of how to they can be utilized in the future is seen as a process to induce
creativity. However, this practice can be detrimental to increasing diversity of stories in the
publishing industry, as the act of comparing works and their likeness or appeal of previous
works may unfairly advantage stories that share the dominant culture of those in power.

Collier & Esteban (1999) brought forward an idea of proposing that creativity and freedom are
inextricably linked where one continually reinforces the other. Hence, in order to increase
creativity, or diversity of stories in this case, it cannot be separated from freedom. Moreover,
Collier & Esteban (1999) argues that that when provided to operate freely, the idea of creativity
and freedom being intertwined allow for increased organizational connectedness with their
operating environment and thus simultaneously increase accountability. However, when the
idea of creativity is separated from freedom and seen as single quality, it limits the
understanding of both concepts neither is allowed to thrive. Hence, enforcing the systemic
barriers blocking out diverse thoughts of what ought to be seen or is understood as value is
hampering the opportunities of people from minority cultures or social backgrounds.

2.4.2 Uncertainty & Biases

“It is more comfortable for our eye to react to a particular object by producing again an image it has often
produced before than retaining what is new and different in an impression…To hear something new is hard
and painful for the ear; we hear the music of foreigners badly.”

-Nietzsche, Beyond Good and Evil, pp.115 (1886/2003)

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3 Methods

In this chapter the methodology of the study and all processes involved are rendered.
Subchapters that will be discussed are research philosophy, research strategy, data collection,
data analysis as well as trustworthiness of the study. Not only will these topics be elaborated
on, but the reasoning behind the specific choices will be detailed.

3.1 Research Philosophy

Research philosophy refers to a system of beliefs and assumptions about how knowledge
is developed and will shape the understanding and designing of the research. Thus, it is
important to clarify the research philosophy as it will have a significant impact on what one
does and how one understands what one is investigating. (Saunders et al. 2019)

Saunders et al. (2019) makes the distinction of three categories of assumptions that will
shape how knowledge is understood, and these will inevitably shape how the research is
developed, and the interpretation of the findings.

1. Epistemological assumptions
2. Ontological assumptions
3. Axiological assumptions

-Saunders et al. (2019, pp. 133)

The epistemological assumptions are beliefs of what is, or ought to be, considered as
knowledge in a given discipline (Bryman & Bell, 2011, pp. 15). In other words, as Saunders et
al. (2019) describes, what knowledge ought to be considered as valid in the specific area of
research. Therefore, the epistemological assumptions will dictate the findings of the study as
it determines what is considered knowledge, how it can be obtained, and how findings are
legitimized in order to be considered as valuable.

Ontological assumptions on the other hand refers to the nature of reality and
essentially what is being studied (Saunders et al. 2019). The focal point of the ontological
considerations is whether social entities should be considered as objective in of themselves
with external social actors or considered as social constructions through perceptions and
actions of the social actors (Bryman & Bell, 2015). These two ontological positions,
objectivism and constructionism, differ in how they view the relationship between concepts
and phenomena to social actors. The former view them as inherently separate, whereas the
latter regard them as inseparable (Bryman & Bell, 2015).

Finally, the axiological assumptions are described as the role of ethics and values
within the research process, and they are dealt with from the authors’ perspective. The ethics
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and values that the author holds lays the foundation to the topic as it reflects the authors’
own interests and beliefs. Furthermore, the axiological assumptions guide how judgements
are made and how the research philosophy is chosen. (Saunders et al. 2019)

Naturally, as this study is critically assessing topics of inequality in the publishing

industry, arguments are largely viewed through an egalitarian perspective in terms of
predetermined ethics and values and thus, lays the foundation of the axiological
assumptions.

The ontological position is one of constructionism. Bryman & Bell (2015) define
constructionism as a position, which asserts that social phenomena and their meanings is
continually being accomplished by social actors. Understanding that reality is socially
constructed seems most feasible when discussing topics of inequality, as the
constructionistic view highlights that social phenomena and categories are produced through
social interaction and in a continuous state of revision (Bryman & Bell, 2015; Saunders et al.
2019). Saunders et al. (2019) highlights it is thus important for the researcher to understand
situations in detail including historical and socio-cultural contexts to comprehend how social
realities are discerned. As both Acker (2006) and Schmidt (2005) explains when discussing
inequalities, the perspective is often too narrow on one specific issue and the researcher fails
to distinguish the forest for the trees, and thus the constructionist approach is not only
appropriate but advisable.

The study follows the premise that social realities are constructed through social actors
and their interactions where partially shared meanings and realities are created
intersubjectively (Saunders et al., 2019). The selected approach views social sciences as
fundamentally different compared to the natural sciences and aims to understand human
behavior rather than explaining it and can only be concluded through meaning-making of
social actors and their interactions and understanding of the concepts involved (Bryman &
Bell, 2015). Thus, as the study focuses on how systemic inequalities are conjectured in the
publishing industry and what suppositions keep up the practices, knowledge is socially
constructed, based on social actors’ interpretations rather than objective.

The research philosophy is therefore of the perspective of postmodernism. Saunders et

al. (2019) denote postmodernism seeks to question accepted ways of thinking and
emphasizes the flux, fluidity, and change of interpreting reality. Postmodernist approaches
aim to expose and question dominant practices and power relations, as well as challenge
established ways of thinking and knowing and give voice and legitimacy to marginalized
ways that have previously been excluded. This approach tends to conduct in-depth
investigations of phenomena and demonstrate what perspectives or realities are being
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excluded. The epistemology of postmodernism in regard to as what counts as knowledge is

decided by dominant ideologies and the focus lays on absences, repressed, and oppressed
meanings and interpretations, and challenging the dominant views. (Saunders et al. 2019)

3.2 Research Strategy

Since the aim is to gain an understanding of the systemic inequalities and how they are
formed a qualitative approach is suitable, in accordance with Saunders et al. (2019), who note
that when aiming to access meanings and deeper understanding of socially constructed
meanings expressed about the phenomenon being studied qualitative research methods are
appropriate. Concurringly, Bryman & Bell (2015) a qualitative approach is suitable when
striving to understand the social world and underlying concepts and meanings.

Previous literature on the subject of systemic inequalities in the publishing industry is

limited and thus, this study will adapt an exploratory research approach, as it is deemed
relevant when the aim is to create an in-depth understanding of a phenomenon that is largely
unknown or uncertain in nature (Saunders et al. 2019).

In this study abductive reasoning will be used. The method of abduction combines the
deductive and inductive models of proposition development and theory construction (Patton
2015). Abductive reasoning begins with ‘surprising fact’ being observed, which is seen as a
conclusion rather than a premise, whereafter a set of premises are determined to sufficiently
explain the conclusion (Saunders et al. 2019). In this study the ‘surprising fact’ is the existent
systemic inequalities in the publishing industry and the aim is to conclude a set of premises
that sufficiently explain the phenomenon and answer the research questions. Moreover, when
data is collected to explore a phenomenon, identify themes and explain patterns to generate
and modify existing theory an abductive approach is being used (Saunders et al. 2019).

Saunders et al. (2019) remarks, that although abductive research exhibit both deductive
and inductive elements, one often remains clearly dominant. In this study because of the
limited existent literature on the subject the approach is leaning more towards the inductive
approach, since the notion of the systemic nature of existent inequalities and gathered
empirical data phenomenon and industry as a whole has largely dictated the building of the
theory. However, this study is not purely inductive, moving from data to theory, but rather the
developing of the theory chapter and gathering, and analyzing data happens iteratively and
parts being revised as necessary when new discoveries are made, in accordance with Saunders
et al. (2019). Opposed to purely inductive reasoning, relevant key concepts have been
developed and elaborated on, which in turn has directed the gathering of data. Thus, steering
 15

clear from the purely inductive reasoning. As Bryman & Bell (2015) explain an abductive
research approach means moving back-and-forth between data and theory.

3.3 Data Collection

The empirical data was collected from annual and CSR reports of the ‘big five’
companies; Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group,
and McMillan, in the publishing industry as well as niche-publishers focusing on BAME-
writers vocal in their strive for equality as well as news articles and consultancy and industry
reports.

Company reports have been chosen in this study to represent how major actors in the
industry view the current situation and their own part in it. These reports give an official
review of the companies’ own operations and business activities (Bryman & Bell 2015).

Naturally encompassing around 80% of the trade publishing industry (Tager & Shariyf
2022), the activities of the ‘big five’ are essential in addressing the systemic inequalities
present in the industry. However, since the question in itself is quite sensitive it is important
o get a broader scope of the issue. Therefore, smaller actors vocal, and with the purpose of
tackling these systemic inequalities will also be studied.

Moreover, industry and consultancy reports by publishing associations and Deloitte

have been chosen to generate more impartial and overarching depictions of the industry to
create a more holistic view of the current state of the industry.

Lastly, relevant news articles from media outlets have been chosen, since as a source
they are not afraid of getting in to the potentially nasty and gritty parts of reality and offers
insights that otherwise would go unnoticed.

This kind of triangulation of different data sources is useful according to Bryman & Bell
(2015) as it offers the opportunity for findings of a phenomenon to be cross-checked over
multiple sources and is also championed by Lincoln & Guba (1985) to ascertain or bolster
validity.

3.3.1 Comments on the Different Sources

3.4 Data Analysis

The empirical data were analyzed through thematic analysis, a flexible method often
used for analysis of qualitative data as it aims to create and group themes out of text (Braun &
Clarke 2006; Bryman & Bell 2015). Usually, this method is a reiterative process of analyzing
 16

texts with a growing level of abstraction (Spencer et al. 2003; Braun & Clarke 2006; Saunders
et al. 2019).

This study will follow the analytic hierarchy similar to the one proposed by Spencer et
al. (2003) in the thematic analysis. As it is a reiterative process starting from identifying initial
themes or concepts from textual data, into more advanced levels of abstraction of assigning
meanings to concepts and detecting patterns, to eventually developing explanations and
answering how and why questions (Spencer et al. 2003, pp. 212-213). To guide this process
this study makes use of the six-step model proposed by Braun & Clarke (2006). The analysis
was conducted according to the step-by-step framework produced by Braun & Clarke (2006)
as it is a method advised for identifying, analysing and reporting patterns within data.

3.4.1 Step 1: Familiarizing yourself with your data

The initial step includes immersing oneself with the data at hand and getting familiar
with the breadth of the content, which includes reading and re-reading the data (Braun &
Clarke 2006; Saunders et al. 2019).

3.4.2 Step 2: Generating Initial Codes

This phase involves the production of initial codes of the data. The initial codes differ from
themes in the sense that they are usually narrower, however are not yet coupled together.
This step involves note taking and often highlighting to connect possible data. (Braun &
Clarke 2006)

3.4.3 Step 3: Searching for themes

Once the texts of data had been coded, the next step was to transport and group the codes
into broader themes. As Braun & Clarke (2006) note, this involves analysing, identifying,
and combing different codes into overarching themes.

3.4.4 Step 4: Reviewing themes

In this phase themes are reviewed and altered to fit a coherent structure. The main reason is
to produce themes meaningful to answer the proposed research questions. (Braun & Clarke
2006)

3.4.5 Step 5: Defining and naming the themes

The defining and renaming of themes are to ensure that themes do not overlap and conveyed
in a precise manner (Braun & Clarke 2006).
 17

3.4.6 Step 6: Producing the report

Producing the report refers to the creating a story of the data to convince the reader of the
validity and merit of the analysis. It ought to provide a coherent and structured account of
the process of analysing the data. (Braun & Clarke 2006)

3.5 Trustworthiness

Bryman & Bell (2011) propose trustworthiness as a criterion for how good a qualitative
study is. This entails four different aspects based on model by Lincoln & Guba (1985)

1. Credibility: how believable are the findings? (Internal validity)

2. Transferability: do the findings apply to other contexts? (External validity)

3. Dependability: are the findings likely to apply at other times? (Reliability)

4. Confirmability: has the investigator allowed their values to intrude to a high grade? (Objectivity)

-Bryman & Bell (2011, pp. 43)

3.5.1 Credibility

Establishing credibility of findings designates that research needs to be carried out

according to good practices and provide confirmation that the researcher has interpreted the
data correctly (Bryman & Bell, 2011, pp. 396).

3.5.2 Transferability

Transferability can be achieved according to Bryman & Bell (2011, pp. 398) by providing
detailed ‘thick descriptions’ with the purpose that others can make similar assessments of
the findings and possibly transfer the findings to another field. Lincoln & Guba (1985) also
names this applicability and asks the question of how one can determine the extent to which
the findings have applicability in other contexts.

3.5.3 Dependability

Dependability is formed by providing detailed ‘auditing’ processes of each stage of the

study and analysis, followed by displaying it accurately to be reviewed by peers (Bryman &
Bell 2011, pp. 398). This is to assure that if the inquiry were to be replicated within the same
context the findings would be repeated (Lincoln & Guba 1985).
 18

3.5.4 Confirmability

The question of confirmability surrounds whether the researcher has allowed their own
subjectivity, personal values or theoretical inclinations distort the findings (Bryman & Bell,
pp. 398). Lincoln & Guba (1985) denote that is to showcase neutrality and that no subjective
biases have distorted the analysis.
 19

4 Results

Macmillan

“We refused to create initiatives that looked good to the outside world but lacked a true commitment to identify the
resources needed to transform into the organization we desired to be. We knew that to truly embrace DEI in action,
we must embed it into every part of our business”

In redefining their goals Macmillan came to create this vision statement for tackling the inequalities in publishing
“We aim to increase diversity in the content we produce, the authors we work with, and the talent we acquire, retain
& develop”

“to make this a reality we identified a core set of actionable high-level objectives that would serve as our compass:

+increasing awareness of diversity, inclusion & belonging concepts with a foundation of Equity

+Translating these concepts into behaviours in the workplace

+Providing consistent and sustainable reinforcement and support

+embracing diversity of thought and seeking out different perspectives to build upon and enhance the knowledge
of our community both professionally and personally”

“Too often, many view data as the driver of all Diversity work. We needed to understand the difference between the
quantitative data that reflects our employee demographics and qualitative data that reflects the sentiment of our
workforce…We are approaching using our data as a tool to highlight our areas of action rather than a showcase of
performative action. Over the past five year, the number of non-white employees in our workforce increased by 7.7
percentage points – this includes a 5.2 percentage point increase in non-white leadership and 2.5 percentage point
increase in the total female population”

“We recognize that the current structure to collect this data is limited, and we are working with our providers to
expand our options so in the future it is more representative of our employee population and communities.”

2021 70.5% identified as white and 68.5% as female. Moreover, the latest report from august 2021 showed and
agreement of 71.2% of employee to the statement ‘I feel like a belong at Macmillan’

“To ensure our efforts are effective and sustainable, we will continuously identify all areas where we have an
opportunity for change. From our people to the books we publish, we are auditing the foundation of our company,
reviewing each of our policies and procedures, to embed DEI into each one/…/To accomplish this, we cannot treat
DEI as a standalone strategy – but as an integral part of the way we do business. Collectively, as an organization,
we committed to embarking on this journey of inclusion by establishing the Central DEI Team, charged with
leading, expanding and reinforcing the organization’s DEI efforts.”
 20

“At Macmillan, values are not just learned, they’re lived. These values serve as inspiration for all those that at
MacMillan as we seek to publish some of the best books of our time. We will work collectively to enhance our culture
while reaching – and then surpassing – our business and profitability goals in a manner consistent with these
values.

 Inclusivity: We strive to cultivate a diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment where everyone—

from someone in a junior-level position to the CEO—feels a sense of belonging, is empowered to bring

one’s whole self to the workplace, and share their thoughts and ideas, while remaining accountable to

the impact of their words and actions.

 Respect: We treat others with professionalism and respect, assuming positive intent as we exchange in

honest dialogue across our organization.

 Trust: We foster a culture of honesty and trust as we show consistency between our words and our ac-

tions.

 Sustainability: We aim to do less harm and more good to the Earth by actively pursuing sustainable

practices to reduce and reverse the impact our business has on the environment.

 Impact: We publish a wide variety of books that educate, entertain and challenge the reader. We be-

lieve in the power of books to connect people, foster innovation, amplify diverse voices, and contribute

to the global conversation.”

Macmillan are furthermore committed to maintaining productive dialogue:

“We embarked on a journey of open, honest & sometimes raw conversations – realizing we would have to change
how we thought about each other, our business, our industry, and the world. Some conversations were easy and
filled with light and learning, and some were painful. Different points of view were presented for the first time in
our company’s history, but more importantly, we found that we’re more alike than different. In the end, we realized
that it was us, as a collective, against the issues. Our community consists of individuals who are not only passionate
about the stories we tell, but also passionate about contributing to an inclusive culture. We are taking the time to
understand, talk, and debate, but most importantly, we are continuing to listen. We still have a long way to go, but
today we are stronger because of it.”

“As we continue to better ourselves and our culture, we also acknowledge the importance of thinking beyond our
immediate circle. Opening opportunities to various communities will always be a priority for us – because we work
better when we work together”
 21

“Our mission at Macmillan is to create and sustain a culture of inclusion and belonging that inspires people to do
their best work and grow personally and professionally. Our organization is working to increase diversity in the
content we produce, the authors we work with, and the talent we acquire, retain and develop. As a community, we
are dedicated to this journey. Plain and simple, we have more work to do. We know that we won’t get everything
right, but we are determined to do this thoughtfully, together. We are present, we are invested, and we are
intentional about bettering ourselves, our industry & our stories.”

Macmillan (2023). Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion. Available:

https://us.macmillan.com/diversity/ 12.01.2023

“With the support of Creative Access, an organization committed to increasing diversity in publishing we have
brought some brilliant paid interns to Pan Macmillan and, in a number of cases, we have extended those contracts.
We know we need to do more work to support those individuals long term and to develop them within the business

Our partnership with Eric Festival has connected us with thousands of people from the Black and non-Black
communities who we hope to inspire to pursue careers in publishing

We have formed a partnership with the Black Writers’ Guild, the purpose of which is to create a strong connection
between Black stakeholders in publishing and senior decision-makers in the industry, and to discuss concerns and
trends in the output of publishers.”

“We monitor our press coverage for authors of colour to ensure campaigns are benchmarked against white authors.
We also measure our reach into readers of colour to ensure our campaigns are fully inclusive in terms of readership”

Pan Macmillan (2023). The Pan Macmillan Diversity Equity and Inclusion Pledge. Available:
https://www.panmacmillan.com/about/diversity-and-inclusion 12.01.2023

“To make the company more representative of the world around us, Macmillan USA is establishing a new ‘Trade
Management Committee’ to spearhead diversity and inclusion/…/an exercise…making sure we have diverse
perspectives in the decision-making process.”
 22

“We will make better decisions if our company structure is more representative of the world around us, and we can
only do that if we align recruitment, training, and retention with our day-to-day business decisions.”

“We need more diversity in the titles we publish, more committed positioning and marketing of these titles, more
hiring and promotion of diverse staff, more inclusivity in the decision-making process, and more open dialogue
throughout the organization”

Anderson, P. (2020a). Diversity: Macmillan USA Makes Major Changes in Management

Approach. Publishing Perspectives. Available:
https://publishingperspectives.com/2020/06/diversity-macmillan-usa-makes-major-
changes-in-its-management-approach-john-sargent/. 12.01.2023

In response to the increasing protests that swept the USA after the police killing of George
Floyd, the book business itself heard from many of its own people some resounding calls for
reform. Among others “the Association of University Presses made an organizational pledge
to fight ‘the white supremacist structure upon which so many of our presses were built in order
to lift those who have been historically harmed and silenced by our collective inaction.’”

Anderson, P. (2020b) US University Publishers Decry Their Presses’ “White Supremacist

Structure”. Publishing Perspectives. Available:
https://publishingperspectives.com/2020/06/us-association-of-university-presses-vows-to-
make-equity-a-lived-experience/. 12.01.2023

Moreover, at Macmillan Employee Resource Groups have been created, most notably BLACC
(Black Leaders Actively Changing the Culture) with the goals to “meaningfully
impact…products, policies, practices and programs by supporting and amplifying the
perspectives of its Black employees.” (BLACC 2023)
 23

BLACC. (2023). The Six Black Goals.

BLACC. (2023). BLACC at Macmillan: Our Mission. Available: https://www.blacc-at-ml.com/

12.01.2023

Simon & Schuster

“Simon & Schuster International is dedicated to publishing a broad and diverse range of books for everyone,
representative of the world around us. They are committed to working with and supporting writers, illustrators and
other creative partners from all walks of life, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status,
nationality, religion or belief, age, social or economic circumstance.”

The mission statement of Simon & Schuster:

“Simon & Schuster is a leading international publisher dedicated to sharing a broad range of works that educate,
entertain, and inspire readers of all ages. We publish books that represent many perspectives, to stimulate readers’
curiosity and intellectual exploration, and have the capacity to both inform and challenge our views, and to create
change in the world. Our passionate commitment to excellence in all aspects of publishing is reflected in our
unceasing effort to bring our authors’ works to the widest possible audience.”

However, noteworthy is how little they have to actually back up such ambitious statements
and they show little fulfilment of such promises or even recognition of how bad the situation
has historically been.
 24

Simon & Schuster (2023a). Corporate information. Available:

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/c/ss-uk-corporate-information 13/01/2023

“Simon & Schuster, Inc., a global leader in publishing, believes that in addition to our ability to change lives through
the books that we champion, our actions and business practices can have a positive impact on society and help
create a better, more sustainable and equitable future.”

The Simon & Schuster Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion pledge:

“Simon & Schuster International is dedicated to publishing a broad and diverse range of books for everyone,
representative of the world around us. We are committed to working with and supporting writers, illustrators, and
other creative partners from all walks of life, regardless of race, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability,
status, nationality, religion of belief, age, social or economic circumstance”

“Simon & Schuster is committed to creating and sustaining a workplace whose staff is representative of the multi-
faceted audiences we serve. We look to foster and nurture a vibrant and stimulating culture of awareness and
inclusion, in order that we may better identify and champion a diverse range of authors and viewpoints”

-Jonathan Karp, President and CEO

“As a leader in the publishing industry, Simon & Schuster works assiduously to include, through its publishing
and in its workforce, authors and employees from underrepresented communities. We are committed to making
our workforce and publishing programs a reflection of the actual multifaceted population of our society. By fos-
tering a workplace in which diversity, equity, and inclusion are an ongoing part of the daily life and fabric of Si-
mon & Schuster, we will ensure that we are a company that values its employees and authors, that is a welcoming
and safe environment for all, willing and ready to bring to readers books that have the power to change the
world.”

“Our commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is expressed through increased focus on recruiting and
staffing, retention and career development, mentoring, diversity and inclusion training for employees, and a con-
tinued emphasis on broadening our publishing lists and marketing efforts to serve underrepresented groups. In
addition, Simon & Schuster awards various scholarships, and is involved in various community outreach pro-
grams that help to create awareness of publishing and help broaden the candidate pool among underrepresented
groups.”
 25

Moreover, Simon & Schuster have created multiple US imprints dedicated to diversity such
as:
 Black Privilege Publishing, to amplify Black and Brown initiatives, engaging connected,
culturally aware, cutting-edge audiences
 13A, focusing on publishing renowned, relevant, and diverse voices in culture and politics
 Denene Millner Books, celebrating the everyday joy of Black children and families
 Salaam Reads, aiming to introduce readers of all faiths and backgrounds to a wide variety
of Muslim children and families and offer Musilm kids ana opportunity to see themselves
reflected positively in published works.

At Simon & Schuster they have also created a specific Multicultural Marketing department
dedicated to developing and sharing:
“Best practices for publishing multicultural works, strategizing marketing tactics and campaigns for individual
titles and publishing programs, developing targeted marketing and merchandising programs, establishing
relationships with key media, influencers, booksellers, and librarians, and serving as the liaison with internal
and external partners to promote Simon & Schuster adult and children’s diverse publishing.”

“The focus of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Councils are to foster a positive and inclusive environment,
identify diversity, equity, and inclusion related issues and develop recommendations and initiatives that
embrace the differences of current and potential employees. It is our goal that Simon & Schuster become an
employer of choice, so that both prospective employees and authors of varied backgrounds will be attracted to
Simon & Schuster and view the company as a superior publisher of quality books. We strive to maintain our
exceptional reputation and competitive advantage publishing industry.”

Although, considering their tumultuous attempt at merging with Penguin Random House,
which after years of battle with the US government, fell through in November of 2022,
after a US judge deemed it anti-competitive (Baker, 2022), might put the last few sentences
into some shady light.

Simon & Schuster (2023b). Social Impact. Available:

https://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/p/social-impact 13.01.2023

Hachette
 26

Hachette made the change to overhaul their HR practices by introducing a new Diversity and
Inclusion manager role at the end of 2021 (Wood, 2022).

“Our ambition is for our team, our publishing and our authors to be fully reflective of the society we live in. We
actively seek different voices, perspectives and ideas. A commitment which sits at the heart of our diversity and
inclusion programme, Changing the Story; one of our four pillars of our business strategy”

“Our 10 employee networks are people-led, voluntary and open to everyone who works here. Together, their mis-
sion is to foster communities of inclusion and belonging through the creation of safe spaces for our people to
share their realities, raise awareness and explore topics that matter to them. Our networks work closely with our
leadership and HR team, and their work is at the heart of our diversity and inclusion programme, Changing the
Story. We welcome and encourage everyone who works here – as champions and allies – to join, participate and
get involved with the networks to help create a vibrant and supportive culture for everyone.”

The ten networks at Hachette are:

 AgeWise Network, ensuring over 50s have proper representation in training, benefits,
development, recruitment and promotion
 All Together Network, promoting the recruitment, retention and development of people
from low socio-economic and regional backgrounds
 Accessibility Network, improving the accessibility of publishing for anyone who has a
disability, neurodiversity or health condition
 Gender Balance Network, aiming to eliminate the gender pay gap by focusing on equal
recruitment and progression for all genders throughout the entire organization
 Pride Network, supporting LGBTQIA+ members by ensuring that Hachette publishing
represents and reaches LGBTQIA+ people of all backgrounds
 THRIVE Network, enhancing cultural awareness, bringing people together, and
championing Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic colleagues and writers
 Wellbeing Network, promoting a healthier, more supportive working environment,
focusing on physical and mental health, financial wellbeing and work-life balance
 Multi-Faith Network, providing support and representation for employees of any religion,
as well as offering a place to socialize and connect. Includes Jewish, Christian and Muslim
Networks
 Hachette Sustainability Network, aiming to promote sustainable work practices,
communicate our environmental goals and targets and encourage our people to make
more sustainable personal choices
 27

At Hachette the organization has also since 2019 voluntarily been publishing their ethnicity
pay gap, an act which saw Hachette nominated in the Inclusive Workplace category at the
(GED) Global Equity & Diversity Awards.

Furthermore, at Hachette to improve representation certain initiatives have been laid in place:
 Shared parental leave, equalised shared parental leave so that both parents are entitled to
20 weeks of leave which is fully paid.
 Trans inclusion policy, valuing the positive impact trans and non-binary communities
have towards enriching the Hachette culture and content and Hachette are committed to
create an inclusive working environment where all people feel safe, valued, and supported
 Menopause policy, promoting a culture of openness and inclusion, and educating people
and ensuring everyone has the support the need to thrive in the organization
 Diversity in recruitment, offering people from under-represented backgrounds the
opportunity to be mentored by a board member
 The Future Bookshelf, relaunched in 2022, an online writing community and open
submissions platform for writers from under-represented communities, including writing
all Hachette creative writing programmes focused on diversity and inclusion
 Mo Siewcharran Prize, launched in 2019, an annual award given to unpublished fiction
authors from Black, Asian, Mixed Heritage and Minority Ethnic backgrounds
 National Literacy Trust, partnership between the National Literacy Trust in the UK and
Hachette, co-creating programmes to help children, young people and adults in
disadvantaged communities develop life-changing literacy skills
 Dyslexia editorial guidelines, raising and support of dyslexic and neurodiverse people in
partnership with the British Dyslexia Association

Hachette UK (2023b). Diversity and inclusion. Available:

https://www.hachette.co.uk/landing-page/huk-diversity-inclusion/ 13.01.2023

Hachette mission statement:

“Our mission is to make it easy for everyone to discover new worlds of ideas, learning, entertainment and
opportunity. Learn more about how we bring our mission to life and the strategic pillars which define the way
we work.”

Hachette UK (2023a). About us. Available: https://www.hachette.co.uk/landing-page/huk-

about-us/ 13.01.2023
 28

Furthermore, Hachette have partnerships with the Royal National Institute for Blind People
in a commitment to make all books available on their Bookshare platform and with Jessica
Kingsley Publishers to produce dyslexia-friendly texts and workplaces in the industry
(Hachette UK, 2023c).

In their Changing the Story report on transparency and people Hachette UK make multiple
admissions on where they need to improve on:

Ethnic backgrounds:

“We under-represent the UK population in nearly all minority ethnic groups, with the exception of Asian/Asian
British Chinese, Asian/Asian British Indian and Mixed/Multiple White and Asian.”

“Hachette UK Ltd is 84.1% white and this is broadly in line with the UK population at the last census when the UK
population was 86% white, although we are significantly out of line with the London population, which was
59.8% white, and where the majority of our staff are based. The make-up of our white staff across the Group
is different to the national figure which is 80.5% white British — we have 65.9% white British staff and a higher
proportion of people who classify themselves as white/other.”

“In London, 44.9% of the population is classified as white British, whereas 71% of Hachette UK staff identify as
white British, so we are significantly out of line with the make-up of society in London.”

Socio-economic backgrounds:
“People from higher socio-economic groups are over-represented in Hachette UK. We must ensure we are more
accessible to talent of all socio-economic and educational backgrounds if we are to reach all readers with our
publishing.”

Neurodiversity:
“We asked staff if they have a neurodiverse condition or consider themselves to be neurodivergent, with 7.1% of
all staff identifying as neurodivergent. We’ve aggregated all positive responses to protect anonymity and they in-
clude ADD/ADHD, Asperger’s Syndrome, Autistic, Dyslexic, Dyspraxic, I don’t know, Multiple, Neurodivergent,
and Other neurodiverse identity. It is estimated that between 10% and 15% of the UK population are neuro-
diverse”
“We recognise that we are in the early stages of building awareness around neurodiversity and taking steps to
support our colleagues within the workplace. We will continue to work closely with our Accessibility Network and
our Neurodiversity working group on this agenda, and we will be publishing a Neurodiversity policy to ensure
better support for our staff.”
 29

Hachette UK (2021). Changing the Story: Our People and Publishing Transparency Report.
Available: https://www.hachette.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/People-and-Publishing-
Transparency-Report.pdf 13.01.2023

Harper Collins

“HarperCollins has been entertaining, educating, and inspiring generations of readers for more than 200 years.
We seek to make a positive impact by promoting education and literacy, supporting our authors and their free-
dom of expression, and helping our local communities—with a focus on organizations that support people from
diverse backgrounds as well as underrepresented communities. We are also proud to support the causes our em-

ployees care about through a matching donation program.”

HarperCollins (2023a). Corporate Social Responsibility. Available: https://www.harpercol-

lins.com/pages/corporate-social-responsibility 19.01.2023

“As a broad-based global publisher, HarperCollins strives to ensure that our employees and authors represent the

variety of cultures, diverse backgrounds and unique viewpoints that shape our world. We publish content that

presents a diversity of voices and speaks to the global community. We promote industry and company initiatives

that represent people of all ethnicities, races, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, classes, re-

ligions, national origins and abilities.”

“We believe that people everywhere should have access to relevant stories that reflect their diverse backgrounds,
interests and cultures, and we are proud that our authors have been recognized with prestigious awards for creating
such work.”

“We seek to create a workplace environment that is inclusive of all people and are actively looking for ways to create
a more diverse workforce through initiatives like our diversity and inclusion working groups. We desire a culture
that supports a range of views, and we offer workshops for our employees to support these goals.”

“We are also building a future generation of publishers that better represents different ethnicities, religions,
orientations and interests by partnering with colleges that have a diverse student population and hosting “career
days” for students from underserved schools. HarperCollins is proud to support the AAP/UNCF summer internship
program, which offers paid internships and living allowances for high-achieving African American students. In
 30

addition, we utilize our own summer internship program, which has an emphasis on diversity, as a pipeline of
future employees.”

“But we think there’s even more we can do. There are thousands of HarperCollins employees all over the world. We
celebrate their differences and the unique viewpoints each brings to our organization and to our authors. And we
continue to support change for our organization and for the publishing industry.”

HarperCollins (2023b). Diversity and Inclusion at HarperCollins Publishers. Available:

https://www.harpercollins.com/pages/careers-diversity-and-inclusion 19.01.2023

“As a global publisher, we strive to make sure our employees and authors represent the variety of cultures, back-
grounds and viewpoints that shape our world.”

“Throughout our 200-year history, our publications have spanned every school of thought, prompting discussion,
pushing boundaries and provoking debate. We publish books that present a diversity of voices and speak to the
global community. And we promote industry and company initiatives that represent people of all ethnicities,
races, genders and gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, classes, religions, national origins and abilities.”

“Our publishing imprints create more ways for more voices to be heard. Competitions and open submission peri-
ods for writers from underrepresented backgrounds have helped make publishing more accessible. In 2020, we
created the new role of Talent & Audience Development Manager, D&I, to help us speed up change in our pub-
lishing. And we launched The Author Academy, a free programme to train and support un-agented writers from
underrepresented ethnic backgrounds. We also realise that not everyone reads the same way, so we produce an
audio version of all our new narrative titles, released the same day as their print counterparts, and we make these
free to members of the Royal National Institute of Blind People through the Talking Books Library.”

“We couldn’t do any of this without our employees. We’re working to increase the diversity of our workforce to
better represent the readership and communities we serve. Our Traineeship recruits people from Black, Asian
and ethnic minority backgrounds, and is now its sixth year. In 2021, we hired our first Diversity, Inclusion & Be-
longing Manager to help drive our ongoing programme of change.”

“We encourage respect and understanding at work, and in our work, so we regularly host events and support our
staff with training in allyship, inclusive language and hiring. And we have an active community of employee-led
network groups. We use a blind recruitment system to reduce bias and create a fairer process for our applicants.
And we offer flexible working and equal maternity, paternity and adoptive leave to promote gender equality, and
to give all parents a good work-life balance. Our executive committee is made up of a majority of women, and we
continue to close our gender pay gap.”
 31

“There’s more we can do to be a fully fair, diverse and inclusive company, so we set ourselves clear ongoing ac-
tions. We’ll track and share our progress, and we’ll continue to champion and drive change in our organisation
and the publishing industry.”

HarperCollins (2023c). Diversity, Inclusion & Belonging. Available: https://corpo-

rate.harpercollins.co.uk/people-and-culture/diversity-inclusion-belonging/ 19.01.2023

“We were introduced to the work HarperCollins is doing with the winning presentation they submitted to Busi-
ness in the Community for the Employer Network Award. The presentation explained why diversity is important
for the organisation as they uncovered that only 4% of their editorial team were from the black, Asian or minority
ethnic demographic, which was not very representative of the 29% in London.”

“The move towards more reflective cover jackets for novels set in countries outside the EU was also discussed. A
study was conducted into book jackets from authors from ethnic minorities or books set in a country outside of
Europe, such as Africa or the Middle East. When put side-to-side the jackets all featured similar images that often
did not reflect the content of the novels. HarperCollins has worked within its departments to create cover jackets
that reflect the content not the nationality of the author or where the story is set.”

“The forum has also worked hard to make the company more accessible to authors from minority groups, though
it was agreed that more needed to be done.”

“HarperCollins' partnership with Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) helps reach an audience easily
excluded from reading opportunities. This partnership further highlights HarperCollins commitment to making
publishing and reading accessible to everyone.”

Vercida. (2017). How HarperCollins is setting the Diversity standard within publishing. Ver-
cida, 10.07.2017. Available: https://www.vercida.com/uk/articles/how-harpercollins-is-set-
ting-the-diversity-standard-within-publishing 19.01.2023

Penguin Random House

The proclaimed commitment of Penguin Random House regarding diversity, equity & inclusion:
 32

“We seek to bring people together by amplifying storytelling and diverse voices, not only in the books and in the authors
we publish, but also within our company, by ensuring an equitable and inclusive home where all are welcome and where
every person is empowered to be themselves and to share their perspectives.”

Penguin Random House (2023a). Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Available: https://social-im-
pact.penguinrandomhouse.com/our-commitments/diversity-equity-inclusion/ 02.02.2023

The mission statement at Penguin Random House:

“Our mission is to ignite a universal passion for reading by creating books for everyone. We believe that books, and the
stories and ideas they hold, have the unique capacity to connect us, change us, and carry us toward a better future for
generations to come.”

Penguin Random House (2023b). Our Mission. Available: https://social-impact.penguinran-

domhouse.com/our-mission/ 02.02.2023

“To be a truly inclusive publisher and employer we need to recognise and challenge the inequalities which exist in our
society, and the complex, difficult and systemic issues that have historically helped some, while holding others back.”

The strategy at PRH (Penguin Random House) are threefold:

 Representation in all teams, at all levels: Our ambition is for our entire company to
reflect the rich diversity of UK society, including at senior level.
 A culture where everyone can belong: We want to create a culture where everyone
feels able to speak up and voice their views and ideas, and feels heard when they do,
because others are willing to learn and listen.
 Publishing books for everyone: Books are a portal to enter new worlds, to inhabit
someone else’s shoes, to open one’s eyes to new perspectives. Everyone should be able to
see themselves, and their communities, authentically reflected in the books they read.

Penguin Random House (2023c). Inclusion. Available: https://www.penguin.co.uk/company/so-

cial-impact/inclusion 02.02.2023
 33

The social impact statement at Penguin Random House:

“Social impact has always been part of our DNA. In 1935 our founder, Allen Lane, established Penguin to make
good quality books affordable and accessible to everyone. In doing so, he created a paperback revolution that de-
mocratised literature and transformed publishing.
We remain true to Allen Lane’s original vision today through our mission: we make books for everyone, because a
book can change anyone.”

The social impact manifesto with its four cornerstones:

 We give everyone equal access to books: We make books for everyone, but the reality
is that not everyone in society has the means or opportunity to read books. That’s why we
work with foodbanks, prisons and homeless shelters across the UK, to put books into the
hands of people and communities who may not otherwise be able to afford or access them.
 We create the readers of the future: We know that books can change minds and
transform futures. By connecting young people to the power of our books and authors, we
help them to see the world from many different viewpoints.
 We make books for everyone: We believe every reader should find books and authors
that speak to them and reflect their experiences. From our authors and illustrators to our
publishing teams, we want to ensure the creators of our books truly represent the society
we live in. That’s why we’re working towards our goal for our new hires and authors we
acquire to represent UK society by 2025. And aiming to create a culture of belonging where
everyone can be themselves.

Penguin Random House (2023d). Social Impact. Available:

https://www.penguin.co.uk/company/social-impact 02.02.2023

“We believe diverse voices need to be elevated and heard. For us, more diverse publishing is not just a moral
imperative—it is a necessity for building an inclusive society. Because diversity has a different meaning in every
market, we let our local territories lead the way to develop strategic DE&I programs that most effectively
support their communities and specific needs. Through special engagements and multi-year projects, we focus
on equitable and human-centered approaches as we work to build a more inclusive publishing industry.”

Diversity pledge at PRH:

 34

“To create books for everyone, the demographics of our workforce must reflect the society we live in, and
transparency in pursuit of this goal is critical. In 2020, PRH U.S. shared its workforce demographics for the
first time both internally and externally. We pledged to do so annually to keep us accountable to ourselves and
to the public.”

-Penguin Random House (2022). Global Social Impact. Figure 1.

“We have seen an increase in racial diversity within our new hires over the past years, with a more marked
increase over the last two years. While we still have significant work to do in this area, we are encouraged by
the modest progress our data show. We must continue to make these strides and, in most areas, accelerate
this work.”
 35

-Penguin Random House (2022). Global Social Impact. Figure 2.

“As a step toward our commitment to increase the number of books we publish, promote, market, and sell by
Contributors (i.e. authors, illustrators, and other creators) of color, we conducted an audit of our U.S.
publishing programs from 2019−2021 to serve as a baseline to determine next steps, and to measure
progress.”

-Penguin Random House (2022). Global Social Impact. Figure 3.

 36

“This next chart shows the breakout of the Contributors by race and ethnicity, along with PRH U.S. employee and
U.S. population benchmarks. As you can see, neither our employee benchmarks or Contributor base for the
audited time frame is reflective of the U.S. population. We understand that these findings are far from where
we want— and need—to be. Reaching our ultimate goal of a workforce and Contributor population that
represents our society will take time, but we are committed to making more meaningful and sustained changes
at PRH U.S. that will help us get there.”

-Penguin Random House (2022). Global Social Impact. Figure 4.

The five core pillars at PRH US to succeed in their ambitions to make their employee and
contributor populations more representative of society are:

 Leadership Investment in Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: Effective leadership is at

the core of systemic change and we are investing in that change through unconscious bias,
antiracism, and inclusivity training. We hold leaders accountable for implementing our
DE&I vision, setting goals, achieving results, and being role models
 Diversity & Representation: We are committed to making our employee population
more representative of our society by ensuring that attraction, sourcing, and recruitment
is done through a DE&I lens.
 37

 Career Growth: Diversity, equity & inclusion is crucial to the development of all
employees to ensure they are prepared, supported, and well-situated in how to advocate
for their career paths. We integrate DE&I into talent development, performance
management, advancement, and retention efforts.
 Psychological Safety & Belonging: We seek to create a more psychologically safe,
inclusive environment that allows employees to bring their full selves to work and voice
their ideas and opinions openly.
 Content & Marketplace: We are committed to increasing the number of books we
publish, promote, and sell by people of color with the ultimate goal of publishing books
that reflet the world we live in

Penguin Random House. (2022) Global Social Impact Report 2021-2022. Available:
https://randomhouse.app.box.com/s/lt3d77e7vbaa53ct9t32x95umsspxqcc 02.02.2023

Deloitte

Deloitte predicts that the gender gap in reading will increase over the coming years as
fewer boys will be encouraged to pick up books (Deloitte 2021). The evident gender gap is in-
creasing and it is for the major players in the publishing market to upend this trend. Girls
generally are more likely to report liking the activity of reading books and are more likely to
form the habit of reading in childhood or early adolescence (Leavell et al. 2012; Deloitte
2021). This shapes the way in which publishing companies shape their marketing strategies
and runs the risk of further increasing the gender gap in reading and thus the Big Five carry
a responsibility in choosing different marketing strategies and techniques to change this
alarming phenomenon.

The danger it poses as Deloitte (2021) highlights is the lower scores in reading ability
and comprehension among boys, add to the fact the increase reading can have on mental
health and empathetic abilities (Bavishi et al. 2016; Schmidt 2020) and the reason to change
this trend becomes evidently clear. Not only do men read less overall but they also read sig-
nificantly fewer books written by women (Deloitte 2021).
 38

A study in the UK found that out of male bestselling authors their reader were fairly
evenly spread between males and females, 55% and 45% respectively. However, the readers
of female bestselling authors were 81% female, which showcases the disparity in preferences
among male readers (Sieghart 2021).

Deloitte (2021) remarks that publishers play a large role in how they market their
books. Books are generally marketed according to gender and naturally these numbers sug-
gesting preferences between genders only encourages publishers to target their marketing
strategies accordingly. In order to encourage and reflect the equitable society they proclaim
to be striving to create their marketing need to break down these preconceptions on reading
habits and preferences as well as focus on how to reverse the gender gap trend.

Furthermore, Deloitte (2021) underlines that publishers ought to rethink on how to

appeal to male audiences through different content and formats, as e.g., audiobooks are con-
sumed more evenly by both genders (Deloitte 2020). However, ultimately the habit of read-
ing is often shaped by impressions and role models in childhood and early adolescence and
the change cannot and will not be manageable by the publishing industry alone.

Tager & Shariyf (2022)

According to Tager & Shariyf (2022) in a cultural industry like publishing, what is
considered good or marketable is often based on subjective interpretations, and the white-
ness of staff has caused a disproportionately large white cadre of published authors and
books. The problem is not that these gatekeepers are consciously undervaluing books by mi-
nority authors, but the fact that they are locked in processes of determining value based on
previous success stories and fail to acknowledge value accurately across varying works. Tager
& Shariyf (2022) report that although DEI efforts have been instituted to tackle this issue
they often fall short and fail to have a significant impact over time. The key metrics for evalu-
ating long-term diversification, according to Tager & Shariyf (2022), are measuring and ad-
dressing racial representation in employee hiring, author lsits and published content.

In their study, Tager & Shariyf (2022) remarks that, historically DEI efforts have
lacked sustained policy revisions and company-wide commitments that outlast any singular
 39

political movement and persist despite eventual setbacks and challenges. In order to tackle
the systemic inequalities efforts, need to be more than trendy and adjusted to current politi-
cal movements, but revised and planned for longevity and be incorporated in the core values
of organizations. Dating as far back as the beginning of the 1980s Mel Watkins (1981) re-
ported in the New York Times about the difficulties black writers faced in the publishing in-
dustry and just like previous and subsequent efforts to acknowledge and tackle the issue the
impacts subsided once the media attention died away and focus was shifted to different con-
cerns (Tager & Shariyf 2022). There is a reason for the those in the publishing industry re-
porting race is rediscovered every 15 years and these efforts appearing in cyclical patterns of
progress and regression (Patrick 2020). As media attention drifts to other concerns, so does
the concerns of organizations. However, the issue is certainly not that the systemic inequali-
ties fail to stay relevant long enough, but rather that the major players in the publishing in-
dustry have lacked commitment in their efforts and have failed to realize the broader spec-
trum of the issue beyond placating the masses.

While the Big Five all have reached certain baseline standards in tackling the issue in
hiring and recruitment processes, such as appointing DEI officers and tracking data on em-
ployee demographics and diversity. However, some of the key areas where reporting and au-
diting is lacking is in multicultural marketing and strategy. (Tager & Shariyf 2022)

In a study conducted by Publishers Weekly, 75% of employees in the publishing in-

dustry reported their organizations had increased DEI effort, however only 49% of them
truly believed them to be successful in achieving any significant change (Milliot 2020). This
further underline the previous failures of similar efforts in sustaining the momentum beyond
pressure from the outside or political trends and highlight the concern that these efforts fail
to be incorporated into the core of organizations. The efforts ought not to be seen as anom-
aly, as they are established to more accurately reflect society. However, as the dominance of
white authors and white staff members have persisted for centuries the industry has grown
too comfortable with the status quo and failed to realize the diversity around them. The cur-
rent optimism for recent efforts lies on the premise that this is no longer merely a trend, but
with the increase in CSR policies and reporting the issue is finally becoming part of organiza-
tions core values and not just used as a response to outside pressure. However, scepticism
remains and like those before believing to be on the cusp of change, time can only tell
whether the industry can finally get over the hump. Already, the current surgency of in-
creased diversity can be rooted in the demonstrations after the killing of George Floyd and
the evident danger is that the industry has once again only reacted to public attentions as the
market clearly trended towards titles of race and racism (Harris 2020).
 40

The disproportionate whiteness of white-collar industries does not only occur in pub-
lishing. However, since the industry has quite low entry level salaries, people from other than
wealthy backgrounds or with some sort of financial support, face an additional barrier to
even consider a career in the field, thus enshrining systemic inequalities (Tager & Shariyf
2022). Candidates from lower social backgrounds or those who lack the funds to pursue en-
try level positions in the industry are closed off from reaching positions on decision-maker
levels and are systemically shunned away from the publishing industry. Traditionally pub-
lishing has been a field to attract people from elite schools and privileged backgrounds and
consisting of a very close-knitted network and elitist sort of group (Tager & Shariyf 2022).

Tager & Shariyf (2022) identified low turnover rates at higher level positions in the
industry and the moving upward towards of positions of power is generally slow. As top-level
management is predominately white and the limited or scarce advancement opportunities to
these roles, there is a concern the change in the industry will be painfully slow. The slow ad-
vancement trajectory discourages young people in junior positions from staying in the indus-
try and those who stay are those often with large networks or in with sufficient economic
support to spend a few years in the same role. Exclusionary hiring and failing to attract and
retain people that possess any unfavourable socially constructed attribute as stated by
Schmidt (2005) & Acker (2006), has led the industry to become extremely homogenous in
top-level positions and changing old habits without enough senior mentors to guide younger
generations may prove fatal in the pursuit of sustained effort and commitment in tackling
the issue.

Another emergent issue highlighted by Tager & Shariyf (2022) is that once people of
colour are hired, they are expected to champion writers and staff of the same ethnic or social
background. Whilst this kind of network building is beneficial, it underlines the failure of a
changing mindset within the organization as the responsibility of becoming more aware re-
garding diversity is placed on those certain diversity “representatives”. Thus, highlighting a
lack of inclusion as organizations fail to integrate diversity throughout their organization and
the core values and corporate behaviour may remain unaltered. Similarly, authors of colours
when published are often tokenized. They are seen as representatives of certain groups and
once the organization has acquired them, they are treated like a quota that has been filled.

Moreover, Tager & Shariyf (2022) report that editors feel pressured to do additional
research when proposing books of coloured authors to refute they are only chosen for their
racial affinity. Highlighting, the additional, superfluous barrier authors of colour face when
getting their works published. Furthermore, Reid (2021) found that BIPOC workers continu-
ously feel a burden to educate white colleagues and face additional obstacles in promoting
and selling works to colleagues as they fail to perceive the value they carry.
 41

The notion that diverse books do not sell is anchored in the pursuit by publishing
companies to find new success stories by mirroring previous bestsellers. Arguing that value
in books is based on what the consumers want. This belief create a lock-in effect where crea-
tivity or diversity of thought is limited and similar concepts are favoured over new directions.
If a story was successful once, tell it again. Failing to address to opportunity and value di-
verse works bring, means others from different backgrounds are either disregarded or asked
to alter their stories to portray an already established persona of the average reader or con-
sumer. This lack of awareness is reflected in market research where companies systemically
underestimate the potential to market and sell books to buyers of colour (Tager & Shariyf
2022). This presumption presupposes that the ideal reader is white and works ought to be
tailored to fit this certain persona and thus the whole industry is hemmed by assumptions of
reader audiences. Perceiving black authors to only be suitable for niche markets has become
so commonplace that the supposition that, books by black authors cannot be marketed to
white audiences has taken hold.

As others of ethnic minorities are presumed to represent the minority they belong to,
so too are their stories expected to champion that very ethnic background. Trapping them in
an identity or label, which can e difficult to shake off and limits the creative freedom the au-
thor is allowed. Other of colour do not have the same access to break across genres compared
to their white counterparts and are often locked in their genre or style. Furthermore, pub-
lishing companies often seek out BIPOC authors to create stories of the disadvantages or dis-
crimination they have faced and make a story out of traumatic experiences as it judged to sell
well. The practice of monetizing trauma through stories is something that BIPOC authors
face to a significantly higher degree than white authors. (Tager & Shariyf 2022)

Moreover, as authors are reduced to an identity, as functions such as marketing fo-

cuses on labelling the books as ‘diverse stories’, neglecting the actual content and value of the
story (Tager & Shariyf 2022). As publishers actively seek out to publish more diversly, the
ramifications of their good intended efforts may be creating lock-in effects for BIPOC au-
thors. Conclusively, the quest for diversity can easily become a search for stereotypical sto-
ries based on prejudiced assumptions BIPOC authors can/ought to write about, only increas-
ing the disparity and throwing them back in the loop of recreating systemic inequalities.

These kinds of selective treatment are all deeply anchored in already established
norms that have created a system that benefits authors of privilege and a disruption of core
practices might be need to address the systemic inequalities. Friedman (2021) notes that in
paying advances, works go through processes of profit-and-loss analyses in order to estimate
the advance payment an author will receive. Often works by BIPOC authors and compared to
other works by BIPOC authors which have traditionally performed relatively low as they
 42

have lacked the support, campaign funding, and marketing (Friedman 2021). Basing com-
parisons based on author identity, rather than literary genre or style creates an insidious
loop that systemically discriminates BIPOC authors. Since the industry is becoming more
data-driven and estimations and comparisons relying heavily on historical data it is im-
portant to realize that the data has been skewed in favour of privileged authors and relying
on old models will only replicate the harmful systemic behaviour. However, Tager & Shariyf
(2022) remarks that simply overpaying BIPOC authors blindly to compensate for inaccurate
estimations can backfire, as commercial failures will only perpetuate the false presumption
that diverse books do not sell, which has festered the industry for so long. This places an ad-
ditional and unfair pressure on BIPOC authors to succeed commercially and might even de-
stroy career prospects and limit future opportunities. The intricate challenge in efforts to
tackle systemic inequalities in advance payments subsequently becomes: wanting to increase
the advance payments of BIPOC authors, whilst not setting them up for career hemming fail-
ures as bad investments.

Saha & van Lente (2020)

 43

Whilst the publishing industry concedes it has an issue with a lack of diversity.
Though there are intentions and a desire to publish more diversly, publishing houses face
difficulties in finding and publishing BIPOC authors successfully (Saha & van Lente). How-
ever, even if agreed that their heart is in the right place, how long will the flames of desire
burn before they falter if the issue cannot be adequately addressed, and this ‘trend’ blows
over like so many times previously.

In the report by Saha & van Lente (2020) the consensus among editors and agents
was that BIPOC authors are difficult to find, that they are not attracted to writing careers, or
even, controversially, that they lack quality. Those BIPOC authors who do make it have often
been moulded to fit in a way that conforms to prior beliefs or stereotypes. Moreover, editors,
agents, and other gatekeepers need to be more proactive to fulfil the need of publishing more
diversly (Saha & van Lente 2020).

Saha & van Lente (2020) reports that especially the dependency on financial support
and social background is perceived to be a large obstacle for BIPOC people pursuing a
writer’s career. Whilst the daunting task of writing page upon page without any monetary
compensation is not very motivating, Saha & van Lente (2020) argues the problematic na-
ture of agents not finding aspiring BIPOC authors has nurtured this false conclusion.

As Saha & van Lente (2020) remarks, publishing is an inherently risky business. Pub-
lishers seek to reproduce stories or tropes that have worked in the past and are drawn to the
known and this causes racial and ethnic differences as well as stereotypes to be produced. In
the industry the change is subtle as the worth of a work is assessed through comping, which
means that in order to determine value a book needs to have elements of prior success sto-
ries, whilst presenting something new. Ground-breaking or revolutionary stories seem all too
risky and fail to gain attraction the necessary attraction to be properly valued by those in
power who decides on the money invested in publishing and marketing. I mean, how many
times have we not heard of a creative virtuoso being ahead of their time? Why this particu-
larly applies to BIPOC authors is that the white dominance of the industry has created mis-
conceptions regarding audiences, and culturally editors and agents fail to accurately deter-
mine value of stories by authors from different cultural and ethnic backgrounds.

Additionally. Saha & van Lemte (2020) found that the respondents agreed that
BAME authors feel a need to fulfil certain criteria or expectations of what white middle-class
editors want. Underlining the pressure to conform to white standards in order to fit in. Since
there is a cultural gap between the two parties, the editors fail to recognise value from an un-
familiar point of view, and inadvertently reproduces behaviour that forces BAME authors to
conform to white audiences.
 44

The misconception that BAME authors are riskier investments do exist in the indus-
try (Saha & van Lente 2020). Not only does this suggest that works by BAME authors do not
have the same selling potential, but in large it suggests there is simply not a market for their
works. The presumption that works by BAME authors do not have any potential to hit the
mainstream or by able to sell among predominantly white audiences is what upholds the sys-
temic inequalities in the industry and, albeit subconsciously, do cause considerable harm to
equality in the industry.

In order to tackle these issues, presumptions and prejudices, Saha & van Lente
(2020) argues the agents and publishing staff need to be aware of and critically assess mind-
sets and standardised publishing processes as these often pose obstacles to BAME authors.
Furthermore, more diversity among the staff is needed and proactive measures ought to be
formed, through strategic partnerships with organizations that work with under-represented
communities in order to ensure processes are continuously kept up to date. (Saha & van
Lente 2020)

Another fear among respondents Saha & van Lente (2020) found was the fear of to-
kenism. The practice of treating minority groups as ‘ticking a diversity box’ cannot be disre-
garded as most diversity reports highlights the representation within the organization.
Whether they share the same power within the organization or are treated equally is often
more difficult to prove. Whilst respondents spoke of a desire to publish more diversly the
consensus was they often felt they were unable to accurately determine the value of works by
BAME authors and often they just viewed the books as marketable from a diversity perspec-
tive rather than for the quality of the work. (Saha & van Lente 2020)

Quality in creative industries is difficult to assess and thus, the fact that publishers
admit to failing to understand works from different backgrounds, highlights the need to in-
crease thought diversity and diversity in general. Moreover, what is considered marketable
or fitting to audiences is locked in established processes and reassessments of target custom-
ers is needed to reach wider audiences. Saha & van Lente (2020) do also note an admonition
to publishers aiming to disregard authors’ backgrounds in their practices, as the standard-
ized processes do unconsciously favour white creators and thus will not provide an adequate
solution. It is the already established monoculture and standardized practices that ought to
be critically assessed and reorganized and the suggestion this can be solved through igno-
rance is frankly naïve and over-optimistic.

Comping in publishing is the process of comparing works to similar previous titles to

predict the sales potential and estimate the revenue and costs of the investment (Saha & van
Lente 2020; Tager & Shariyf 2022). Whilst there is no exact science on which works to com-
pare, Saha & van Lente (2020) noticed works by BAME authors were often compared to
 45

other authors from similar ethic/racial background although their stories did not share any-
thing in common. Underlining, that works are seen as ‘diversity’ enhancing, and not judged
in a similar fashion as books by white authors. The lack of data of BAME works means they
are continuously overlooked as the data shows that similar books do not sell, thus an all too
heavy reliance on data and the act of comping will hinder these authors. However, nor can
the issue be solved by disregarding race and ethnicity when comping. As that would result in
BAME authors only being published when their stories conform to the already established
white standards and manners, merely sustaining the systemic inequalities. The industry does
face quite the predicament. However, this is a clear indicator of current practices and pro-
cesses needing a revamp and new ideas to tackle contemporary challenges regarding equal-
ity.

Saha & van Lente (2020) argue that BIPOC authors are held back by the view that
they lack commercial value. This in large because actors in the industry perceive their core
audience as white middle class and do not consider it profitable to pursue niche markets.
Even when these projects are taken on, they are promoted in a way that appeal to their ‘core
audience’, thus failing to reach a broader audience (Saha & van Lente 2020). The problem is
not merely why publishers fail to see the value in works by BIPOC authors, but also why they
underestimate BIPOC audiences in large and view them as niche and not worth pursuing.

Moreover, as BIPOC authors are often expected to write about their marginalized ex-
periences and having to perform their race or ethnicity, whilst white authors enjoy the free-
dom of writing about whatever they fancy (Saha & van Lente 2020). The way BIPOC authors
are typecast locks them into a creative well that will eventually dry out and marginalizes
them into a genre that is difficult to escape. While authors often like to be remembered for
their works, failing to differentiate between their identity and their stories is something far
more common among authors of colour and hence they are continuously treated unfairly.

Though the findings by Saha & van Lente (2020) suggests publishers want to publish
more diversly and increase DEI efforts within their organizations, the issue still remains.
However, they drive has mainly come from external sources and the question is how dedi-
cated their efforts truly are or whether they are currently being made to prevent reputational
damage, rather than ripping down the social structures and standardized practices in the in-
dustry. Another issue expressed by Saha & van Lente (2020) describe is the dichotomy be-
tween publishing as a business and publishing as cultural value. The challenge lies in the
presumption that works by BIPOC authors do fail to sell and reach mainstream audiences.
However, the underlying reason is that how the mainstream has previously been determined
and what is considered to fit the mainstream has been strictly regulated. Barriers blocking
works to reach the mainstream is the source reason why works by BIPOC authors are seen as
 46

riskier investments as they often fail to reach the same sales volumes as those deemed fitting
to the ‘core audience’ that gets the backing by marketing and promoters needed to succeed.
 47

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6 Timetable and Overall Comments

Never good to start of with excuses, but having been working full time during most of this
process the thesis has drastically been neglected. There are parts that I have not returned to
since Semi1 and all-in-all, although I am quite satisfied with the data I’ve managed to gather
and I do have a general picture in my head of the structure and the entire thesis I will need to
dig in deep during this month and use some grit, sweat, and tears to pick up the pace. So, in
order to finish it before the 30.04.2023, I have now to put up a strict timetable presented
below.

05/04 – 10/04 Continue on finishing in the theory chapter and shaping it to fit with the
already gathered results and data.

10/04 – 15/04 Rewriting the data and adding the discussion part by combining the theory
chapter with the findings.

16/04 – 20/04 Elaborating on and writing the method chapter.

21/04 – 25/04 Writing conclusions and the introduction

25/04 – 30/04 Polishing the entire text and focusing on the flow of the text.