Publishing In The AI, DEI Era

 

A recent Publishers Weekly salary study of book publishing worker salaries revealed that the recently hired members (within the last five years) are not proportionately representative of America. The book industry’s newest generation of workers is heavily white, female, and LGBTQ. Good luck in finding other voices, like that of men, particularly heterosexual men of any race.  

Now, does any of this identity stuff matter? 

Well, one could argue that what gets published is based on whomever makes the editorial decisions. But, if the editorial decisions can be made by only using reader marketplace metrics and not identity bias, then it does not matter what an acquisition editor’s race, gender, or sexual practice is. So, to purposely hire — or not hire — certain classes of people — won’t matter if decision-makers green-light books that will actually sell better than the ones they reject.  

Now, will these acquisition editors be able to also select books that need to be published, regardless of a book’s financial viability, such as books that every specific type of people want to identify with? Well, maybe not.  

Publishing does need to explore books that should be published only because they are recommended by a Latina or a Jew or a transgender person. A book should be published on its merits. I am talking about terrific books that get ignored by publishers because on paper, the author lacks a marketing platform or is not part of the checked-box society. Publishers have some obligation to take a risk on worthy books — and to also ignore the tactics of identity politics.  

So, as a white centrist male, it is obvious to me that some parts of the book publishing ecosystem is a woke, DEI quagmire that, in its attempt to uplift some voices, ends up demeaning, distorting, ignoring, and silencing others unfairly.   

It is a tricky thing, to manage the role of gender, race, and religion on publishing decisions. Publishing is not always about profits but, rather, a perceived moral obligation to get alternative, underexposed stories out there — from the minority to the mainstream.  

Now you have robots and AI making or influencing publishing decisions, maybe even writing and editing books. We just need a fair standard enacted to determine what is worthy of publication.  Don’t dilute or dehumanize it.   

The publishing industry is imbalanced in its worker demographic make-up, but it may not matter, provided it manages to produce content that will sell and also serve society’s multiple demographics of readers, and ensure that great books with unmarketable authors don’t get ignored.  

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Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over four million pageviews. With 5,000+ posts over the past dozen years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2024.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully).

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog