Sadly, in publishing worldwide, diverse books and authors only get a chance when it’s trending. Especially in smaller European languages, like Dutch, this results in a complete lack of stories written by authors of colour. The problem is that it’s often a vicious circle.
When I go through the brochures of Flemish (Belgian) and Dutch publishers, I always wonder: where are the fiction books written by authors of colour? Specifically when it comes to books originally written in Dutch (no translations). Most of the time: there are none. Yes, there might be some children’s books or poetry collections by authors of colour – which are also very important – but general fiction like romance, feelgood, fantasy… These are almost non-existent.
Some might think it’s because “there are no authors of colour who write fiction in Dutch”, but that seems impossible to me. A better question is: “what obstacles do they experience to set foot in the publishing industry?”
Still quite elitist
You should know: the Belgian publishing industry is, generally, quite elitist. Mostly people who are already famous (TV stars or influencers on social media) get book opportunities, without even having to proof they can write. For publishers the financial risk of investing in people who already have a fanbase is lower. Yet, when we look at the media industry in Belgium, people of colour are also a minority. Who we see on TV doesn’t represent Belgian society at all. So, that way, it’s white women and men who also get the book opportunities.
Another option is trying to get signed by a publisher by applying through the regular channels. But as an unknown debut author, that’s incredibly hard. I know this very well: I decided to self-publish my feminist and diverse novel after some publishers told me they weren’t interested because the story didn’t fit in ‘just one box’. Publishers only have room for a handful of those books each year, and when they pick authors, they not only look at the writing, but also ask themselves: “is this genre trending?” and “can we compare this book to something that has already proven to be successful?“.
The issue there is that diversity is only accepted when it’s trending. Think of gay hockey romances. At some point in history – not too long ago – this would have been a huge financial risk for publishers. But now? It’s almost a guaranty for success. But what if that hockey romance included two women, let alone Black women? I’m afraid publishers would be very hesitant.
Nobody to call them out
Moreover, it’s proven that in professional contexts people are more likely to choose people who look like them. In Flanders, I have never seen a person of colour working at a big publisher (which is sad). So if there’s someone, it will be a minority. That means that incoming manuscripts are evaluated by white people who might not see the potential because they simply don’t know that side of the publishing market. For the record: I think they should definitely look further than white audiences. It’s their job. So if they can’t, that is an example of racism. Unfortunately, there might be no one who calls them out because the people they’re surrounded with don’t see it as a problem either.
And all these obstacles only apply if authors of colour decide to send their manuscript to a publisher in the first place. The problem is that when they see nobody who looks like them in the catalogue of a publisher, they might not trust this publisher to handle their story well (which makes sense). And that might cause manuscripts to not even reach publishers. It’s a vicious circle.
Visibility is key
Of course, there’s always the option to self-publish a book, like I did. There’s actually something very powerful in this path. But it comes with fewer chances: less visibility, less options to be in book stores, less credibility… So even if you do decide to publish your book independently, it’s hard to get it to its audience. And that way nobody may know the book is out.
This all contributes to the fact that white stories and storylines are overrepresented. And if you’re wondering what’s the issue, well… For instance, it seems as if people of colour aren’t allowed to see themselves represented in a story, or they would need to turn to English books (although the issue isn’t fully resolved there either). It also gives the impression people of colour can’t dream of being an author.
To finish, it’s also a problem for who’s white: if there are not enough books highlighting different perspectives, what are we even doing? Books are a perfect way to understand someone’s story, even if they have a different identity than you. So why not use that to the fullest? And no, you don’t necessarily need to read ‘heavy’ literature. Also in romance or feelgood, It’s important to see society represented and read about, for example, Black main characters in an authentic way. Through books, we get to live different realities and be more mindful and informed, and I think white people owe that to peers of colour.
Written by Nikita
Nikita – founder of Nikita’s World – is a Belgian author of feminist feelgood & a journalist specialized in pop culture and the creative industry.