Why Book Industry Sees the World Split Still by Race

The Wall Street Journal

Why Book Industry Sees the World Split Still by Race

In Many Stores, Black Authors Are Shelved Separately; Convenience or Disservice?
Mr. Massey, an Invisible Man
By JEFFREY A. TRACHTENBERG
December 6, 2006; Page A1

Brandon Massey's readers tell him they know just where to find his horror novels -- in the African-American section of bookstores. He's torn about whether or not this is a good thing.

"You face a double-edged sword," says Mr. Massey, 33 years old. "I'm black and I'm published by a black imprint, so I'm automatically slotted in African-American fiction." That helps black readers to find his books easily and has underpinned his career. At the same time, he says, the placement "limits my sales."

Should fiction written by black authors be shelved in African-American departments, a move that often helps nurture writers? Or should it be presented alongside other categories, such as general literature, allowing books written by black authors to take their place in publishing's mainstream?

The issue -- stirring up a broader debate between assimilation and maintaining a distinct identity -- has come to the fore because of a recent explosion in black fiction at a time when book sales as a whole are in decline. For the first nine months of 2006, bookstore sales fell 1.6% to $12.1 billion, according to preliminary data from the U.S. Census Bureau. By comparison, major New York publishers say black authors are flourishing. "It's a hot area, and everyone is rushing in," says Judith Curr, publisher of CBS Corp.'s Atria imprint, where African-American authors contribute about 25% of the titles published annually.

African-American sections are the rule at Borders and Waldenbooks, chains both owned by Borders Group Inc., as well as many airports and Wal-Mart Stores Inc. outlets. Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc., the country's largest book retailer, don't follow the practice. There, Mr. Massey's books, which include "Thunderland" and "Dark Corner," are found in the horror section or in general fiction.


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Why is there even a designation for fiction based on race. Non-fiction perhaps because it may have to do with the history of blacks. But fiction is fiction - imagination has no color. Are there actually people who want these books separated from the fiction aisle for some reason; "this is a great book about dragons and wizards, but I see its written by a one Daryl Johnson and I guess it's not for me!" I somehow doubt it.

The real reason for this divide is the lack of diversity amongst executives in the book publishing industry. Once you resolve that, the manifestations disappear. This is one reason I am participating on DU and have told many people at BlackVoices to participate; because its only through participation can we ensure that our voice is heard and not taken for granted. Some complain that we are aced out of positions such as Alcee for the Intel Chair and earlier denied the DNC chair. Black officeholders sometimes complain they are treated differently by Democrats; but I haven't seen it first-hand amongst Democrats I work with on the grassroots level; because if I did, trust me, I would ensure people in the community knew.

How many black readers looking for a copy of Don Quixote are thinking, "I just hope that there's a special section devoted to Spanish literature in translation because otherwise I might not be able to find it"? Perhaps we can distinguish between doing things to help people find what they want and doing things to encourage people to practice racial discrimination. Is racial discrimination good when it is practiced by the general consuming public?


Imagine that a black man or black woman shows up to receive a Nobel prize in physics and the prize officials say: "We thought you were white. We can't give you the prize. Go away and don't complain or we'll sue you for fraud. You distributed a photo of a white person and claimed that it was your likeness."


What's the connection between the book shelving issue and the broader debate? When Vietnamese refugees first came to the USA, nobody would have suggested that an effective way to help them assimilate would be to shelve books in American bookstores differently. Nor would any Vietnamese-Americans who were concerned that they might be losing their distinct Vietnamese cultural identity think that shelving books in American bookstores differently would make any genuine contribution to resolving their concern.

...no one will let the issue of race go. People demand to be treated equally, and then demand an entire month devoted exclusively to them. If race isn't a big deal, stop shouting it from the rooftops.

I was looking and looking for a Walter Mosley mystery (his Easy Rawlins series is first rate) the other day at my local library. I finally found it in the AA literature section, but it took me a few months of looking off and on to work out the location of the books.

Whether the AA section is good or not is hard for me to decide. I can see pluses and minuses with both systems. My library is staffed by a diverse group of librarians and the customers are mainly black, so I guess they feel this is best practice for their library.