As the book community grows larger every day, the publishing industry’s lack of diversity is more evident now than in previous years. With 95 percent of American Fiction being written by white authors, and the workforce a staggering 76 percent white, the industry is being called out for its systemic racism and whiteness. Although in the last few years publishing houses have made small attempts to change the disproportionate whiteness within their industry, the book community on social media is still calling for a larger change. At the height of a new era in racial reformation, I will investigate all aspects of the publishing industry’s lack of diversity and look at what lengths the book community, formed on social media, is pushing for change.
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as a first generation Mexican American, I wanted to focus on Latinx literature, specifically looking at the formation of identity within the romance genre. I chose the romance genre because it is a genre that I read most but also because it has become a genre that has always been one put under debate.
The romance genre has always been coined "chick lit" or "female reads" and very rarely is it investigated in a way that centers its ability to subvert gender norms, happily-ever-after ideology, and bodily autonomy. When looking at diversity, Latinx literature, and the romance genre, I found an interesting research point that allows for investigation into the advancement of the genre through activism on social media. (2-3)
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The online reader communitys' ability to affect change within the publishing industry through social activism draws attention to their desire for inclusivity, specifically in this instance, the romance genre. Their ability to promote diverse literature, call attention to unequal pay, and push the necessity to diversify the workforce shows how their collective mobility is helping to change the industry. (3)
Here's the abstract:
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