AP Report: Missteps Lead Publishing Industry to Review Diversity Effort”

From the Associated Press:

According to a new study by the multicultural children’s publisher Lee & Low, the industry is around 75% white, and mostly female. No publisher who spoke to The Associated Press disputed those numbers, which were roughly the same as those in a Lee & Low survey released four years earlier.

“Even though there may be more awareness of diversity issues, the numbers on the industry side aren’t really changing,″ says Lee & Low publisher Jason Low. “It’s still a very homogeneous industry, especially in some of the executive and gatekeeping roles.”

CEOs including Sargent, Michael Pietsch of Hachette Book Group and Carolyn Reidy of Simon & Schuster say longtime barriers to diversity in publishing include the self-reinforcing networks of a historically white, upper-class industry, and the stress of being the only non-white member in a room. The industry’s low salaries, “often from $36,000-$40,000 in one of the world’s most expensive cities, can also make it hard to retain good people.

Direct to Complete Article (approx. 1200 words).

Note: Results from the Lee and Low survey cited in the article linked to below is available online: Where Is The Diversity In Publishing? The 2019 Diversity Baseline Survey Results.

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