I will always be too much, I fear. My opinions will always be strong and frequent. And quite honestly, there will always be many people who struggle to tolerate my volume. And I get that. But one thing I can be absolutely sure of is the fact that I will always show up to the fight. 

I have spent years searching for ways to make a meaningful difference for Black and brown authors because I think this industry matters in the fight for global progress. Literature, and all art, matters. It helps to shape societies and to birth and reinforce ideologies. And if you think, for one moment, that the bigotry that keeps this industry locked down has not played a role in the rise of fascism, you are not paying attention.

This is not a frivolous fight. Publishing is not a distraction that keeps me from more important conversations. The fight for access in this industry MATTERS. 

And I know you opened this blog to see me rant about an attractive white man, but this isn’t about him. I don’t have anything against him. And, in fact, I’m happy for him. Get your bag, bro. What is breaking my spirit is the fact that, once again, we are watching just how easily these doors can swing open... as long as it is not us trying to walk through them. 

That is the fight we are in. 

Every other day, I am in your faces telling you the importance of getting in this fight. Asking you to subscribe. Asking you to upgrade. Asking you to pre-order and to join me in helping other Black and brown people start publishing communities like this. THIS IS WHY. Because time and time again, we stand by watching doors swing open, hoping that maybe this will be the time marginalized people will walk through. And they never do. And we can't allow that to keep being the case.

I know y’all are tired of hearing me talk about this, but I can’t stop. I am literally desperate for change. My dreams are so outrageous because I am not just dreaming about publishing Black and brown books. I am dreaming about building this community well enough where we have the resources and the access to throw those same doors open for the people currently being left out. I want to take real risks. I want to take chances on marginalized people the way major publishers can take chances on the most privileged. 

And once again, this is not about any white author. I don’t hate any author for the doors that opened for them. I am not calling them undeserving or unworthy. I am only demanding that we care that those doors are cemented shut for everyone else. I KNOW Black authors with wildly successful books who are still fighting to open doors that would have never reclosed for a white author. I know authors who have met every metric and performed in the exact ways they were asked to who are still being asked to prove they deserve every opportunity. 

My obnoxious conversations are about them. I want to see Black and brown people not only getting book deals but getting the kind of access where we can write those checks and open those doors. That is what we are building here together. ACCESS.

And I want to be clear for a third time, because I know how angry people can get every time a Black person asks for access. I am not upset that others have access. I am upset for the people who don’t. And I am determined to give it to them. 

Help us get there. I told you just a few days ago that my goal is to build our community to 1,000 paid subscribers, and 10,000 subscribers overall. We are 26% into our overall goal and I would like to see us get to 100% by the end of the summer. This isn’t an arbitrary goal. I am working towards actionable plans. I want this community to be more than a publisher. I want us to be a DISRUPTION. 

If you are not already subscribed, do it right now. Click the button, add your username and email and let’s get the job done. It does matter and it WILL give us the ability to swing open more doors, and to swing them open wider. As it is right now, we have the resources and community to publish one or two books a year very well. Those books will have the same kind of budget, network and marketing support that SUPPORTED traditionally published books have access to. But that is not enough. Disruption is going to take more books, a larger platform and a louder collective voice. So add yours. You can subscribe for FREE and add your voice to the conversations we are having. And if you can afford to support our publishing projects and to enable us to take on even more, subscribe or upgrade for $5, $12 or—if you’re feeling it—even $25. 

I know I talk about this often and I ask you to subscribe often. But it is only because this MATTERS to me. I want to do something meaningful and my ability to do that is directly tied to the growth of this community. So here we are. You know what I stand for. You know how stubbornly and excellently I will fight for my goals. And if you’ve read this far, you probably even agree with those goals. So take a chance on this community and help empower us to take a chance on the authors no one else wants to. 

Over the next few days, I am going to post some blogs and social media content really explaining why Bindery's model is going to be a successful disruption to this industry, and how it directly serves authors--especially authors of color. In the meantime, subscribe. Add your voice to ours and help us amplify a message of change.