That was a hell of a night! Amiright? I had faith that voters would show up, but I still found myself overwhelmed as it actually happened!

Obviously, this is just the begining of the work. It is not the finish line. Democrat leadership consistently steps over the most marginalized to get to their bottom line and "saving democracy" is going to mean keeping their asses in check just as much as it means pushing back far-right bigotry. But still, I can breath a little easier this morning knowing that at least there are people in place to hopefully stand in the way of the worst of what this administration has planned for our country, and for the world. Our fight for actual liberation continues. But that fight looks more hopeful than it did yesterday.

I hope that, like me, you are taking some time today to celebrate, to breathe, to rest, and to be proud of yourself. We didn't let go of hope, and now we are closer to liberation than we were before.

We did that shit!

Now, for what I came here to talk to you about... Publishing.

I have spent the last two years consistently talking about the power that literature has to create change. In fact, I say it constantly. Literature has the power to change the world. And that is not a gimmick or a catch phrase. It is the foundational belief that shapes the way I engage in my advocacy and work. I believe that art, in particular--stories, have the ability to draw people into a wider, more honest, view of the world.

Which is why it was such a brutal betrayal watching major publishers almost entirely abandon marginalized people the moment this administration took power. Since 2020, they made promise after promise to stand by Black and brown people, by queer people, by disabled people, etc etc. And the moment the winds turned, so did their pocket books. They signed less marginalized authors. They invested less in the ones that did make it through. They abandoned their promises and hid behind "the will of the people".

I am writing this blog because the winds are turning again. Change isn't here yet, but the promise of change is. And that will impact the way major publishers engage with art again. And everyone knows it. If you have been on bookthreads or BookTok today, you've probably seen dozens of Black and brown authors joking about their anticipated book deals now that "woke is back". They are absolutely right. We are about to see a flood of marginalized authors being recognized by publishers who would have ignored them just a few days ago.

And what I want us to remember is that actual change is going to require us to eventually do things differently.

I believe in fighting for access within the systems that already exist. I believe we should be championing traditionally published authors and demanding that major publishers take them seriously and invest in them. We should continue to put their feet to the fire and demand more contracts, more books, more book tours, the whole production.

Simultaneously, we need to acknowledge that this is not change. It is damage control. Change looks like fundamentally shifting what power looks like and stripping the current gatekeepers of their ability to decide when, and to what degree, the most volnerable are allowed to speak for ourselves.

If publishing has the power to decide what stories literally help shape our society, it is imperative that we stop settling for a system that only accepts the voices that are most necessary when it is convenient to do so. We are watching one of the most historic wins for democracy in America right now. Imagine how much further we could be if this industry had flooded the market with the voices of people fighting for change for the last two years, instead of leaning into the bigotry and hatred of America's loudest demographic. Imagine what the fight for liberation could look like if Black and brown people were given resources to broadcast our challenge to power, instead of having to fight virtually alone. Over and over, we are seeing in exit polls that marginalized people--Black people in particular--are leading the charge in challenging power. The choices being made in real time by this industry are actively aiding this administration in its efforts to diminish our voice.

We have gotten used to Black people stepping in and doing all of the work to organize for change. But if we could renegotiate what it looks like to platform those same voices, perhaps more of America could be introduced to what it looks like to fight for actual liberation, and perhaps the fight could become more effective in the future... and at some point, even won.

That is what I have been fighting for here at Left Unread and it is the fight so many others are engaged in as well. And it is the fight I have spent the last two years working tirelessly to recruit you into. The fight to challenge publishing standards that limit the impact of Black and brown voices. The fight to build a table with us in mind.

And I will continue to do so. Because the truth is, the industry IS about to start fighting for Black and brown people. But I need us to remember why, even as we encourage and challenge them to continue doing it. We must also continue in our efforts to build our own table. We must continue to empower us to speak for ourselves. We must continue to do things differently.

If you are not already a part of the Left Unread community, please take this as your opportunity to invest in the work we are doing here. Yes, demand more from major publishers. Yes, loudly support the marginalized authors getting their big break in spaces they are normally denied access. Yes, continue buying their books, promoting their books, and celebrating their success.

Also... help us to keep fighting for a publishing space that never lost its backbone.

We need spaces that will stand behind marginalized people regardless of what direction the wind moves. We need publishers investing in Black and brown people whether woke is popular or not. We need platforms that work to amplify the voices of those who are challenging systems of power and oppression even when it is dangerous to do so. And Left Unread has remained unmoved, and will continue to. We are absolutely not afraid to take on dangerous stories or to platform conversations that upset the loudest voices in our society.

The work we are doing matters and I am unashemed to ask, no to challenge, every single person reading this blog to help empower us to take our fight to even deeper lengths. I want to fight for Black and brown authors and I want to do it well. I want to take this community, that is committed to change, and make it a force to be reckoned with in the publishing industry. And I want to be an absolute menace to major publishers, a fire under their feet--proof that the only thing keeping them from suceess is their cowardice.

I will join you in continuing to challenge major publishers to do better. But first and foremost, I am committed to building something braver and more effective than we will ever get from whatever they can be bullied into.

So come be a part. We have more than proven that we are capable of competing with major publishers. Our stories are well received. Our authors are taken care of. Our results speak for themselves. Now, the only thing left to do is to grow. And that can only happen as this community pours into the work. We are largely community funded. Your monthly subscription helps us to invest in more authors, more books, and to keep this work sustainable and moving forward. So consider subscribing for just $5, $12 or $25, depending on what you can afford. And get involved.

There is so much work to do and all of it matters. Remember, we are not just looking for them to do better. We are looking to strip them of the ability to do less.

Let's change the fucking world.

Feel free to also support our work by buying a copy of our current books:

• Cry, Voidbringer - https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781964721521

• Devil of the Deep - https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781967967049

• Buzzard - https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781967967261

• From Our Blood - https://bookshop.org/a/87137/9781967967292