Let's Talk About Outrageous Dreams
If you haven't caught on, I have some outrageous dreams. Let's talk about them!
I may have mentioned it, but I have some pretty outrageous dreams.
I want to change the world. I know…dramatic. But also kinda accurate. For a lot of people, publishing is a way to make a living while honoring their own creative spirit. And that is beautiful. But for marginalized people—Black people in particular—publishing is so much more than that.
You see, literature (and art as a whole) has always played a crucial role in not just reflecting society, but in actually shaping it. Nearly every great movement, whether one that brought liberation or oppression, can point to key texts that played a role in shaping people’s perception of the world. Which is why it is important that we actively take up space in the publishing world. Especially when you consider that every modern movement that helped the world progress centered the voices of Black and brown people.
Here is how I see things: America—and the world—are at a crucial point in history. The conditions of the next century of humanity are being decided in real time. And to be completely honest, it doesn’t look so encouraging so far. Especially when you consider how quickly massive corporations—including major publishing houses—began to pivot in light of America’s diminishing interest in marginalized voices. They are throwing away diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and pivoting to cater to the loudest voices. And that is something that should concern us.
I don’t say that to scare you. I say it because we have the power to resist, and we should.
Publishing, as it is today, almost exclusively caters to white voices. It is run by white men who reserve the majority of their energy and resources for white authors who are speaking to white audiences. And while they create space for enough of us so that they do not appear racist, they are actively using their influence as the gatekeepers of art to keep dissenting voices quieter than the voices who reinforce the conditions that keep them in power.
One of the ways we have learned to combat that is by throwing our support behind the authors who break through. And we should continue to do that. Every dissenting voice in publishing should get the full weight of our support and our spending power. But ultimately, it won’t be enough, because profit is only one of the goals when it comes to running massive corporations. Another goal is maintaining the power needed to stay on top. And dissenting voices will always threaten that, whether the public loves them or not.
But Bindery is offering a solution. With Imprints like Left Unread, you can invest in publishers who are not only committed to dissenting voices…but are dissenting voices ourselves.
If you are reading this because you found it posted on social media, you have probably seen me talk about this every day. But I wanted to take a moment to really outline why this dream matters to me, and why I think it should matter to you. Because I am not just focused on publishing books. I am focused on building platforms that have the necessary power and influence to widely broadcast dissent. Left Unread is about creating rooms that Black and brown people do not have to beg for entrance to, because they were built with us in mind.
Here is the truth as I see it: traditional publishing cannot be reformed. At least not in a way that puts Black and brown people on an even footing. Because it was designed to keep our voices quiet. If we want change, we have to build something of our own. And that is what I am trying to do here at Bindery. To create publishing that sees us as something more than a gold star or proof of progress. Publishing that is centered around creating and broadcasting art that is propelling humanity forward. That is the goal of Left Unread and I cannot do it without you.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
The number one way you can help is by subscribing for $5 or $12 a month.
My immediate goal is to get Left Unread to a point where it is self-sustaining financially and every single dollar helps us get closer to that goal and closer to being able to invest in even more projects per year, invest more in our community (such as indie authors), and help me to carve out the necessary time to give this work all of my energy and focus.
Ultimately, Left Unread is doing publishing in community and I want that community to include you, no matter what! So if $5 is off the table for you, please subscribe at the free tier anyway! Most of my content will still be available there and I want you here!
But if it is not going to tax you and your family to invest monthly, consider this my ask that you do so.
Like I said at the beginning of this blog, I have some outrageous dreams. But they are only outrageous if I’m trying to do it alone. And I’m not. I am trying to do this together. So come be a part of it.
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Feb 3
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