RACE RIOT!
Over at Sarah Weinman's blog, there is some discussion based on the article I told you all about yesterday. Did you read it? Go ahead. I 'll wait.
Anyway, it turns out there's a quote in the article about how lonely it can be to go to Bouchercon if your a latino author. (More or less a paraphrase - probably more closely to how it was taken to how it was meant, but whatever...I'm a creative writer.)
In the comments section, I've added fuel for the fire (just a little. I'm not a controversial man...) In any event, part of that fuel has to do with an incident that happened years ago when I was first starting out. I visisted a bookstore where I was told they probably wouldn't be selling many of my books since few latinos entered the store. Of course, I was in the store at the time and any hint that latinos don't buy books is wide of the mark. They may not have the disposable cash, and there may be a lot of other problems, but I know plenty of latinos and many buy books. Whatever.
Since then, I've wondered why latinos would not go into that store to buy books. Here's a possibility - few latinos know of latino authors. I've had hundreds of peope email me to say they were browsing in a store when they came across one of my titles...they then break into telling me how proud they are to know a fellow latino, etc. The readers are there. Some writers are there. The channels of communication, however, are not the greatest. (It's the challenge facing every author who wants to promote to a niche market.)
Anyway, it turns out there's a quote in the article about how lonely it can be to go to Bouchercon if your a latino author. (More or less a paraphrase - probably more closely to how it was taken to how it was meant, but whatever...I'm a creative writer.)
In the comments section, I've added fuel for the fire (just a little. I'm not a controversial man...) In any event, part of that fuel has to do with an incident that happened years ago when I was first starting out. I visisted a bookstore where I was told they probably wouldn't be selling many of my books since few latinos entered the store. Of course, I was in the store at the time and any hint that latinos don't buy books is wide of the mark. They may not have the disposable cash, and there may be a lot of other problems, but I know plenty of latinos and many buy books. Whatever.
Since then, I've wondered why latinos would not go into that store to buy books. Here's a possibility - few latinos know of latino authors. I've had hundreds of peope email me to say they were browsing in a store when they came across one of my titles...they then break into telling me how proud they are to know a fellow latino, etc. The readers are there. Some writers are there. The channels of communication, however, are not the greatest. (It's the challenge facing every author who wants to promote to a niche market.)
posted by Steven at
2:42 PM
2 Comments:
Huh. Steven, I can't say I've ever thought of you or Michele as "Latino Authors." I've just thought of you as "Damn Good Authors."
Yeah, same here as Mr. Rhoades...
They wouldn't be selling your books because of how many latinos entered the store?
People only read from someone that looks like them or is their culture? Sorry, maybe I don't understand, but it just sounds racist. I know that racists exist, but aren't the vast majority of people, well, not?
I would think readers like a good read... Period.
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