GOD, I wish I could star your post a hundred times. I have no idea who (m/f, w or PoC, etc.) those books you mentioned are written by, and I don’t care. you recommend them with enough passion I’m writing them down on my “look for at books a million” list.

agree with everything you said. I like my sci-fi, for example, a genre dominated by white authors. But if I hear about a great book, I’m jumping on it, I don’t care who or what the author is.

yes, BUT, if you heard, from a fellow Stephen king fan, about a new books series that was JUST as good and "OH MY GOD READ THIS!" would you NOT read it because it was another white man? I agree with you, broadening is good, but also, read what you like. Never feel ashamed if your bookshelves are full of the works of…

wait, are you serious? you missed out on an AMAZING book simply because of the color of the authors skin?

This. words matter, and those are 2 way different sentences...

this is what I try to do- if I haven’t picked up a book by a woman or PoC lately, and I see a list go by, or a “top 10 in fiction right now” and I see one that CATCHES MY EYE, they I scoop it up. If nothing seems good right then, then, maybe later.

... I think I may have read one of your books. if so, well done. :-)

I agree with some of your points, but maybe disagree on others. CIS white men have been overplayed in sooo many novels and character-driven books and I encourage people to step out of their comfort zone a while. I like too, it’s good stuff.

this. well said. :-)

This is a great point, that the type of book immediately relates to it’s accessibility. A character-driven book from a certain point of view can be hard but fascinating to get your brains around. that’s why I do like “20 get books by women of color” type lists, because as a cis white guy, those lists are great places…

exactly- broadening doesn't mean punish yourself. broaden and read what you like. there's room for both...

No fucking chance, that guy's a loon. :-)

I agree with you up to your last sentence. I want your book to succeed or fail on its own, I don't think you should ever lose the chance to impress a reader based on your race or gender. You will (we will) but I don't have to like it. :-/

People choosing based on the color of skin is discrimination; the loss of sales from said discrimination is punishment for being “incorrect.”

I am... not sure if I agree with you or not? I’m advocating that the act of deciding to purchase of any book based on the author’s pic is discrimination, and the loss of sales to the discriminated author IS punishment. If this year happens to be a “no white guy” year, and I lose a sale (I don’t have any books out…

bypassing their works specifically because of their skin color and gender is discrimination. Them being white and male doesn’t make it better.

I apparently did miss the point. jia posted a note down below, mentioning that she was worried that we white men would only “feel” punished.

exactly. Odds are no one here will EVER read anything I’ve ever written. Why do you want to kick me while I’m down, too? eesh. ;-P ha ha ha

true. but publishing is very much like the music industry, the movie industry: you get out there and rise or fall, fast. the timeline is longer than moveis or music, but a publisher isn’t going to wait forever to see if your book catches on. if you release during the years that no one is reading your type- say, white…

do I -have- to wait that long for you to read it? ;-) ha ha ha