Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Who is Publishing Diverse Books Best?

Publishing Research Quarterly Aims and scope

Cite this article

Abstract

Small independent publishers are frequently lauded as the bastions of diversity while the Big Five are vilified as the primary contributors to the overwhelming whiteness of book publishing—yet no statistical data has been offered to support either claim. Moreover, the overall percentages of authors of color have remained the same year after year (Low in Where is the diversity in publishing? The 2015 diversity baseline survey results. Lee and Low (blog), 2016). The following study is a comparison of the Big Five publishers and small independent publishers with respect to author diversity. As social media outlets are now claiming to change the landscape of publishing by making diverse books more accessible to readers, data was sourced from an independent, reader-driven list to determine which publishers—if any—are promoting authors of color and whether their books are making it into the hands of readers.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Goodreads network: demographics. Quantcast. Last modified February 24, 2017. https://www.quantcast.com/goodreads.com#trafficCard.

  2. Govinnage S. I read books by only minority authors for a Year. Washington Post, Apr 24, 2015. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2015/04/24/i-only-read-books-by-minority-authors-for-a-year-it-showed-me-just-how-white-our-reading-world-is/?utm_term=.f6d7f5666ed4.

  3. Hawthorne, S. Independent publishing as the source of bibliodiversity. Publishing Perspectives, November 26, 2014. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. http://publishingperspectives.com/2014/11/independent-publisher-bibliodiversity/.

  4. Kean, D. Has publishing really become more diverse. Guardian, Dec 27, 2016. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/dec/27/has-publishing-really-become-more-diverse.

  5. Lew, J. Small presses thrive in diversity Niche. New York Times, Oct 14, 1996. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A150444264/ITOF?u=s1185784&sid=ITOF&xid=ab2dd098.

  6. Low, J. Where is the diversity in publishing? The 2015 diversity baseline survey results. Lee and Low (blog). January 26, 2016. http://blog.leeandlow.com/2016/01/26/where-is-the-diversity- in-publishing-the-2015-diversity-baseline-survey-results/.

  7. McIlroy, T. What the Big 5′s financial reports reveal about the state of traditional book publishing. Book Business, Aug 5, 2016. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/post/big-5-financial-reports-reveal-state-traditional-book-publishing/.

  8. Most Popular Books Published in 2016, Goodreads, Feb 19, 2017. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017.https://www.goodreads.com/book/popular_by_date/2016.

  9. Quick facts: United States, United States Census Bureau. Last modified Jul 1, 2015. Web. Accessed Feb 25, 2017. https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045216/00#headnote-js-a.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Portland State University, 1609 SW 10th Avenue, Portland, OR, 97207, USA

    Nicholas Shea, Gloria Mulvihill, Vi La Bianca & Alyssa Hanchar

  2. Portland State University, 7849 SW Hall Blvd Apt. 15, Beaverton, OR, 97008, USA

    Gloria Mulvihill

Authors
  1. Nicholas Shea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gloria Mulvihill
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Vi La Bianca
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Alyssa Hanchar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Gloria Mulvihill.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Shea, N., Mulvihill, G., La Bianca, V. et al. Who is Publishing Diverse Books Best?. Pub Res Q 34, 207–217 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-018-9573-4

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12109-018-9573-4

Keywords

search

Navigation