If you're a writer or an aspiring writer you get exposed to the biases and blind spots of the publishing industry, even if―especially if?―you're out in the relative middle of nowhere. Right now there's a lot of explicit ideological gatekeeping, which also tends to be implicit class gatekeeping.
In the speculative fiction area a lot of markets say that they're looking for authors from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds, sometimes exclusively. At least one magazine I've checked out says that they don't require proof. That's the damnedest thing. While they throw in some honors system rhetoric about not taking someone else's spot, they're in effect begging for some non-alphabet white guy to pull a fast one.
Would I? No. Is that because of my sterling ethics? Not entirely. It's more that if your submission guidelines read like a corporations DEI goals, you're telling me that you don't want to be wowed or challenged, that you don't even really care about enjoying the manuscript. You just want to not be publicly embarrassed. You're asking for dullness and mediocrity, even from people who are capable of better. And that's what you're going to get.
2 comments:
Being a serious writer involves finding and using one's personal voice rather than utilizing some jargon filled version of English for the sake of pleasing ideologues. You're very wise to avoid social and cultural propositions that have forced many authors into forgetting critical thinking while embracing identity groups as perennial underdogs.
It's also very difficult to find good writers when the pool is limited to particular racial groups. Am I right in presuming here you're saying that by not requiring proof of identity this journal is essentially saying it's okay to deliberately allow a misunderstanding about who exactly wrote the piece?
Anyhow, being wowed and challenged is far more fun than critical race theory, queer studies, and the general demonization of men.
Thank you. Yes, I hope that there's a substantial number of aspiring writers out there who know enough to use their own voices rather than this collective bleat.
Well it's a weird thing. The magazine does add a caveat that says how very bad and naughty it is to impersonate another race. And presumably if you're found out as a pretender they'll join the chorus of people condemning you. But they have to know some writers will do that. And for now it helps them fill their quotas.
One's a personal experience and the other's an impersonal experience. Easy choice for me.
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