Crystal Swain Bates On Promoting Diversity In Children’s Publishing

Todays guest is Crystal Swain-Bates, a celebrated children's book author and the owner of Goldest Karat Publishing, which was founded in order to address the lack of diversity in children's literature. Crystal has written and published 12 children's books, which have been seen on platforms including CNN and Huffington Post. Her book Big Hair, Don't Care is one of Amazon's most highly reviewed black children's books on the market.

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Move Deeply

Shadowed Stars

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Inclusivity In Children’s Books & How Publishers Find Illustrators

Today's guest is Maria Dismondy, of Cardinal Rule Press. Maria is dedicated to having her publishing company produce picture books that empower children with timeless messages of hope, courage and the Golden Rule. She works diligently to have Cardinal Rule Press release children’s literature that represents today’s diversity while remaining dedicated to messages that make a difference. 

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Kiley Reid: On Representation of Language & Examining Race in Fiction

Today’s guest is Kiley Reid, a recent graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop where she was the recipient of the Truman Capote Fellowship. She lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Such A Fun Age is her first novel. Kiley joined me today to talk about Such A Fun Age, and how writing two dimensional characters – people who are both good and bad – is how to make them true to life. Also covered, work life without a living wage, representing race on the page through language choice, and the truth that resides in fiction. 

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Manuela Velasco of Tessera Editorial On Inclusivity & Diversity Throughout Publishing

Today’s guest is Manuela Velasco, the marketing and publicity director as well as an editor for Tessera Editorial which was founded on the idea that publishing can and should be an accessible industry to all people. Through myriad diverse voices in the profession, Tessera Editorial hopes to open the world of books to as many readers as possible. Manuela joined me today to talk about the services that Tessera offers, as well as why getting people of color into all aspects of publishing – not just authors – is important for true diversity and inclusivity in the industry. Also covered: what a sensitivity read is – and what it isn’t. And diversity as a hot topic in publishing – is it a double edged sword?

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Every Stolen Breath by Kimberley Gabriel

Our Year of Maybe by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Overconfidence As An Aspiring Writer & The Disparaging of Genre Fiction: Lamar Giles

Today’s guest is Lamar Giles, a two-time Edgar Award finalist for his YA thrillers FAKE ID and ENDANGERED His third YA thriller, OVERTURNED received a glowing New York Times review. Lamar is a contributor to the YA anthology THREE SIDES OF A HEART and the editor of the forthcoming We Need Diverse Books YA short story anthology FRESH INK.

Lamar joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about the over confidence he had as a young writer, and how he took the time to reflect on 8 years worth of rejection before landed his agent in 2010 with his sixth novel. Also covered: diversity in publishing and how genre writing can be looked down upon, and the complexities of writing a book set in a city you are unfamiliar with, and how research can help you get… most things… right. 

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Nothing But Sky by Amy Trueblood

 In A Flash by Melanie Faith 

Bethany C. Morrow: The Need For Inclusion In Publishing

Today’s guest is Bethany C. Morrow author of MEM releasing in May from Unnamed Press. Bethany graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a BA in Sociology (but took notable detours in the Film and Theatre departments). Following undergrad, she studied Clinical Psychological Research at the University of Wales, in Great Britain before returning to North America to focus on her literary work. Bethany joins host Mindy McGinnis to talk about her query process, as well as writing in a post-election world as a black woman, and the concern that minority authors need to be looking for agents that want to represent them for a long-term career, not just as a response to a trend and whether or not white writers should attempt to write main characters of color, and the difference between that and being inclusive in your writing.

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Freya’s Daughter by Rachel Pudelek 

Fat Girl On A Plane by Kelly DeVos