Seattle's Hinton Publishing aims to help new voices break into book industry
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
Seattle journalist and author Marcus Harrison Green has launched a new venture, Hinton Publishing, aimed at elevating the voices of authors who haven't always had a seat at the table.
Why it matters: The publishing industry has a well known lack of diversity.
- According to WordRate, a research analytics group, nearly 76% of published authors are white, while roughly 6% are Black.
- And about 85% of people who acquire and edit books were white as of 2019, according to an industry survey that year.
Plus: A New York Times analysis of more than 7,000 fiction books published by major publishing houses from 1950 to 2018 found that about 95% were written by white authors.
Details: The goal of Hinton Publishing, a new imprint of VertVolta Press, is to "spotlight the work of communities that have historically faced disadvantage, disregard and marginalization," according to a news release announcing the publisher's launch last week.
- That includes a focus on authors of color, as well as LGBTQ+ writers and authors with disabilities — although anyone can submit their work for consideration, Green told Axios.
- The publishing house, which is named after Green's grandfather, already has four authors on its roster: Reagan Jackson, Sean Goode, Juan Carlos Reyes and Danielle Marie Holland.
- All of these writers have "the ability to really stand out and capture an audience," Green told Axios.
What they're saying: "In this day and age in our country, I think that it's extremely important to have voices that aren't just the conventional ones," said Green, who founded the South Seattle Emerald. "That's how we learn how to understand each other."
- One aim is to produce stories with characters from underrepresented backgrounds who are "fully rendered, three dimensional human beings, not caricatures," he said.
What's next: Hinton Publishing plans to hold writer's gatherings and workshops to build community among local authors from different backgrounds, efforts that will be led by deputy publisher Maggie Block.
- The publisher's first titles are slated for release in spring 2024.