DEI Resources for Writers, Editors, and Agents, and More

Let’s get this out of the way: I’m not here to debate politics.

It’s simply a fact that publishing is an ecosystem and that disruptions in the ecosystem affect all of us, whether you’re an aspiring author, a bestseller, an editor, an agent, or a publisher. With the new administration targeting DEI initiatives across the board, now more than ever, we need to continue fighting for representation at every single level of our industry. When we lift one group up, we all rise.

[How a Reading Audit Can Elevate Your Writing]

If you’re not familiar with the term, DEI stands for diversity, equity, and inclusion. At it’s most base, this is DEI means according to Merriam-Webster:

“1: a set of values and related policies and practices focused on establishing a group culture of equitable and inclusive treatment and on attracting and retaining a diverse group of participants, including people who have historically been excluded or discriminated against.

2: the state of having a diverse group of participants as well as policies and norms that are equitable and inclusive.”

Essentially, DEI programs are focused on making sure that as many people as possible can feel seen, heard, and respected, regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexuality, gender identity, religion, disability, etc. When these programs are in place, they uplift the historically marginalized, but they also do things like protect straight, cis-gendered women from harassment and discrimination.

Everyone benefits from DEI initiatives. Full stop.

[Courageous Discomfort: Thoughts on How To Have Important Conversations About Race and Racism for Writers, Readers, and Other Human Beings]

In the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of conversation around diversity in publishing, from the statistics of white authors being published and marketed at higher rates than non-white authors to authors releasing information about the advances that they were offered by publishers.

At its base level, publishing needs diversity in order to survive. People get tired of reading the same story, seeing the same faces, looking at the same tropes. By reading works by authors who don’t share the same identity as yourself, you open your creative world to new and dynamic ideas, story structures, conversations, and characters. It makes you look at yourself and your writing in a new, exciting light. You find ways to enhance your authorial voice, discuss difficult topics and themes, and create memorable characters. It’s why we have a course at Writer’s Digest University called Read Like a Writer; there’s a lot to learn by studying the works of others!

The way we get this diversity is by giving all authors a fair chance at having their work published and marketed so that they find their audience and have the chance to keep writing and publishing.

But it’s an enormous task that will not—cannot—happen overnight. It’s a process that we need to take on one step at a time.

There are a ton of great resources out there for writers and other industry professionals, but I know it’s overwhelming. If you don’t know where to start, I encourage you to check out some of these resources. They can get you started thinking about how you can effect change in our industry, and how you can become a great literary citizen, uplifting others and keeping our ecosystem alive and healthy.

These kinds of guides are helpful to get you thinking critically about the language you use and how it can possibly affect your work. Here are some of my go-to’s:

These networking sites are helpful for those who are seeking mentorship, connection, and resources within a specific community.

These databases are wonderful resources for people who are looking to hire editors and writers.

Change starts on the individual level. It’s up to us to create a healthy, harmonious writing and publishing ecosystem. Hopefully these resources give you a jumping-off point to develop your literary citizenship!