THIS WEEK
larger publishers have set up internal networks to improve access to the
industry for minority communities; here are six essential steps to ensure their success
ess
Amy Barrett @amybarrett31
W
hen it comes to diversit and inclu- sion, the line between
“progressive” and “performative” is blurred. Acts that appear progressive—borne from a real commitment to a beter future— can end up only skin-deep, while statements made for publicit alone can inadvertently lead to real change.
How can publishers address their lack of diversit without being solely performative? One initiative is in-house staff networks: groups started, main- tained and chaired by minorit communities within the business. Most large publishing houses now have networks, though safe spaces for staff would benefit companies of all sizes. My publisher Immediate Media’s network was formed in the past year, but some have been going for much longer: Hachete UK’s first networks started in 2016 and now more than 1,000 employees are involved in at least one of their eight groups.
But what decides whether a network is progressive or performative?
TheBookseller.com
01 Backing from senior members of staff
When seting up a network, it’s “worth geting as many powerful people on your team as possible,” says Ellie Drewry, founder of the disabilit network at Penguin Random House (PRH). Whether these senior employees are members of the communit or not—and surveys show it’s more likely not, in the case of disabilit—they are crucial to the formation of a network. Without them, Drewry says she would have struggled to get the group off the ground.
02 Remove barriers to joining Most networks welcome
allies and, as one co-chair high- lighted, this is key for disabilit networks since there are so few of us working in publishing: the 2020 Publishers Association survey suggests just 8% of trade employees have a disabilit or
impairment, and 14% of those were not open about their health condition at work. Therefore, it’s important that participation in these networks doesn’t require disclosure and is confidential.
03 Make a long-term, strategic commitment
Diversit initiatives must be supported by company-wide policies and established practices, according to the 2013 Business Case for Equalit and Diversit report. For PRH, a two-way relation- ship between HR and networks helps the company “tailor solutions so they are right for the colleagues they are supporting”. Publishers can also show commit- ment through partnerships with external organisations, as Hachete UK did when developing dyslexia-friendly guidelines with the British Dyslexia Association and Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Feature Staff networks
Progressive or performative? Disability staff networks come under scrutiny A number of the
04 Have respect for your employees’ time
Expecting chairs to “fit the role around the day job”, as one confidante put it, simply piles more pressure on employees who are already feeling the weight of being in the minorit. Of the three “Big Five” publishers who responded to my request for comment, only PRH recognised their chairs’ work with financial compensation and formally allocated time out of their day job to manage their duties. HarperCollins said being part of a network “is paid in that it happens within work hours”, while Hachete UK’s chairs are volunteers but get “an additional 5% stretch bonus target”.
05 Train your staff To see real benefits from
diversit initiatives, according to the Business Case for Equalit and Diversit report, publishers must invest in appropriate train- ing for leaders. But I didn’t find any who had arranged formal training for chairs.
Company-wide inclusivit training was common, as were events for individual networks, but chairs need investment to confidently handle the huge responsibilities of their role.
06 Accept that networks cannot solve all
To be progressive is to move towards a goal. Networks can only take us so far in solving the inequalities within the industry. Within this issue of The Bookseller, you’ll find more steps we need to take. It’s up to you as to whether this piece is solely performative.
Amy Barrett is a chronically ill science journalist and fiction writer. She is also the creator of The Discriptionary, a website dedicated to positive and truthful depic- tions of disability in books.
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Barrett photography: Rowan Arthur
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