THIS WEEK


The Lead Story Black authors


‘Imbalances still remain’ when it comes to Black authors in the bestsellers’ lists


Despite the industry’s efforts to embrace diversity and inclusion, sales figures for Black authors remain underwhelming according to the latest data from Nielsen


Te Bookseller Editorial Team P


ublishing and promoting a diverse range of authors to reflect societ has continued to be a priorit in the UK book trade over the past few years, but “imbalances” remain despite the industry’s efforts. Independent booksellers have raised concerns about whether the publishing process helps books by Black authors early in their careers to reach readers, and succeed commercially, both across adult and children’s publishing. The top 1,000 bestselling authors of last year sold a combined 98.5 million units for £763.9m, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market (TCM) data. The Bookseller has identified 23 Black authors among the top 1,000, with the sales of their books adding up to a total of £11.2m. The author count has remained the same since 2022, and is equal to about 1.5% of the total value, representing a drop from 2021. Hardback publishing for books by début authors poses a potential barrier to geting titles by Black authors—especially those early in their careers—into the hands of readers, according to Fleur Sinclair, the Booksellers Association’s newly appointed president and the owner of Sevenoaks Bookshop in Kent. The higher price-tag prevents otherwise eager customers from taking a chance on a new author, and Sinclair highlighted the fact that some books by début authors retail at £18.99, with some books priced even higher. Sinclair pointed out that various lists of publishers’ “autumn highlights”, which spotlight some of the biggest titles of the year, are lacking in diversit. She said that it is vital “not just [to] create pathways, but the long-term strategies that help redress these imbalances”. The BA’s president told The Bookseller: “With Black authors being still in such a minorit, if you like, they can’t afford to have just the same old publishing model… If we’re trying to change the offering, and we’re trying to change the landscape, then we’ve


06 31st May 2024


BA PRESIDENT FLEUR SINCLAIR


got to think about different ways in which those authors and their books will be beter supported.”


The role of paperbacks in helping promote début Black writers was echoed by Rosamund de la Hey, co-owner of The Mainstreet Trading Company in Melrose, in the Scotish Borders, who said that “paperback is the easier sell when customers are trying any new author”. But there are also occasions where hardbacks can contribute to the success of a title, even for books by writers that customers are less familiar with, and de la Hey said that sometimes “a really beautiful hardback cuts through”. Will Smith, co-owner the co-owner Sam Read Bookseller in Grasmere in the Lake District echoed de la Hey, adding that the booksellers have “seen instances where first publication has been trade paperback when you might expect hardback, and that has impacted potential sales and excitement”. According to Smith, Black British authors especially are “under promoted” by publishers, regardless of the stage of their


career. “While we now see more books published by Black British writers, we oſten see publishers promoting Black American authors rather than Black British writers,” he explained. “It’s oſten surprising how being a rural bookshop shapes publishers’ perception that we will sell fewer Black writers.” Nels Abbey, co-founder of the Black


Writers Guild, mentioned instances of publishers neglecting Black authors. “It is far from unusual to receive distress calls from Black writers who have been all but deserted by their publishers,” he said. “We are aware of situations in which publishers have performed well beneath the most basic of expectations: failing to send out proofs for quotes, near no promotion whatsoever, refusal or inabilit to engage with the author’s concerns, etc.”


Fiction books by Sara Collins, Temi Oh, Candice Cart-Williams, Yvonne Batle- Felton, and Caleb Azuma Nelson have all been bestsellers for Sam Read Bookseller in Grasmere, Cumbria. Meanwhile, The


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