How YA readers can support underrepresented authors

Last month, I attended a brilliant talk at YALC with Abiola Bello and Helen Lewis from Hashtag BLAK:

‘Ten steps YA readers and reviewers can take to support underrepresented authors.’

Abiola and Helen discussed how difficult the publishing industry still is for minority authors, including those who are Black, queer and disabled, and what we as fans and bloggers can do to help amplify those voices that otherwise just don’t get heard. How can we make space for new authors who aren’t getting the publicity and championing they deserve? These are my notes from that awesome discussion.

? Write and share reviews of underrepresented authors and publishers

Bloggers and TikTok reviewers are hugely influential in driving publishers to seek out and acquire certain types of books: if there’s a demand, they will publish! Use your platform to highlight authors who?need?the attention; often it’s the same big names being talked about and promoted over and over again. Talk about titles you’ve enjoyed that aren’t getting enough love. Similarly, you can amplify smaller publishers through your social media platforms as they are often the ones publishing work by underrepresented writers and don’t have the huge budgets the bigger publishing houses have.

? Be a nice human!

If you leave a review online, try to be constructive instead of deliberately mean. That book might not be right for you but somebody else could love it. Abiola mentioned she’d had reviews from adults who thought her YA books were too ‘teenage’ – umm, yeah! Remember that middle grade and young adult books aren’t written for you, so if a book feels too ‘childish’, that’s probably because you’re not the target audience. Leave reviews and ratings with this in mind, and remember how much underrepresented authors are relying on word of mouth and online reviews since they don’t have a huge marketing and publicity team working behind the scenes for them.

? Use your connections

If you’re in a book club, spread the word about lesser-known books and authors. Talk to your child’s school and suggest an author visit. Tell your kids to ask the teachers to stock books in the school library. Ask your local library to order in a book by an underrepresented author.

? Lift up authors on social media

When looking for authors to follow and interact with online, prioritise authors who don’t already have the big marketing budgets behind them. Show up to their signings and share photos online. Social media following really influences authors’ opportunities, like whether they get invited to speak on panels.

? Get involved in the diverse book community

If you’re a blogger or influencer, you have huge power. A book could go from invisible to bestseller overnight because somebody talked about it on TikTok! Immerse yourself in the diverse book community, talk to people, share what you’re reading.

? Create fan content

Abiola talked about how much she loves it when fans draw original art based on her books. This can be so exciting and encouraging for those authors who aren’t being actively promoted regularly! Make videos on TikTok, draw pictures, take lovely photos of the book, create book trailers, and share them with the world!

? Donate books to schools and libraries

Most schools can’t afford a big library full of books, let alone invest in lesser-known authors that teachers might never have heard of. Donate your books to schools and libraries so that children can discover those excellent but overlooked authors.

? Engage with bookshops and libraries

If you’re looking for a book by an underrepresented author in a shop and they don’t have it, ask them to order it in. You can do the same in libraries. Librarians are hugely powerful when it comes to what’s selling in middle grade and YA books – they’re the ones who vote for the Carnegie Award, after all! Tell them what books you want to read and ask them to stock them.

? Join or run book events

Start a book club, run a readalong and focus on underrepresented writers in your meetings and in the books you highlight. Help people find connections with each other and with new authors.

? Be consistent

Diversity is often seen as a ‘trend’ in publishing. Don’t jump on the bandwagon for a few months and then go back to only reading and sharing the household names. Keep amplifying those unheard voices!