We have reached the final blog post in our series, Writing as a Marginalized Author. There are two key points here of which we must be cognizant. Not all marginalized authors choose to write about oppressed characters or communities. This, however, does not remove them from the focus of discrimination and isolation. For those that do choose to include marginalized characters and communities in their works, they suddenly narrow the focus of their audience and increase the target of discrimination focused on them and their writing. In both of these situations, we authors must be aware of the surrounding critique and the world we write in as we create our craft.
I think about writers who choose topics away from their personal experiences. While this may give them a layer of anonymity, I often question what these writers might encounter when they engage in more public aspects of the writing business such as marketing. I think of the book talks, book fairs, and other events in which I have participated. My personal experience has been more predictable and in line with my daily life as my work and all of my marketing materials share who I am. I suppose these aspects may differ for other communities. For example, members of the LGBTQ+ community may have the choice to fly more under the radar than say a member of the black community. While I am unable to speak to the experience of the black community in any capacity, I have assumed that the prejudice and barriers to admission they face in the literary market are as significant as for other writers of different marginalized communities. From this base, I return to my prior reflection and again question what the experience of these authors is when they enter the public arena with books that reflect experiences unrelated to their personal lives.
In contrast to the above, I look at my own experience. I am a very open transgender woman. I am also an amputee and have bipolar type 1. These are all things that I live with, have faced social oppression because of, and have written about. As I write about these issues or include characters with similar struggles in my work, I find that while I am writing for a small niche audience, I am comfortable with what I am writing and have no reservations about what to expect when I prepare for public events to promote my work. I know what to expect. I could remove much of this information from my author bio and simply place a headshot on my books and website. However, I believe this would be misleading and only set me and my readers up for an uncomfortable encounter. It would detract from the authenticity of my work. By writing about my experience through topics or characters that reflect my life, I share aspects of myself with my readers. This allows me to prepare and be more comfortable with my audience when I encounter them in public. It allows resellers to prepare and anticipate what they are going to receive both in my work and from me as an author when we arrive in their store. In these ways, it dramatically changes how I experience discrimination. Aside from shrinking my market from the onset, I genuinely find that the pressures I receive are from places outside of my market.
So what is my takeaway from this? I find that there is a push for marginalized authors to be sensitive to the pressures placed on them by the public, regardless of whether they write from their own lived experience or for a storyline far removed. This scrutiny is real. This oppression is real. The barriers to entry in the writing marketplace for all marginalized authors of any race, socioeconomic, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity are real. Many may say that writing is a competitive market and that it is simply difficult to publish. But when your market is compressed by who you are and your identity places an unfair disadvantage on you in an already competitive and challenging industry, it often forces what you do from a career into a passion. This leaves us with the question, “So what?” Perhaps there is nothing to be done about this. Perhaps this is just the status quo and something we must live with. I would argue that this is an opportunity for us, collectively, as a community of authors to collaborate to raise our voices and help promote each other. To support each other and raise awareness of the beautiful work that we all do. It is also a time when we must care for ourselves. We must acknowledge the challenge we face and stand strong to our craft and to our convictions. At no time is it more important to trust in our own art and spirit than when others refuse to acknowledge the gifts we have based on their own ignorance and sense of entitlement. We must stand against this injustice, and just as we do with our characters, treat ourselves with respect and compassion and continue to write.