None of you would know this because I didn't really talk about it, but I was supposed to be heading to the airport tomorrow to fly to New Orleans, so that I could moderate a panel at Essence fest this weekend. Which, if you are not familiar, is one of the biggest annual events celebrating Black culture and people. And I was invited to moderate a panel on the future of publishing, where I would be able to facilitate a conversation about what it looks like to bring change for Black authors.

As one of the only Black men to run a publishing imprint in this country, this was a very big deal for me. And for reasons that were not ever fully explained or communicated, but seem to largely boil down to capitalism and greed, that is no longer happening. To say I am devastated is putting it lightly. As I am sure the other incredibly deserving Black bookish creators this happened to are. However, there is nothing to be done at this point, so it is time to move on. But... I still want to have that conversation.

I am not writing this because there is anything I want you to do. Moments like this happen because of, not in spite of, the way this industry works. Which is why I want to highlight this. Capitalism and greed are a foundation for the publishing industry as it exists today. Which is why the conversations we are trying to have matter so much.

Everywhere you look, Black and brown authors and publishing professionals are telling you that the way things are right now isn't working. Or, more accurately, it is working perfectly, but to our detriment. For years, we have been saying that this industry works directly against its authors of color, and that is demonstrated over and over again. Even in moments where the INTENTION is to celebrate Black people, Black people are overlooked for the bottom line. Over and over and over again.

Which is exactly why I want to have the conversation I should have had on that stage.

For the rest of July, you can expect a lot of content from me on this exact issue. Not essence. That is not the issue I am highlighting here. That is just a crappy symptom of a problem I've been talking about for a very long time. In this instance, a single publisher used their money to make sure they took center stage at an event where all Black people in this industry should have been celebrated. But that is not the worst demonstration of how capitalism and greed are draining this industry of its life. Every day, Black and brown authors are thrown away because publishers have already filled their "we're not racist" quota. Every day, Black and brown authors are "chosen", only to have no effort put into their marketing and little autonomy granted in the production of their work. Obviously, that is not everyone's experience, but it is enough people where we can point to a very concerning pattern.

For years, we have been demanding that this industry change its practices and create space for us, and it is abundantly clear that the only change we can expect is in the industry's image. While there are many imprints, editors and marketing teams who are fighting hard for authors in the margins, the industry itself is designed to ensure they fail. THAT is what we are dealing with. Not individual companies who hate us, but an entire industry designed to resist progress. An entire industry that is empowered by denying us access.

That is what I want to spend this month talking about. Not only the particulars of the barriers that exist in the publishing industry, but also what it can look like to resist and, if we are lucky, to disrupt them.

As you know, my entire focus is to disrupt this industry and to create meaningful space for Black and brown authors. I believe this work has the potential to have a massive effect on not just this industry, but also on our culture as a whole. Literature shapes and defines people. I want to make sure that the shape this generation takes looks better than the shape we inherited. And this is how I am fighting for that.

Here is what you can look forward to:

• Blogs and articles about systemic issues in this industry

• Collaborative content with Black and brown authors, publishing professionals and influencers talking about the efforts currently being offered

• Opportunities to partner with bookish companies trying to bring change

• Information on what Left Unread is specifically hoping to accomplish

• Specific calls-to-action with detailed information on why those actions are useful and what we are trying to achieve

• Lists of Black and brown publishers and authors we can help to boost right now

As I have been talking about for as long as I've had this platform, I am very focused on pushing toward actual progress. I am not interest in just reaching success for the projects I am publishing. I want the work we do to leave lasting change for the entire industry. And while many of you are already on board for that work, I want to spend this month really exposing you to other people doing the work and some tools we can collectively use to get it done.

All of this content will be available for free, so if you are not already subscribed, please do so right now. Also share this post on your own socials and invite your community to come take in this information as well.

In addition to that exclusive content, I also host a weekly Family Time with my paid subscribers, where we discuss Left Unread specifically. We meet every Thursday at 7pm CST, and that is where I share any publishing updates, calls to action, answer questions my community has about our upcoming projects or initiatives, and open the door for our community to contribute ideas and feedback on the work we are doing. That meeting is an opportunity for us to brainstorm and plan as a community and I would love for more of you to start taking part in that. I typically drop the link in discord, but I will start sharing it in a dedicated post for my paid subscribers here as well. If you are already subscribed at a paid tier, be watching for that. Everyone else, if you would like to take an active part in our publishing efforts (either to support our projects or even to learn ideas for your own publishing efforts), feel free to upgrade to the $5, $12 or $25 tier in order to take part in those meetings and to get a first hand look at everything we work on. That money does not just help me to sustain the amount of effort I put into the work, but it also directly helps fund our publishing efforts and enable us to invest in more authors.

Thanks for being here, everyone! Looking forward to changing the world with you!