Race you to the top
http://www.likesbooks.com/blog/?p=7523
Nothing new here, but it’s nice to read a discussion free from Enlightened Angry Girls hurling accusations of white privilege at each other. The initial blog post is tad naïve and some comments are equally so when they go, “Segregating AA romances is wrong!” but Dr Laura V can always be relied upon to give a reasonable argument as to why segregation is sometimes needed.
Bottom line – we can’t blame publishers completely for segregation and lack of ethnic diversity in romances, because there are many readers who actually want the segregation. Some Black readers find it convenient that their favorite romances are all located in one line or one aisle, while there are other readers (which also include some Black readers) that do not want to read books with these aliens from a different planet, and are happy that those books are out of sight and out of their mind. Remember how earlier this year Maisey Yates got some heat from UK readers when her Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern book showcases a Black hero? Most publishers care about bottom line and avoiding controversies that may affect this bottom line, so if enough readers are happy with the segregation and the lack of diversity, they will retain the status quo.
And I’ll say this again: if you want ethnic diversity in romances, don’t just talk the talk – vote with your money. The next time you blog about race issues in romance novels – ask yourself first: when is the last time you purchase and read a romance novel with a non-White couple? If you don’t actively seek out ethnically diverse romance novels, or if you don’t read them often, then, aren’t you also contributing to the status quo?
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I’ve said it before…romance (and probably all of genre fiction) is written by white authors for white readers. And for all the talk in Romanceland, those readers don’t want diversity, at least, not authentic diversity. They may want some superficial diversity but if it deviates too much from their view of the world they don’t like it. It reminds me of the complaining about historical accuracy…readers only want that if it doesn’t contradict what they believe to be true. Give them real accuracy and they don’t like it. It’s why I don’t blame authors for not writing ethnically diverse characters–I believe them when they say it doesn’t sell, and if people aren’t buying those books, what’s the point?
Exactly! Every other month, the race issue comes up, everyone gives their “We WANT diversity! DIVERSITY is good!” speech, and then everyone goes back to maintaining the status quo. Repeat and rinse. Such discussions now make cynical old me wonder whether it’s just a periodic exercise to convince themselves that they are such wonderful enlightened people.
You both are speaking some truth, but it doesn’t mean I’m that willing to bend over and take it any more. I owe it to my children (and my Scottish pride) not to.
“we can’t blame publishers completely for segregation and lack of ethnic diversity in romances, because there are many readers who actually want the segregation.”
Proof? I asked Harlequin for proof and they couldn’t provide any. Seems you have the evidence. Share, please.
I have no doubt that there ARE some readers who want them separate, but the rest? That’s the question.
As for segregation, did we forget those days when Romance was white dominant and it was tough for many to find any with diversity? It’s different nowadays and pubs are not doing much to recognise that, especially with cover art (several authors make diversity automatically part of their body of works, but almost all those books have covers featuring white models).
I don’t get it myself. Especially when we compare Romance with YA.
Romance is still sticking with white as the default (cover art and blah blah) while YA is a lot more diverse and no segregation. Do we see ‘AA YA section’ in a bookshop, library and publishers’ lines? It’s really embarrassing. It’s as if we adult readers can’t handle diversity.
“Remember how earlier this year Maisey Yates got some heat from UK readers when her Harlequin Mills & Boon Modern book showcases a Black hero?”
So? Britain always has a pocket of people who aren’t that bright. They don’t speak for the rest of the country. How about recognising the existence of those who have no problem with it? Mills & Boon seems to recognise this because they are having actual South Asian men and black men in cover art lately, e.g. same author Maisey Yates’s Hajar’s Hidden Legacy.
“if enough readers are happy with the segregation and the lack of diversity, they will retain the status quo.”
History doesn’t reflect that, I think. Real life segregation ended because of the CR movement and a couple of laws, initiated by AA people and the rest. Nowadays, why the responsibility still falls on minorities to push for changes?
At least Mills and Boon seems to recognise that by using the ‘keep going until readers are used to it’ tactic. As in “constant exposure -> familiarity -> acceptance.”
But seriously though, I think the reason why the majority prefer ‘white’ romance is because (usually white) authors don’t harp on about white characters’ skin, cultural upbringing and “racial issues” like they do with non-white characters.
I read a romance a couple of months ago where this author constantly reminded us readers that hero’s half-Indian – “exotic black eyes”, “exotic dusky skin”, etc. – and she mentioned heroine’s hair and eye colour only once (absolutely no mention of her skin colour, which means she’s white).
“if you want ethnic diversity in romances, don’t just talk the talk – vote with your money.”
I agree 100%. The question is, considering the state of cover art, how we find them? (It still pisses me off that I have to make an effort to track them down. White readers don’t make an effort because it’s likely that it’d never occur to them to try.)
I do think the majority of popular reviewers are at fault, too, as they rarely review non-white romance novels and/or those that feature diversity.
I’m now thinking that I should come of retirement to review. I was seriously a crappy reviewer, but
“The next time you blog about race issues in romance novels – ask yourself first: when is the last time you purchase and read a romance novel with a non-White couple?”
Pfft! Unless we look to category romance like Kimani, non-white couples in Romance are rare. The majority is interracial and most of the non-white half of this interracial couple are mixed race.
I still haven’t come across any mainstream Romance novel with – say, a ‘AA-East Asian pairing or ‘South Asian-East Asian’ pairing. I bought ‘J-Pop Love Song’ by Shiree McCarver that has the AA-EA pairing, and the story was truly terrible. It’s not stopping me from buying any more, though.
@Las
“I’ve said it before…romance (and probably all of genre fiction) is written by white authors for white readers.”
I still think that’s bullshit. Might be true 20 years ago, but nowadays? Nope. Statistics say otherwise. We can even see it with our bleeding eyes with photos of romance conventions.
“It’s why I don’t blame authors for not writing ethnically diverse characters–I believe them when they say it doesn’t sell, and if people aren’t buying those books, what’s the point?”
Sorry, but did we somehow forget Nalini Singh, Meljean Brooks, Marjorie M. Liu, Christine Feehan, Suzanne Brockmann, etc? The last time I checked, their books are doing pretty well, seeing that almost all their books feature diversity. And there’s a new generation of authors who make diversity naturally part of their books from the start, such as Jill Sorenson.
But of course, some authors would blame poor sales on non-white characters than their own writing or plotting. That’s another issue: it seems unfair that when a book w/ diversity isn’t selling, the blame goes to diversity when it could be author’s own writing or whatever at fault. No one seems to think, “So-so’s book isn’t selling. Must be ‘cos hero and heroine are white.”
I accept that there are many who’re content to leave it the way it is, but not for me. I’m content in whining about it for as long as I can afford to keep buying.
Naive of me? Probably, but I really don’t give a fuck if I’m seen that way.
Maili, sorry for the lateness. Still no regular online access, so I’m approving comments slow. (Aside: 250 spam comments in just one day – yikes!)
Re: evidence. No evidence, but there are a few AA authors who told me that their readers like the books segregated to Kimani or Dafina because they then know where to look. Then there are also some readers who told me that they just don’t want to read romances with Black people – this also includes a surprising number of Black people – so they know which books to avoid at first glance. Anecdotal evidences, these, but still, there are people out there. There are also some authors of mixed and AA romances who describe themselves as “niche” because their readership rarely compares in size to that of “white” romances.
It’s probably harder to find non-white romances with non-Black people, but romances with Black character(s) aren’t so hard to find. Kimani is the category line, but Harlequin also releases a handful of full-length books through the Arabesque imprint. Kensington sold Kimani to Harlequin but its Dafina line of African-American romances/women’s fiction is still active. And it doesn’t take much effort to track them down, LOL. Americans can join the book club, people like me can look at the “Coming next month” thingie at the last few pages of a Kimani book and order the next batch.
I’d like to see more diversity in romances, and really, I have no problems enjoying a Kimani book if it is good, so I don’t mind supporting a line of AA/Black romances even if I am not of that race. If that paves way for more diversity in romances, then I’m fine with it.
Equating diversity in romances with real life race affirmative action is tricky, because romance novels has an element of fantasy to them. If there are readers who don’t find the romance of a Black/Chinese/whatever hunk appealing, they have no problems not buying those books even if they support affirmative action for those races in real life. This isn’t racism, it’s just a “I don’t buy what I don’t like” reaction that is perfectly human, IMO.
And, as you and Mireya said in the AAR discussion, some readers don’t like how authors overcompensate for writing a non-White main character by making that character’s race his/her entire personality. Gay characters also can face the same people. These characters are either saintly martyrs of persecution or over the top stereotypes. It’s walking a tightrope to write a non-white book. If you act as if race doesn’t matter, some readers will accuse you of downplaying the race. If you act differently, then others will say you are preaching/having an agenda.
As for Nalini Singh, Meljean Brook, etc – they write UF. As I’ve mentioned in a review of an UF/paranormal anthology – that genre is a unique subgenre in that their authors can break the rules by including polyamory, non-HEAs, and stuff and their readers are far more forgiving of these “crimes” compared to, say, readers of historical romances who will have an apoplexy over a non-virginal heroine. You cannot judge romance by what works in UF, because readers who read UF are far more tolerant of many things than readers of other subgenres.