A Black woman is taking matters into her own hands to help diversify the book industry. Through her packaging business, Dhonielle Clayton is selling book ideas that promote diverse characters.
Her company, Electric Postcard Entertainment, is shifting the media space by encouraging buyers to develop these plot lines that center upon underrepresented protagonists. According to The New York Times, Clayton hosted her own event in the fall
that gathered an expansive network of media executives, agents, and novelists to spark inquiry into these intriguing book ideas and leverage their power.At the party, a QR code stashed within an assortment of party goodies revealed to guests the excerpts of 10 diverse narratives. All were being shopped around by Clayton, whose overarching goal is to expand from the typical white, heteronormative perspective in literature. Being a packager, the former librarian and writer herself sets the ball in motion by developing the plots and sourcing writers to further these projects.
Her ultimate goal is to create a pipeline for authors of color to write about characters that are not the standard, includ
ing those of varying racial backgrounds, in addition LGBTQIIA+, disabled, and cultural groups. Through her packaging program, she helps newer authors get established in the field, sharing that her own strenuous journey to gaining ground in the industry should not be the norm.“It shouldn’t have taken me eight books, start to finish, to break in,” Clayton told the Times. “I wanted to shorten the runway for other people.”
Getting her start in children’s literature with her first intellectual property business, Cake Creative, her expansion into adult fiction is elevating the field while ensuring others rise with her. Beginning at a place where multicultural reading was limited and underserved, Clayton has sold 11 books under Electric Postcard since its establishment.
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