When I tell people it took me 12 years to get an agent, people always act shocked. But the reality of publishing and life in general is that Black people never get the chances white people do, and when we do, ppl will snark that it's not bc of our hard work, it's bc we're Black.

It's not that we're talented, that we worked hard, fought the machine, it's bc we're "hot" right now. And you know what sucks? They're partly right. I've been talented and hardworking since the day I put pen to paper, but the industry never noticed until Black Panther made a bill

The only time Black ppl started getting deals was when those receipts combined w 2020 & the unrelenting torture porn of Black deaths kept circulating on social media. That's when publishers were like, "I guess we'll toss Black authors some money."

I want to be optimistic about what the future of Black people in publishing looks like, but experience--which that article confirms--has taught me to expect the worst. How many of us will be here in 2 years? 5? 10?

But we see white writers being given multiple chances to succeed, being paid double--TRIPLE--what we're being paid. And they, meanwhile, always seem shocked at the very obvious stats.

Honestly, the conversation today makes me so angry. The numbers don't lie, yet every time we try to point them out, we're gaslit to oblivion.

I just--

It's a trying day for Black people and I have limited capacity. Be safe all.