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    23 Writers With Messages For Straight White Male Publishing

    "Listen."

    Andrea Hickey / BuzzFeed

    We asked attendees at the annual Association of Writers & Writing Programs conference if they had any messages for the predominantly white publishing industry. Here are their answers.

    1. "Diversity is not publishing the one story. It's publishing multiple stories from people of diverse backgrounds."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Karissa Chen

    2. "My main characters are not always black."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Sophfronia Scott

    3. "Read less straight white men."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Natalie Eilbert

    4. "We read. (And buy books.)"

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Lisa Lucas

    5. "Get over it."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Susan Orlean

    6. "Be honest."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Yahdon Israel

    7. "Listen."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Lauren Hilger

    8. "We owe you nothing."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Amanda Bullock

    9. "Grow up."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Roxane Gay

    10. "Look out the window."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Jane Ciabattari

    11. "Sit down and let us abolish you."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Franny Choi

    12. "Ain't nobody got time for that!?!"

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Ru Freeman

    13. "Chill."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Morgan Parker

    14. "[I am an] Asian American author with an Asian American editor."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Matthew Salesses

    15. "She's coming for you."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Emily Bell and Amelia Gray

    16. "Plz stop."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    17. "We are not tokens."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Rowan Hisayo Buchanan and T Kira Madden

    18. "You have not doomed us. You've doomed yourselves."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Saeed Jones

    19. "👀 Pay attention to the world. (—Susan Sontag)"

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Jynne Dilling Martin

    20. "Hire women. Diversity makes you strong."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Annelies Zijderveld

    21. "We don't need you."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Jayson P. Smith

    22. "Take a vacation (a long one)."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Chelsea Reimann and Meg Day

    23. "Don't assume that you are at the center."

    Isaac Fitzgerald / BuzzFeed

    —Cheryl Strayed

    The views reflected here do not necessarily reflect those of the Association of Writers & Writing Programs.