Can Black authors success in traditional publishing?
Vanessa Grossett explores the challenges facing Black authors seeking mainstream success in the publishing industry
Lately, there has been controversy within the publishing industry, concerning Black authors.
Firstly, an article written in The Bookseller – the leading magazine about the publishing industry – highlighted that book sales by Black authors in the first 24 weeks of 2026 accounted for 0.9% of total book sales, compared to 1.6% in 2025. In other words, sales by Black authors seem to be in decline.
Naturally, there was uproar on social media. Some said publishers were not investing in books written by Black and Brown authors, while others stated people wanted books by Black and Brown authors, but the industry didn’t want them.
I agree with what was voiced on social media. People do want to read books by Black authors, but the publishers are not willing to publicise the books – unless they are authored by people who are already known, and even then, the publicity is marginal.
New authors are left to fend for themselves; furthermore, there is not enough diversity with editors nor with the leadership. This doesn’t give authors of colour much of a chance within the industry.
Another controversy recently occurred when three authors had their six figure deals withdrawn because publishers believed they had used AI to help write their manuscript. All three authors were Black. Though people on social media were outraged and it sparked debate, I however have another view to this.
If publishers invested monies back into marketing, then maybe some authors wouldn’t feel the need to use AI. Writers are unable to focus on writing efficiently, as they know having a big audience matters more to the publisher than the writing. Since that matters more, then why should they spend more of their energy writing and perfecting their craft, when they could use AI and focus on marketing?
Though the AI cases are allegations, I am not going to ignore the fact that some authors use AI within their manuscript. I have seen it myself in submissions. I don’t like the use of AI as you lose the author’s voice, but because there is a lot more pressure on the author I understand why it is used.
In the past, to get a book deal, an individual had to be a good writer, but now it is about trends. Yes, authors need to be marketable, but it is supposed to be a partnership, not having the authors do everything themselves.
To some writers of colour, it seems like publishers are being hypocritical. Publishers are advertising for Black authors, yet when they get the submissions, the editors say the books are not marketable. Then one asks the questions: “Why advertise specifically for authors of colour? Is it just to boast their own statistics?”
This goes back to the question of whether Black authors still stand a chance in traditional publishing – even with the controversies. Yes, they do. Nevertheless, Black writers should not go into this industry ignorantly.
Be prepared to be the token. You might be the only one or one of the few Black authors within a particular publishing house. This is particularly the case in Christian publishing – both in the UK and USA – as the editorial team as well as the leadership are not diverse.
Be prepared that your editors may not understand the vision of your book, the cultural things you write, and more than likely will ask you to change it. But stand your ground and explain to them why you have included certain things in your manuscript.
Be prepared to do your own marketing. Depending on the publisher, they may initially push your book to boost their branding by publicising they have a Black author; however, once they become familiar and accustomed to having a Black author, marketing activity will go down.
More than ever, Black writers have to rely on and believe in themselves. Even if they get an agent and a traditional publishing deal, branding and marketing activity must be continual. Having an agent can help an author get their foot in the door, but if there is a disagreement, they can stop providing representation.
There are Black writers with agents who have gone into the traditional publishing space and have pointed out they don’t feel supported. They literally have to do things on their own.
Black authors are still so reliant on the traditional publishing houses; however, sometimes it is forgotten that, as a community, we have the power and ability to do things ourselves. We just need to support each other and unite.
It is OK for authors to want to be traditionally published and get an agent. However, it’s important for authors to not get sidetracked when they achieve their goal, as they still need to focus on building their brand.
Happy writing.
Vanessa Grossett
Literary agent and founder of The Authors Care Agency
