How to Amplify a Wide-Array of Christian Voices in the Publishing Industry
When people are reading, across genres, they gravitate towards books that resonate with them. There are many different reasons that books attract their audiences. One big reason is the representation and diversity they offer. People can read all kinds of books written by different authors, but seeing themselves boosts engagement with the material.
It is left to publishing companies to push and advocate for a wide-range of voices in their rosters. Authors can write, but if there is no publisher there to release the book, their perspective will not be shared. In particular, the Christian publishing industry relies on diverse voices to achieve success.
How Christian Books Are Diverse
Diversity comes when people from different backgrounds share themselves with the world. In the media, this can come from writing books or movies, preaching the gospel, or otherwise sharing their story. Representation can come from different cultures, ethnicities, races, genders, or religious denominations, all of which have their larger purpose.
Across the spectrum, Christian books truly come in all shapes and sizes. From novels following virtuous characters to spiritual guides to empowering memoirs, faith-based literature is full of diverse voices. No two people practice their faith in the same exact way. That is why as many Christians should get to express their faith as possible.
For children’s books, highly representative books can foster a fundamental love of reading. They can latch onto stories that they can relate to and understand at a base level. As readers grow, their library also expands with age. Continued diversity and representation throughout one’s life as a reader continues to encourage engagement with literature.
Diversity does not just mean a book is about a diverse group of people. Sure, that is one meaning, but it also refers to the bigger picture. The people that are given platforms to tell their stories should come from a variety of backgrounds. Hearing the same voices and perspectives over and over again is repetitive for everybody.
Authors tell different stories because they come from diverse backgrounds that inform their writing. Different backgrounds and life stories make writing richer and more complex. In addition to sharing with similar readers, it also allows other groups to gain different perspectives.
Advocating for Representation
There are innumerable reasons to advocate for increased representation in the Christian publishing industry. At its base level, a variety of voices allows more readers to feel seen in the media. This increases involvement in reading Christian literature, while also encouraging more people to share their own thoughts.
There are some groups, depending on the area of the world and time in history, that have been more underrepresented. No matter who needs more platforming, there are ways to advocate for more voices in the literary world. The more life experiences and unique backgrounds that are shared with the world, the better.
Members of groups who are historically underrepresented often have alienating upbringings. They may not feel like their background has been properly showcased throughout their lives. More representation and diversity in all types of books balances that inequity. When there is a wide-range of viewpoints available, more people can be included.
The Role of a Publisher
Publishers are the biggest roadblock new authors face in the publishing world. Often, traditional publishers will have barriers to entry that make releasing new books difficult. Individual publishers can platform new writers from a variety of backgrounds, encompassing viewpoints from all groups. Even without purposely increasing representation, more books inherently boosts diversity of viewpoints.
Here at Cloverly Christian, we understand the importance of a variety of viewpoints. It is what strengthens all of our readers’ and authors’ faiths. We empower all of our writers to share their voice with the world without compromising their integrity. Literature that is not accessible to the masses is not successful at increasing representation and diversity.
