Nicole Stone / Contributing Writer
opinion@fiusm.com
The human experience: we all have one, an individual story we are all telling without words. For something so governed by specific circumstances, it is obvious to think that no two people are the same. None of our stories has the same hero because we are the only one of ourselves. Physical books are manifestations of these experiences – little parcels of life.
So why is it so rare to find black protagonists, to find a physically disabled protagonist or one without a romanticised self-esteem problem? This is frustrating in all genres of literature, but especially so in the young adult section of the library, where the target audience is one grappling with identity and searching for confirmation of their own validity.
In a world becoming more and more diverse for youth, it is high time YA writers got serious about who they’re talking to. Teens and pre-teens are in a formative part of their lives, one when they begin to find out what or who they feel comfortable being.
Where is the Asian Harry Potter, Hispanic Katniss Everdeen or African-American Tris Prior? How about the gay Edward Cullen? Unfortunately, they are hiding behind an outdated marketing bias that straight, white characters sell, and that anyone else does not. While there many authors are working to diversify their work, main characters that are considered outside the social norms are slow to enter the pool of what is widely available to readers.
Publishers already only publish 0.03 percent of manuscripts that they receive. That means that out of 10,000 submissions, only three ever make it to the shelves, and just being shelved isn’t enough to be considered a success by publishing companies. In traditional publishing, there are production costs that need to be covered. Editors need to be paid, materials need to be purchased and the potential for sales need to be high in order for a publisher to consider a manuscript. The book must also have enough selling power to repay the cost of its delivery which could range anywhere from $20,000 to $150,000.
Straight, blonde, attractive protagonists have sold well traditionally because they have worked for publishers and pulled in the most revenue, so publishing houses are reluctant to push anything out that doesn’t reflect previous successes.
However, the audience reading young adult books today is not the same audience from the past. This audience has newer ideas, more grounds to explore, more diverse realities. We desperately need that book with a black teen dealing with gender and sexual identity, a chubby protagonist who loves their body and a young adult mother who simply isn’t perfect, because all of these people exist.
Diverse books are not meant to be exclusively for those who directly relate to the character, they are for the world. It is all of our responsibilities to understand each other. For the longest time, people have been using stories to teach children about the world, so what are we telling teens with these books that don’t fit?
There have been a few authors and novels stirring the YA world with their characters. Rainbow Rowell – primarily a contemporary author – writes about real people falling in love and features characters that are realistic, whole and human. Her newest book, “Carry On,” will be released Tuesday, October 6. “Carry On” presents a magical world where the protagonist is a gay “chosen one” faced with an evil doppelganger.
“I’ll Give You the Sun” by Jandy Nelson is another great YA novel with diversity. It features LGBT themes and deeply flawed characters that move the hearts of its readers.
Representation in all media is important because all media has influence. When we don’t hear the voices of minorities in fictional worlds, we are perpetuating the erasure of their experience in the real world. It is time to make a change and broaden the candidates for who gets to be a protagonist, who gets to be a hero, who gets to be heard. We all have a voice, so let us speak.
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