Diversity has become a hot topic in publishing as major publishing houses have launched initiatives aimed at fixing entrenched systemic injustices––injustices that aren’t new in nature but were spotlighted during the surge in social activism that took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Only time will tell whether these newfound commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion will solidify themselves at the core of how the industry operates, but one thing’s for sure: at Stirred Stories, diversity and authenticity are our founding pillars––not an afterthought.

Stirred Stories is building a sustainable alternative to how things have traditionally been done in publishing. Founded in 2020, we’re arguably publishing rookies, and we think that’s a good thing. Here’s why:

Recent commitments to addressing the publishing world’s diversity problem are overdue. To paint the picture clearly: In 2019, the publishing industry was 76% white, 74% cis women, and 81% straight. Furthermore, children’s books are more likely to feature animals as prominent characters than protagonists from marginalized racial and ethnic backgrounds.

The New York Times highlighted the lack of diversity in the industry, saying as recently as December 2020 that, “non-Hispanic white people account for 60 percent of the U.S. population; in 2018, they wrote 89 percent of the books in our sample.”

The #PublishingPaidMe campaign that took place in 2020 revealed the financial consequences of the lack of representation in the publishing ecosystem. During the viral campaign, white authors revealed what traditional publishing houses paid them compared to their BIPOC peers.

The reality of the publishing world today informs the belief that Stirred Stories was founded on: mainstream publishing does not reflect society as a whole, and it is time to stir the pot until all communities are authentically depicted in prevailing narratives. Here’s what our approach looks like in practice:

Our Mission:
Stirred Stories aims to create a more just, understanding society by exclusively elevating marginalized voices in a genuinely authentic manner.

Our Leadership:
We’re a majority BIPOC and women owned business.

Our Books:
Our growing catalog depicts BIPOC, femme, religiously diverse, and LGBTQIA+ authors and experiences. And every single author, illustrator, and editor at Stirred Stories can relate to the marginalized to which they contribute.

Take The Butcher, the Baker, and the Candlestick Maker. It’s authored, illustrated, and edited by a Jewish team. And Cornrows, Box Braids, and Little Afro Puffs was authored, illustrated, and edited by Black women.

Our efforts are making a difference. To quote a Stirred Stories reader, “This is hands down one of the best gifts my daughter has gotten. I love it! And the representation!” And, as one of our illustrators put it, “It feels awesome to be personally invested in the story due to my background.”

We aren’t the only folks working to disrupt business as usual in publishing, and we don’t have all the answers. But we do offer a distinct approach and we’re committed to continuously learning from the communities we serve.

People of all backgrounds deserve to see themselves depicted in the stories we tell and how we tell them. And while the publishing industry as a whole has yet to catch on to this basic truth, we at Stirred Stories will keep shifting narratives from the outside.

We invite you to join us on our journey of Publishing For a Better Tomorrow on Instagram @StirredStories.

Sources:Lee & Low Books;The Guardian; CCBC Diversity Statistics;NYT