For this edition of “Black Book People,” midnight & indigo editor Ravynn K. Stringfield sat down with publicist, writer and social entrepreneur, Saraciea J. Fennell.
Fennell’s love of storytelling and advocacy for storytellers is wide ranging, but focused: through her work with The Bronx is Reading, the Honduran Garifuna Writers, the Advisory Board of People of Color in Publishing, Latinx in Publishing, and more, Fennell is a champion for diverse voices. She is also a writer, and her co-edited horror anthology with midnight & indigo alum, Desiree S. Evans, The Black Girl Survives in This One, has received much critical acclaim.
The following conversation has been edited for concision and clarity.
Your literacy and storytelling advocacy is so multi-faceted and clearly comes from a place of love. What inspires such a dynamic, mission-driven approach?
Stories saved me when I was a child, and writing helped me find my place in the world as a teen and an adult. It validated my experiences. Books showed me that I wasn’t alone in this world. I’ve been fortunate to build community among other storytellers and I believe everyone should have the space and opportunity to experience the same. This is my love language, advocating for literacy and literary spaces in my community and, most importantly, for Black and brown people.
You know the value of a collective, which may be contradictory to the constant refrain we hear about writing being a solitary act. How do you build, foster, and sustain communities built around mutual love for storytelling? Do you have any advice for other writers looking to build with others?
It can sometimes be a challenge to cultivate these things on your own! I foster and sustain communities built around mutual love for storytelling by utilizing call and response, mutual passion, and love for storytellers and those who love stories. The community tells me what they are hungry for and I use what little power and privilege that I have to build it.
It wouldn’t happen without the collaborators. I love collaborating with people and organizations who are passionate about authentic connection, especially in the literary ecosystem. Writing and creating can feel so isolating, and the traditional publishing world can be cold, but it’s filled with warmth when you’re surrounded by the right people, and when you have a community that is supportive, genuine, and loving. That’s what drives me to continue to cultivate these communities.
It’s not easy work though. I highly recommend that you think about what it is you’re looking to build, and connect with people on an authentic level. The folks who don’t click will leave, or slowly start to fade away and that’s okay! The folks who stick around and grind with you are the communities you want to be a part of. I think so many of us writers are always searching for “our” people–to share the load, the excitement, the frustrations, etc. that comes with the journey, so only spend the time and energy on spaces and people who pour back into you as much as you give.
You’ve had the opportunity to work in and around publishing from several vantage points over the years. Based on your experience, what do you see as one of the most pressing industry issues of the moment?
If I’m being honest, I’m surprised I’ve lasted as long as I have in this industry. It’s sexist, racist, and ageist. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve experienced so many terrible things, from having a white female boss scream at me (I excused myself and walked out of her office), to a white bestselling author ask around about my age because I “looked young, and inexperienced” (Black don’t crack, and my work ethic speaks for itself, but you know, sigh), to witnessing white colleagues “phone it in” on campaigns over the years without consequence.
I think one of the most pressing issues of the moment is that writers don’t fully understand how the business of publishing works. There is a disconnect when it comes to understanding marketing plans (i.e. what costs money, what department handles what, etc.), and when you don’t understand the ins and outs, it’s hard to take control/manage your career. This becomes a major issue for Black and other POC creators who know that their books aren’t being supported the way they would like, but aren’t equipped with the resources or understanding to digest the scope of what is actually being done for their books and their careers.
The most urgent thing I want to share with storytellers is stop comparing your promotional campaigns to your peers’. Stop saying, “My publisher didn’t do anything to promote my book.” Instead, start investing in resources, so you can figure out what is you want your publisher to do to promote your book. Put together your own plan [and] discuss it with your literary agent (who, in theory, is knowledgeable about marketing and publicity in the trad publishing industry. I have to say this because a lot of literary agents these days don’t know and that’s an issue that we don’t talk enough about in this industry).
For example: you want to go on a book tour? Use your mailing list data (I hope you have been collecting zip codes!) and pull the top cities where your fans are and share that data with your publisher. Don’t have a mailing list? Pull the data from your social media in your dashboard—you should be collecting your own consumer/audience data. If you’re not, change that!
The major difference I’ve seen over the last decade is how white creators handle their issues with publishers versus how Black and POC handle theirs. I’ve witnessed white writers contact their publishers with requests for changing positioning, marketing bullets, marketing materials, etc. and never mention a peep online publicly to readers. I’ve seen BIPOC creators go off online, but nothing mentioned to their team in writing.
Lastly, I’ll say this: every author or aspiring writer who wants to have a better understanding of what departments handle what at traditional publishing houses should set-up informational interviews through HR at a publishing house and ask to speak to someone in each department for thirty minutes. I guarantee it will change your life. Also, become a member at your local regional bookseller association; they have memberships for authors and other literary professionals.
What is a misconception people have about working in book publicity? What do you wish people knew about what you do?
A major misconception is that publicists can easily secure media interviews and promotion for every book and author. Sometimes you can have the best pitch angles, a well-written book, a media savvy author, and still no bites from the media. It’s truly a sliding door when it comes to the media landscape, and the same goes for pitching large scale events like festivals and conventions. Some of these things are out of one’s control, like breaking news, competition from other books and genres, and more.
I wish people knew that publicists are constantly pitching, writing, and figuring out angles and ways to get coverage for the writer and the book. We’re also juggling multiple campaigns, it’s totally okay to follow up with your publicist to ask about the status of interest. Some publicists don’t want to hurt an author’s feelings with the full list of passes (sometimes outlets don’t even tell us if they are passing), but we’re always happy to confirm where we’ve pitched you for coverage. If there are specific outlets or angles you want to be pitched to/for, just share that information.
Lastly, always ask for all confirmed and finalized materials (press releases, ads that have been created, Edelweiss inserts and banners, files and layers of your book cover, etc.) so that you can use that in your own personal outreach.
Where do you hope to head next in your work? How can midnight & indigo readers support you and your organizations?
I’m still retooling and revising a fantasy novel that’s enemies to siblings, features dual POV, and an anti-hero who made a mistake they desperately want to take back. It’s filled with rage, revenge, and questions how far a person will go to save the people they love, even if they despise the circumstances they were born into, even if it means burning the world down just to right a wrong.
I’m also working on my memoir, Tenderness inspired by bell hooks and James Baldwin’s stances on love, community, and activism.
What have you read recently that moved you? What is something you are looking forward to reading soon?
As I draft my memoir I’ve been reading bell hooks’ All About Love, Salvation, and Ain’t I a Woman and I have to say it should be required reading for everyone! Especially those interested in community, dismantling systems and using the power of love to care for ourselves, our families, intimate partners, and others in this world.
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Saraciea J. Fennell is a Brooklyn-born Black Honduran American writer from the Bronx. She is the editor and contributor of the anthologies Wild Tongues Can’t Be Tamed and The Black Girl Survives in This One. Saraciea is also the founder of The Bronx Is Reading, and Honduran Garifuna Writers. She holds an MFA from Lesley University. Her work centers on Black and Latine identity and has appeared on PopSugar, Remezcla, Culturess, Refinery29, and The Washington Post. She devours anything SFF/horror and YA when it comes to books and cinema. Follow her on socials @sj_fennell. saracieafennell.com/writing
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