More on the cover art issue.

This weekend, I wrote a brief post expressing my frustration with Bloomsbury's cover art on Magic Under Glass, which suffers from the same problem that their original design for Justine Larbalestier's Liar did:  the book is about a character who is very specifically a person of color, but the cover art does not reflect that. 

Since then (and before that), many others have written about the issue at much greater length and with much more eloquence:

While the issue was noted previous to Ari's post at Reading in Color, I think she's the one who really began this conversation.  She's also posted about the pros and cons of a boycott, as well as other ways of trying to promote a change in the industry.

Charlotte, at Charlotte's Library, has compiled some of the relevant quotes from the book.

Colleen at Chasing Ray, in two posts.  In the first, she talks about the cover choice itself and the complaints about it, and in the second, she talks about the larger conversations and debates that have arisen.  Links abound.

Susan at Black-Eyed Susan's, also with two posts.  In the first, she expresses her anger with Bloomsbury and her frustration with the lack of response from the blogging community.  In the second, she calls for a boycott of Bloomsbury.  Doret at The Happy Nappy Bookseller agrees.

Justine Larbalestier has weighed in with a strong reminder on what this conversation is actually supposed to be about: race & representation.

Ellen Datlow posted the letter she sent to Bloomsbury.

Jaclyn Dolamore has a brief post on her blog acknowledging the issue, and promising to write more about it.  In this comment on an early review, she does note that she'd like to see a different girl on the paperback.

As evidenced by posts at Dear Author, Jezebel and Salon, the story has been noticed in the larger blog world.  One would hope that the attention will help to promote change.  Of course, that's what we said before and after the Liar cover was changed.

I'm sure that while I've been writing this post, many others have appeared.

What I'll be doing:

First off, I do think it's important to remember that while the most recent publicized examples of this practice have both been YA books, this is NOT an issue that is confined to the YA section.  I'll be keeping an eye out for it, regardless of what I'm reading.

Now.  I'm not personally comfortable with a boycott -- I think it'll hurt the authors more than anything else, and I very much believe that they aren't the people to blame.  As I understand it, authors -- especially debut authors like Jaclyn Dolamore -- have very little (if any) power over cover art and/or book packaging/promotion.  I, of course, support people's right to spend their money (or not) however they see fit.

So.  Every time I notice an example of whitewashing, or something similar, rather than rolling my eyes and muttering, "GROSS", I will post about it.  And I will email the publisher.  And I will provide the addresses so that other people will be able to do the same:

Editorial and Marketing office:
175 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10010
Phone: 646-307-5151
Fax: 212-780-0115
bloomsbury.kids@bloomsburyusa.com
children.publicity@bloomsburyusa.com

I suspect, what with the simmering outrage that has boiled over in the two recent cases, the emails will fly.

While there is that saying about Any Publicity Being Good Publicity, I don't think that is necessarily true when the publicity is, again and again, very embarrassing.  Which, I would imagine, for Bloomsbury, these situations have been.  Embarrassing, I mean.

Comments

[Kathe Douglas]

I wrote a letter of outrage, and posted a copy on my blog. This whitewashing really bugs me. Thanks for covering it so thoroughly.

[Laura]

Thanks for posting this. I've e-mailed Bloomsbury and forwarded your post to some colleagues.

[Maureen E]

Thank you for providing the info! I do hope people don't blame the author though--I agree that she probably has very little say in the cover art and she did write about a person of color. I haven't read the book, but from the quotes at Charlotte's blog, it even sounds like she manages to avoid several pitfalls she could have fallen into. I think I'm rambling now...sorry!

[Tasha]

Thank you for sharing the address and a synopsis of what's gone on. I really appreciate it.

[Gwen]

After reading your previous post, and the author's posts about this issue, I have to say I don't think the cover is that problematic. My husband is Persian, and the girl on the cover looks a lot like his cousin. I definitely thought she was eastern European or middle eastern at first glance, and her coloring would still be considered "dark and foreign" to a country of pale, blonde people. I understand why people are concerned, and I agree that the Liar cover was horrible, but this doesn't seem to be the same situation to me.