Maybe focus on the color as being raven-like in your case. Don't have the sentence describing skin color leave that part out. Ravens are creepy; black skin is most definitely not.
Umm... White privilege does that... people think that racism is when someone calls you a slur, but it's really the position that you hold in society and the things that are said about that position that grants you certain privileges you don't realize. In order to erase racism and the propaganda you were raised with you have to try harder to fight outside of such a mold. I'm glad you came to this realization point.Just my two bits. I'd really have to read your novel to understand the context. I don't like to automatically conclude IT'S RACIST, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, just a little.
Not to derail, but here is the scene description she commented on.
The Shadow Stalkers did not bother him as much, though, as what rode upon their backs, Raven Elves. They were shorter than humans and fairly thin. They wore leather jerkins and leggings; their exposed skin as black as coal. Their ears seemed overly large and pointed, while their heads were bald. Like the Shadow Stalkers, their eyes were a bright crimson-red. From their backs, leathery wings were folded in place so as not to hinder their movements. According to legends, their wings were more for gliding than flight.
The editors biggest issue was the black as coal description because of the current climate of publishing. I suppose I could change to ebony black, obsidian black, or other, but coal black to me is dull and non reflective, which was the image I wanted. It never dawned on me that anyone would look at it as I am stereotyping PoC.
Maybe focus on the color as being raven-like in your case. Don't have the sentence describing skin color leave that part out. Ravens are creepy; black skin is most definitely not.
Also here's a sample of the 1st chapter for anyone who hasn't read it.
Umm... vultures would work for that reason, skin color, white and black. =P Equal opportunity? You'd still have a scavenger too.I like this suggestion.
It's not the way you describe black, btw, but the fact that you use black to describe the creepy evil dudes. Ebony black, etc... bothers me just as much as coal black.
Good luck with whatever you decide to do.
Man. I'm sad I missed the fall out on tumblr. Tumblr's social justice league is brutal. She better go into hiding. They'll be on this until something else comes along.
Yes, it's her company. This is info from the book's page on netgalley:I personally think the company is just run by Foyt and some friends because no publishing company would publish this book considering the content. And her last book was published by harper teen but is out of print.
Yes, it's her company. This is info from the book's page on netgalley:
"She established Sand Dollar Press in 2011 to promote YA novels through film-quality, online campaigns. Save the Pearls Part One: Revealing Eden is her first release, tied to an interactive site: SaveThePearls.com, and a newsfeed."
I'd very much like NOT to see anyone pushing the conversation towards a discussion of the writer instead of the book.
My apologies to Ms. Foyt.
It's interesting to note that all the early 5 star reviews make no mention whatsoever of the glaring problems that lie in the very premise of the book. Surely someone must have thought, whoa, evil black beastly Coals oppressing sweet pure beautiful Pearls? Something fishy here. But no; not as far as I have read.
Well, there certainly are people who specifically look for these kinds of symbolisms in everything from movies to Hallmark cards. I don't see an issue with dark beasts attacking protagonists, especially if the antagonists are born of night or tar or darkness. We're naturally afraid of the dark, and it has nothing to do with racism. If the author is using this natural menacing feeling from stillness in the night, natural camouflage with the night, etc., then I certainly don't find fault with it.
That doesn't mean that no one else will though. I would have to recommend going with your writer instinct on what will be scarier or more menacing. I had no idea "coal" was even a racial slur before it was fictionalized as such in this book. It certainly isn't listed on this list, but is used as a base word in things like coal-burner and coal-miner. Still, I think it's a stretch unless it's being used as is being done in this book, where it's explicitly setup as a slur.
Just my two bits. I'd really have to read your novel to understand the context. I don't like to automatically conclude IT'S RACIST, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't bother me, just a little. [/QUOTES]
Not to derail, but here is the scene description she commented on.
The Shadow Stalkers did not bother him as much, though, as what rode upon their backs, Raven Elves. They were shorter than humans and fairly thin. They wore leather jerkins and leggings; their exposed skin as black as coal. Their ears seemed overly large and pointed, while their heads were bald. Like the Shadow Stalkers, their eyes were a bright crimson-red. From their backs, leathery wings were folded in place so as not to hinder their movements. According to legends, their wings were more for gliding than flight.
The editors biggest issue was the black as coal description because of the current climate of publishing. I suppose I could change to ebony black, obsidian black, or other, but coal black to me is dull and non reflective, which was the image I wanted. It never dawned on me that anyone would look at it as I am stereotyping PoC.
I probably wouldn't have made the connection myself, but I'm white and have for most of my life lived in areas of 99% white populations. With it pointed out, I can see how this could come across as negative (for the reasons I outlined to Rex. Not deliberate, just ingrained). I think it's the combination of black skin and bald heads. If you began the description and established a different, stronger, image up front, I probably wouldn't notice so much. Like - focus on the wings first, or the eyes?
Maybe describe them as black, like jet (ooooo-oooo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-oooo JET!). It's black (natch) but has a satin finish, rather than shiny. It fossilised something-or-other, was used for Victorian mourning jewellery and comes from Whitby.
The problem Rex is, because of the things which have been done in the past, our language is shaped in ways which are now casually offensive. I'm going to explain in the context of sexism, because I feel more able to make myself clear.
He throws like a girl.
Big girl's blouse.
I don't want to do that, it's for girls.
Calling somebody "sweetie" to be sarcastic.
Innocuous phrases? No. They are phrases which make clear that being a girl is something negative, that to be compared to a woman is a bad thing.
Women can dress like men, but for a man to dress like a woman is demeaning, because being a woman is demeaning (to paraphrase Ian McEwan).
Watch an 8 year-old boy pull a face of disgust when it's suggested he spend time with an 8 year-old girl and declare he hates girls. Our society has taken an 8 year-old and taught him an entire gender is worthy of his contempt.
It's not a small thing. We are writers here, we should watch our language. It's a positive thing to eliminate these kinds of references.
I probably wouldn't have made the connection myself, but I'm white and have for most of my life lived in areas of 99% white populations. With it pointed out, I can see how this could come across as negative (for the reasons I outlined to Rex. Not deliberate, just ingrained). I think it's the combination of black skin and bald heads. If you began the description and established a different, stronger, image up front, I probably wouldn't notice so much. Like - focus on the wings first, or the eyes?
Maybe describe them as black, like jet (ooooo-oooo-ooooo-ooooo-ooooo-oooo JET!). It's black (natch) but has a satin finish, rather than shiny. It fossilised something-or-other, was used for Victorian mourning jewellery and comes from Whitby.
I note that I can for $5.00 U.S. purchase a glowing 5 star review for any book I want; I can even write said review myself.
I further note that you if read a lot of five star Amazon reviews of self-published books you soon start seeing the same phrases repeatedly. And then if you google that phrase you can, shockingly, find reviews that are astonishingly similar.
I'm sure it's a miracle. That must be the explanation.
I've read about it in mainstream sources, I would say it was reasonably well known.