Fellow PoC writers, do you need to be "authentic"?

mentacle

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Just wondering if any other PoC writers were encountering the same issues. An editor friend of mine, also an aspiring writer and a PoC, mentioned that fellow (non-PoC) editors were always telling her to write about her "culture" "ethnicity" and "unique experiences." But she's obsessed with very different things in her writing- things decidedly not #ownvoices- and she says she's seen that happening to a lot of her PoC peers. I think I'm coming up against the same thing, though I'm a newbie, so I don't know if what she's saying is true or not. Then there is the proliferation of non-PoC's writing PoC cultures, or fantasy adaptations of said cultures. It kinda galls me that I'm pressured to do something that non-PoC authors get away with so easily.
TldR: Are my fellow PoC writers always told to address identity and "authentic" cultural experience in your narratives? Is this A Thing?
 

PostHuman

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In my case I find it's so difficult to write any good story or novel tbh I'd be very happy even if it has nothing to do with my ethnicity. I have written some more relevant stuff in the past though and have a couple ideas floating around I will tackle in the future.
 

cool pop

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This is one of the biggest reasons I am glad I self-publish now. Got tired of all the racist crap that went on in trade publishing. That BS you describe has been going on forever.

There are a lot of things white authors get away with or a pass on that POC authors don't. It's a lot of hypocrisy going on in the industry.

WE ARE NOT OUR COLOR! WE ARE PEOPLE! When will folks realize that???? We don't sit around just writing about our race or things that have to do with our heritage. Some people need to get out of their box and actually read some books from POC authors instead of telling us how to write them.

If it weren't for self-publishing POC authors would really be in trouble.
 
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Snitchcat

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I use my culture's elements in the stories I write, but have never been told to be "authentic".
 

Samscript

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No, no, no, no.

I don't know how much it's happening, but if it is happening a lot, then it's complete bullshit. I understand that ownvoices is hot currently. I understand if someone says that maybe you should consider ownvoices for your next novel if you're struggling to get published. However, no one should ever tell you what to write, or that you're not [insert ethnicity here] enough. The whole point of ownvoices is so that people have a market to tell the story of their culture. Ownvoices doesn't mean that you HAVE to do it I swear. I know you know all of this, but I wanted to rant anyway.
 

mentacle

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Hi Samscript! The issue I'm facing (anecdotally, from my friend) is that PoC writers ARE being pressured to write #ownvoices to be published, and are much less likely to consider non-#ownvoices stuff from PoC's.
 

mentacle

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I feel you! I'm not ready to take the plunge into self-publishing, but it would be an option in the future if this manuscript doesn't pull through traditionally.

- - - Updated - - -

Good luck with those ideas! I find it helps to absorb a lot of media- books, TV, plays, etc.- to come up with ideas ( good or not).
 

Samscript

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Hi Samscript! The issue I'm facing (anecdotally, from my friend) is that PoC writers ARE being pressured to write #ownvoices to be published, and are much less likely to consider non-#ownvoices stuff from PoC's.

I know what you mean. I was just sad to hear it and wanted to rant. It is so stupid, and I hope your friend writes what she wants to write and is madly successful at it.