For the past two Octobers, The Word--a "non-profit organization working to build a publishing community that will fight for inclusivity"--has created and driven Margins Bookselling Month. This full-month celebration focuses on uplifting and supporting independent bookstores that are owned and operated by people from historically-marginalized communities.
"As the number of banned books featuring BIPOC characters and LGBTQIA+ themes continues to rise, it is increasingly imperative to support culturally sensitive homes for these stories," Viniyanka Prasad, Founder and Executive Director of The Word, A Storytelling Sanctuary. "Booksellers from historically marginalized communities play a crucial role in putting important stories into the hands of those who need them most. It is our honor to celebrate independent bookstores and booksellers across the intersections, and their important role in book publishing."
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We can't say it enough. Path To Publishing was founded over twenty years ago with exactly the intent of making sure that the path to publishing was open and accessible to everyone--and we mean everyone.
Last month, we were excited to host a panel of booksellers at our annual "Act Like an Author, Think Like a Business" conference where we welcomed representatives from Barnes & Nobles but also two Black-owned independent bookstores. One of the store owners, Marcus Williams, was recognized with the Path To Publishing Excellence in Publishing Bookstore of the Year award for his more than twenty-five years of operation.
We continue to take October as our time to seek out, to learn, to celebrate, to uplift, and to recognize diversity in the publishing community and the world at large.