The Voices Missing From the Bookshelf: Why Inclusion in Publishing Matters
Tired of traditional book publishing and the same-old, same-old stories pushed onto shelves?
We are, too.
For all the talk of change that goes around? The diversity, equity, and inclusion panels, the mission statements, the curated Instagram carousels — this industry feels real familiar.
You see the same types of authors telling the same types of stories, wrapped in mass-market appealing packaging. For every promise to amplify diverse voices, there are still too many bookshelves missing the stories that speak to real, lived experiences.
Too many voices are left out before they’ve even had a chance.
You’re over it. We’re over it.
If you’ve been overlooked or unwelcome in traditional publishing, you’re not imagining things. And you’re not alone. We believe in stories about the real people who color our gorgeous world. That’s what Reaching & Rooted was built for.
We publish books with beating hearts. We write towards your legacy. And we start by honoring the voices that history tried to erase.
Gaps Made by Gatekeepers
This lack of diversity, equality, and inclusion isn’t new. Promises have been swirling around the publishing industry for decades. But despite talk, talk, talk… the system hasn’t changed.
BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, disabled, neurodivergent, and working-class authors have had to fight tooth and nail just to be heard. Not even published. Just heard.
And even when you’re welcomed in, there’s a catch: Make it more “relatable,” readers won’t “get” your culture, snip it, chop it, soften it up… That’s not what you signed up for. That’s not inclusion. That’s muzzling.
In 2023, white workers made up 72.5% of the book publishing business, according to a Lee & Low survey. That’s barely a change from 2019’s 76%, and even less from 2015’s 79%.
Black publishing professionals? Still stuck around 5%.
Latino professionals? Dropped. From 6% to 4.6%.
Erroll McDonald, one of the few Black executives at a major publisher, put it bluntly: “Despite all the talk of imminent change… that has proven not to be true.”
The publishing pipeline is shaped by bias. It has been for a long time. From agents who only connect with “certain types” of stories to editors who tone-police radical authors to make their work more palatable to the consumer gaze. According to traditional publishing, if your story doesn’t sound like what’s already on the shelf, it’s “unmarketable.”
You know what that means? It makes them uncomfortable.
And we’re here to say: good.
Keep them uncomfortable.
Why Representation Matters in Storytelling
Without action, “representation” and “inclusion” become buzzwords.
That’s not how it should be. Because representation isn’t a buzzword. It’s your birthright.
Seeing your experience reflected in a book is about more than just visibility. It tells you that your pain is real. That your joy is worthy. That your history matters to others. That you’re not alone in the struggle or celebration.
Stories change how we experience the world. They make us more empathetic. They change our hearts before they change the system. So when communities are left out, their culture isn’t just discarded— it’s made to be nothing.
Your voice might be the one someone needs to survive. The one to help another make sense of their past, or feel seen for the very first time. And that is no small thing.
Telling your story is activism.
It’s courage.
It’s resistance.
Because every time someone who was once silenced picks up a pen, it gives them a voice. A voice that holds space for unfiltered truth.
The Cost of Silence
When stories are erased, we stop seeing how the world could be.
What’s lost when Black joy, queer power, immigrant struggle, disabled brilliance, or indigenous wisdom are kept off the page? Everything that makes us human.
We lose legacies.
We lose what it means to live fully across and in cultures.
We lose the stories that don’t make it into history books. The ones passed down over dinner tables, family phone calls, and quiet car rides.
For many writers, silence isn’t a choice. It’s all they’ve been given. Born from decades of rejection from a system that wasn’t built for them, despite promises of diversity, equality, and inclusion.
You’ve been told that your story isn’t “ready.” That it’s too niche, too complicated for a wide audience.
But the truth is: It’s the industry that isn’t ready.
And with our full chest, we say: Write it.
Rewrite the Narrative
Stop waiting for permission.
A seat at the table isn’t coming.
So make your own table.
At Reaching & Rooted, representation matters, especially for your story. We walk with you through bringing your story into the world, as you are.
Here’s how we do things differently:
Inclusive editorial process: You’re not edited to be someone else. You’re guided deeper into your own voice.
Collaboration: From manuscript to marketing, your voice stays centered.
Values-driven publishing: We don’t chase trends. We find your truth.
Care: We believe in writing as healing. From day one, we respect all the love and labor of your story.
This is publishing led by love. A publisher actually dedicated to diversity equity and inclusion, not just making Instagram posts about it. Publishing as reclamation. Publishing for people who write with their whole soul on the page.
Because the bookshelf of the future doesn’t look like them.
It looks like you.
The Lovers, The Dreamers, and The Changemakers
To the writer who’s trying to make sense of their past —
To the queer author writing out your family’s darkest secrets —
To the first-gen dreamer, turning your lineage into a story —
To the visionary who’s never seen your story told with truth —
You belong here.
We see you. We hold space for you. And we are ready to help you bring the book that the world keeps saying doesn’t belong.
The shelves are missing so many stories.
Maybe you’ve noticed it. Maybe it’s made you hesitate.
So the next time you look at a bookshelf, ask yourself: Who’s missing here?
You might realize: the answer is you.
But not for long.
Because at Reaching & Rooted, we’re not just changing who gets published.
We’re changing what gets preserved. What gets remembered.
What gets passed down.
And it all starts with your voice.
Give your voice a megaphone and book a call today.
