Hachette Book Group launches four new philanthropic partnerships designed to support writers and publishing professionals from underrepresented backgrounds

New York-March 23, 2022

Hachette Book Group has established new expanded partnerships with four esteemed organizations – The City College of New York, Hurston/Wright Foundation, Lambda Literary, and We Need Diverse Books – with the common goal of supporting a broader community of emerging writers and early and mid-career publishing professionals from diverse backgrounds.

In customized programs established in close collaboration with these four partners, HBG aims to further improve recruiting, training, mentorship, and support for diverse individuals with a passion for writing and publishing in order to develop meaningful careers in publishing.

“We have worked with these excellent organizations in different ways for many years, but we see these expanded relationships and specialized programs as our opportunity to make a greater positive impact on the reading community. Together we’ll strive to open up publishing to a far broader array of talents, perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences. Our partners’ goals align with HBG’s goals: to make publishing more inclusive, more diverse, and more accessible for all,” said Carrie Bloxson, Hachette Book Group’s Chief Diversity Officer.

Hachette Partnerships:

The City College of New York
The new CCNY+HBG Associates Program will be a salaried, full-time, full-year work experience at HBG for a recent graduate of The City College of New York Publishing Certificate Program, established in 1998 on the initiative of bestselling author and CCNY graduate Walter Mosley. The newly launched CCNY+HBG Associates Program includes a financial stipend to ease the transition of expenses from college student to employee, as well as career counseling and mentorship, both in the students’ areas of interest and in the job search and interview process. HBG will also continue our longstanding CCNY internship placement program, hosting one to two interns per year with mentorship and career development support.

“I am absolutely thrilled with the creation of the CCNY+HBG Associates Program,” said David Unger, director of the Publishing Certificate Program. “The kind of support that HBG is offering PCP graduates feels transformative: competitive starting salary; bonus for the purchase of incidentals; a rotational program; and dedicated mentoring. This is threading the needle.”

Hurston/Wright Foundation
Author diversity at major publishing houses has increased in recent years, but white writers still dominate, accounting for 95% of published fiction since 1950.1 The continuity of Black literature depends on a society that values Black narratives. Hurston/Wright works to build a supportive literary community through author talks, literary salons, and writing classes. With the goal of offering the support and resources to expand the presence of aspiring Black authors, the Hurston/Wright Writers Week Retreat at Rutgers University, co-presented by Hachette Book Group is a seven-day summer writing workshop which will include writing instruction, workshopping, networking, and craft talks hosted by industry leaders. Two Hachette Fellows will be able to meet with publishing teams throughout HBG for consultation and mentoring and they will receive instruction and advisement from both Hurston/Wright authors and HBG employees.

“We are appreciative of this partnership with Hachette, hoping to continue to bridge gaps and create meaningful experiences for Black writers,” says Khadijah Ali-Coleman, Hurston/Wright Foundation’s executive director. “As Hurston/Wright continues to provide the necessary services, supports and opportunities for Black writers, we applaud partners like Hachette who use their platform to create diverse and equitable spaces.”

Lambda Literary
No other organization in the world serves LGBTQIA+ writers and readers more comprehensively than Lambda Literary, and by supporting Lambda, HBG helps to expand the audience for LGBTQIA+ literature by providing fellowship, professional development, and networking opportunities for aspiring writers. To offset the financial impact of COVID-19 on funding opportunities for Lambda Literary, HBG will fully fund one fellow and offer several scholarships to Lambda’s marquis program, the annual writers retreat which draws LGBTQIA+ writers from across the country and offers coursework across a number of genres. HBG and Lambda Literary will collaborate on additional programming opportunities for the writers retreat, taking place from July 31 to August 5, 2022.

“Lambda Literary is so honored to partner with Hachette Book Group to help ensure that LGBTQ writers are supported and highlighted, particularly during this scary moment when regressive policies are being passed around the US to silence and ban our stories,” said Cleopatra Acquaye and Maxwell Scales, Lambda Literary Interim Co-Executive Directors. “We are inspired by Hachette’s commitment to not only offer financial resources but also an opportunity for building a deeper, more lasting relationship. It is vital that publishers stand strong in their support of marginalized authors and we applaud Hachette for leading that charge. Acknowledging that we are just days past Black History Month, mid-Women’s History Month, and on the cusp of Trans Day of Visibility, we are grateful to partner and thrive with an institution who is unafraid to be a true ally.”

We Need Diverse Books
We Need Diverse Books has recognized that retention in publishing is as important as diversifying publishing. HBG is a founding partner of Rise Up, a Retention Program for Diverse Mid-Level Publishing Professionals, which was designed to support mid-level adult and children’s publishing industry professionals. The Rise Up program will include workshops, panels, resources, skill development and support for diverse publishing professionals to assist in their career development and growth and will include a community platform for mid-level publishing professionals to connect, share resources, and join in virtual meetups based on interest on a private Discord server, which will be facilitated by WNDB. The program will help create opportunities for traditionally underrepresented employees to see themselves on the path to leadership positions in publishing.

“We Need Diverse Books is excited to partner with Hachette Book Group. It’s very important for us to address issues of retention within the publishing industry, especially as we’ve seen numerous diverse mid-level professionals leave the field entirely due to burnout, low wages, and other systemic reasons. Our new initiative, Rise Up, in partnership with Hachette and Beacon Press, will provide community building and professional development so that we can address industry burnout and support mid-level professionals who can help shape the future of publishing,” said Caroline Richmond, executive director of WNDB.

For more information on HBG’s partnership initiatives visit Social Impact at HBG.

Contact:
Sophie Cottrell, SVP Corporate Communications, sophie.cottrell@hbgusa.com