Hey there, writers.

I promised you another email on Thursday, which I messed up. (Never draft in something that won’t save automatically!) It took me longer to piece it back together because, frankly, I wasn’t sure how to walk this line. I’m going to try to walk it now, and I hope I don’t mess it up. If I do, it’s on me.

If you missed Monday’s email it was about writers taking political stances, art being inherently political, and where I stand. Black Lives Matter.

Today’s email has three parts. 

1) In Monday’s email I didn’t include much in the way of calls to action. Sending another email today gives me an opportunity to correct that. So here goes.

Donate to bail funds. Don’t know what a bail fund is or how it works? Find out. (Hint: Bail disadvantages the already disadvantaged.) Here’s a list of vetted funds, or you can use ActBlue to split your donation across several funds. 

If you don’t have cash to donate, you can watch YouTube videos that have designated their ad money will go to those causes. One has already raised over $31k!

Sign petitions! Here’s a UK list. Write to your local officials. Don’t forget that George Floyd is one of many. Here are resources specific to Breonna Taylor. 

Shop Black businesses. There are too many to name, so search “Black owned business near me” and you’ll find a bunch. Or browse this list of 50 Black-owned Etsy shops.

Keep in mind also that June is Pride month, and intersecting identities can complicate life. Support Black LGBTQ+ organizations. Pride began with the Stonewall Riots, which were led by people like Black trans activist Marsha P Johnson. 

Make a plan for the future. You may be called to jury duty for protesters. I don’t yet have a good resource for how to be helpful when you witness racism in action, but when I do I’ll add it. 

Consider the feelings of the Black folks you know. They may be asked to work right now--make space for them. If you reach out, think carefully about what to say, and what’s not appropriate. (I flubbed this in Monday’s email.) Consider if you’re reaching out to make yourself feel better.

Make sure the kids in your life are getting a diet rich in diverse stories. Here’s a good starter set. And they shouldn’t all be stories of pain. Especially when it comes to Black narratives, make sure you supply 20 joyful books for every 1 on racism. This counteracts negative associations and rounds out their concept of other people as fully human. 

You, as an adult, should also read happy Black books, too. Here’s a list of romances. Don’t forget 2020 new releases! Not sure what you’re in the mood for? Check out this list of 190 titles. Or read some reviews. 

Educate yourself so someone else doesn’t have to. This document includes anti-racist books broken down by category, as well as videos and where to watch them. Here’s more resources from We Need Diverse Books.

And buy your books from Black-owned bookstores!

If you want to be an ally, learn the difference between optical allyship and non-optical allyship. And consider where your efforts are best spent right now (Captain Awkward is amazing).

Writers, what you write impacts the world. Sign up for a workshop at Writing The Other. Are You My Ally? is $10-$20. You’ll learn something and support diverse creators. Or at least read the book, Writing The Other.

Take the time to learn about systemic inequality within the publishing industry. Lee & Low Books has been conducting surveys within traditional publishing, and their numbers are damning. Encourage the entities you buy from and work with to make real changes. 

2) If you need a reason to donate right now, let me give you an incentive.

Donate at least $25 (or watch 3 monetized YouTube donation videos) to a bail fund this weekend and I’ll critique your query, 1-page synopsis, Monster worksheet, or your first five pages. 

Donate at least $50 (or watch 6 videos) to a bail fund this weekend and I’ll critique your submission package (query + synopsis + five 5 pages), or your first 25 pages. 

To claim, send a screengrab of your receipt or YT watch history to bronwen.fleetwood@gmail.com. This offer is not limited to mailing list subscribers. You’ll have until the end of the year to send me your materials, but make sure you claim ASAP.

If you’re a Black writer, you don’t have to donate or watch anything, just email me. You can choose any of the above offers, and will also have until the end of the year to send me your materials. I will do my utmost to serve you fairly. 

3) Oh yeah, and my book is featured on 4thewords. I don’t feel like celebrating. 

I was very excited when my book was selected for the Festival of Reading, a pandemic-inspired promotion to support writers in the 4thewords community. That was a month and a half ago. Things look very different now.

I’m alarmed that of the 13 books currently featured when I write this, all the authors appear to be white. There are certainly no Black authors. That wouldn’t have been okay six weeks ago, either. I’ve written to my contact about ways 4thewords can do something meaningful for the Black writers in the community.

I’m including mention of the promotion because it’s been on my calendar for so long, because I really want 4thewords to improve its stance, and because it might be something fun for Black readers to distract themselves with. On the Festival of Reading page if you select my book and enter “21” as the code, you’ll get an avatar shirt that I designed. “You say Evil, I say Author.” It’s cute.

I should’ve asked about equity when I joined the promotion. Next time I get an opportunity, I will. I hope all writers do in future.

We’ll be back to our regular every-two-weeks email schedule on June 15th. I hope I’ll have happier news to share, and that the world in general will be looking brighter. The protests are working, and pressure needs to be maintained. 

Thank you for any and all you may have done for this cause, or that you will do in the coming days, weeks, months, years. 

With love,