The Dangers of Myopic Reading

A Call to Read Widely

A few months ago, there was a Tik Tok that made its rounds on Booktok by a book reviewer (who happened to be white) commenting on the dark, academia fantasy Babel by R. F. Kuang. In the short review of the book, the review indicated that she hadn’t liked it because she couldn’t “identify” with it. Her reason why? Because she wasn’t Asian.

Hit the breaks.

Screech.

WTF?!!?

The Tik Tok review blew up and not in a good way. Commentary dragged the creator and for good reason. Ignoring the reviewer’s problematic assertion, which was racist at worst and bigoted at best (she has since removed the content so I couldn’t link it, which lends itself heavily to the assumption it was problematic), isn’t that—reading about alternative perspectives—why we read? Whether it's to challenge our perceptions about some big picture topic, to learn something new, to experience the emotions of a character’s experience, thereby gaining empathy. Aren’t these the reasons why we pick up stories?

Why do you read?

Maybe I’m a Pollyanna (for you youngins unfamiliar with old-school Diseny movies, that just means I look at the world through rose-colored lenses), my assertions about reading filled with naive idealism. For me, reading has always been about joy and emotion. I love romance novels because there is a beautiful rhythm of predictable happiness which offers me that measure of that happily-ever-after. I enjoy thrillers and mysteries because of the mental game required in the chess-match of character and plot movement resulting in a satisfying capture of the “bad guy”. I enjoy non-fiction because it challenges me to learn something new. I enjoy reading outside of my own sphere (white, cis-het female) to broaden my lens of the world around me and to gain insight into another’s experience.

But then I recall several romance books I read around the same time, right around the time the Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade. Recommended on Tik Tok, these titles were written by widely read, financially successful, well-known authors (both cis-het, white women; one’s got a movie deal). Thinking about these books makes me cringe. They were filled with awful stereotypes and reinforced horrific paradigms around white, cis-het relationships. Damaged, alpha males whose horrible behavior (i.e., messing with the heroine’s birth control to get her pregnant, gaslighting, etc.) toward their partners was excused and even forgiven. The heroine’s agency stripped and idealized because if she was just “nice enough” she could “save him”. 

It still makes me want to scream.

For so long, traditional publishing has been heralded as the “gatekeepers” of culture, touted in a good way. And yet it is a severely dysfunctional system reinforcing the intersectional bias and prejudice of racism and sexism (along with a plethora of other -isms). Historically male, historically straight, and historically white, these perspectives have shaped a culture. It has only been in the last five years give or take a few more that American Publishing has seen a shift to invite marginalized voices to the table, and we aren’t anywhere near where we need to be (see this essay on diversity and inclusion in publishing). But publishers are adopting diversity statements (whether this provides meaningful change in the business of publishing remains to be seen). Only inclusion for new and diverse voices has largely been pushed by independent authors, independent publishers, and small presses, while the big names are playing catch up.

And now that we’re seeing more diversity in publishing, government is working to silence these voices via book bans.

Besides the obvious, the problem with this “gatekeeping” as it relates to Tik Tok reviewer and her “couldn’t relate because I’m not Asian”, is that it reinforces the systemic, racist, sexist, problematic cultural issues. This reviewer couldn’t get past her own perspective to build empathy about another’s experience as a human on this planet. But it is stories that help us understand our place in the world, our human condition. This isn’t a new idea. Joseph Campbell did extensive anthropological work on the mono-myth across cultures, identifying common pieces of the structure, and this common framework serves to reinforce the idea that stories—no matter the culture or perspective—are a means to make sense of the world around us. 

Look, if a reader only ever picks up books written by people who look like them and understand the world as they do, then why would they ever be challenged to see something differently? And if that reader then goes out into the world armed with their very myopic view of the world and interacts with someone with a different experience except that reader only associates their myopic worldview to the interaction, it's a recipe for epic-Karenesque disasters—or perhaps things like storming the capitol, gun violence, book banning, the retraction of women’s rights, fascist nationalism.

As a high school English teacher, I work with my fifteen and sixteen year olds exploring the idea of our perspective. We discuss how our worldview is shaped, but then also how it is challenged, and notoriously you know what challenges it? Stories. And that is what I will leave you with today: a few stories that challenged my perspective and helped me see through another’s eyes to shift my worldview. 

The Road of Echoes: What Inspired Griffin's Story?

I can imagine your incredulity when learning that the hero of my new book was Griffin Nichols, especially if you’ve read The Stories Stars Tell. He is, after all, a villain. Except there was this moment, a single slice of something that gave me pause.

Here. Let me show you. This is a scene from The Stories Stars Tell from Tanner’s point of view. Keep an eye on Griffin (fair warning - lots of strong language):

An hour later, Griff and I are still killing shit with video game remotes from his couch. This feels normal with the stupid, meaningless banter and helps me forget what happened the night before graduation with him, with my mom, with my dad for a little while. The moment I realize it, however, I recognize the truth. Griff makes me forget, helps me run away. This feeling is temporary, because the moment I get back into my truck and drive home, it will all come rushing back. 

“Dude! What the fuck. I said to go right!” His phone chimes. He looks at it, sets it down, and resumes playing. “Danny texted there’s a party at the Quarry Friday night. Bonfire. Wanna go?”

I do. I don’t. I think about Emma and wonder if she’d want to go. “Maybe.”

“Fuck, Tanner. You didn’t even show up at Marcus’s. What the fuck is up with you? You’re acting like a bitch.”

“Stop, Griff.” I press the controller and take out a sniper.

Griff’s character moves in front of mine on the screen and uses a wall to shield him from enemy fire. My character is behind his. The character steps out and gets shot. 

Then he says, “I’m not the one who’s trailing after smarty-pants like she’s a bitch in heat. I’d never drop my boys for a chick.”

I slam the control onto the table and stand. “Shut the fuck up.” My fists are clenched.

Griff glances at my hands and leans back on the couch. “Why are you being so effin’ sensitive?”

I turn and walk to the door, afraid if I don’t put more distance between him and me, I might throw punches. Pinching the bridge of my nose, I turn around and look at him. “I thought we were friends. You were the closest thing I had to a brother.”

“That hasn’t changed.” He crosses his arms over his chest. The action strikes me as insecure, but I don’t get caught on it, too focused on what is on my mind. 

“Yeah. It has.” It’s my turn to cross my arms over my chest. “You’ve been acting like a dick for months.”

“Well if I’d known you’d get your panties in a wad, I would have talked to you more like a lady.” He laughs.

I turn away and slam out of the house.

Did you see that?!?! “...he crosses his arms over his chest…” A moment!!! A flash image of Griffin with a stronger, close-up lens. It was just an obscure line, but I wasn’t the only one who picked up on it. Lavinia (instagram friend @instaraygram), an amazing beta reader and friend, noted after reading The Stories Stars Tell, that she was curious about Griffin. “I feel like there’s a story there,” she’d said. I couldn’t shake her observation. The more I read that line (because I had to read it so many times as I edited), the more curious I became. It was as if Griffin burrowed into my brain. 

The truth, however, I didn’t want him there. I was resistant to the idea of writing Griffin’s story because I didn’t like him. How was I ever going to write a story about a character I didn't like? If I didn’t like him, neither would readers. Except there was that moment, that tiny portrait of his insecurity. Then the questions began: Why is Griffin insecure? What is he hiding behind all that douchiness?

And suddenly, I was thinking about answering those questions…

So, thanks to Lavinia, In the Echo of this Ghost Town and When the Echo Answers were born.


Next week: Writing Griffin Nichols


Interview: Lauren-Marie with The Indigo Book

The last several weeks, I’ve been pondering the idea of reading. From the Reading Wonderland blog posts to the This-Then-That book comparisons, the way we choose books as readers has been on my mind. Perhaps a big part of that is because I’m in the beginning phases of marketing my new book The Stories Stars Tell which releases in October, and as an independent author, the weight of trying to get that right is always on my mind. While not impossible because there are quite a few Independent Author success stories out there, the obstacles sometimes feel like traversing an impassable mountain range much like I imagine traveling the Himalayas might be. It takes a strong skill set, a lot of preparation and practice, and incredible resources.

“There is definitely a misconception [...] about Indie authors.”

Resources available to indie authors are treasures. Seriously. Traversing the publishing industry without a map (like an agent and a lawyer) and without mentors (like editors and publishers) raises the financial stakes. Everywhere an author turns, they’re looking at resources and struggling to know what’s available to traditional authors versus indie authors and what’s legitimate or not (there are a lot of horror stories of indie author’s being taken advantage of). Add to it that everything seems to have a price tag, which for any author is difficult since publishing isn’t an industry one wanders into for the benefit of immediate financial gain. 

When I discover a diamond resource in that treasure box, I have a choice to make: keep it quiet or shout it out. While I might want to selfishly tuck it into my own toolkit, the reality is I’m of the “shouting out” variety of human since I am a firm believer that to make any profession better— including the publishing and independent publishing industry—we have to start speaking the same language as well as celebrate the true resources as the treasures they are.

It is with GREAT pleasure that I have the opportunity to shout out one such diamond: Lauren Marie of Lauren Marie’s Musings and The Indigo Book. Besides being a YA writer and blogger herself, Lauren reviews books and her newest endeavor has been to advocate and promote independent authors and independent books specifically. This month kicks off a new initiative she created, The Read Indie Readathon (#readindiereadathon) which she hopes will become a celebrated annual event.

Since we’re not technically able to sit down with one another due to “stay safe at home” orders and we’re in different locations on the planet (which would make meeting more complicated), Lauren agreed to answer some questions about her endeavors, the new initiative and life in general.

CLW: Why Indie Authors and Independent Books, Lauren?

LM: When I started watching AuthorTube, I was quickly introduced to the independently published world. I deep dove into research about it and knew that was the way I wanted to publish my novels. However, I was sad to discover that Indie authors didn’t get the same attention as traditionally published authors. Also, that Indie authors and their books are seen as less than traditionally published books. I knew it meant that I had to work harder to get my book noticed. There is definitely a misconception here about Indie authors. I could see it working against amazing authors and knew it would work against me in the future. I’m very passionate about my writing and so I want to work to help Indie authors by disproving the misconceptions.


CLW: What would you say those misconceptions are?

LM: 

1. That Indie authors are the rejects from traditionally published world. From my experience, most of the time Indie authors researched the industry and chose Independently published world themselves. 

2. If an Indie’s has been rejected from traditional publishers it’s not a good book. Traditional publishers are businesses and that want products that are sure sellers, not risks. If they think a specific kind of book is popular at the moment it has a better chance. This doesn’t mean it’s poorly written or very flawed, it just means the publishers don’t think it will sell. However, this shouldn’t be discouraging. Whether a book’s value is seen by publishers or not, is not an indication of whether or not it has an audience or not. I am of the belief that every book has an audience.

3. Homemade covers and unedited. Most Indie authors go through editing and editors and get professional book covers made and all the rest. The only difference is that Indie authors have to hire them instead of having the publishers do that for them.


CLW: As an Indie author, I appreciate your list. It helps to know that there are people out there who understand the undertaking of being independent in this industry, the amount of personal financial investment. Your comment, “that every book has an audience,” is uplifting.  I’d love to hear more about your passion about books. What’s your reader “origin story”?

LM: I don’t really remember the moment I became a reader. But, my mum tells me that I’ve always been surrounded by books. My parents knew it helped with development, so they had me reading young. Also, members of my extended family are big readers too and I have fond memories of my primary school librarian. When I was 15, I became close to some girls that were also big readers, spending time with them in bookstores began my book hoarding.

CLW: Book hoarding is definitely an issue for readers (ah hem).  How many books would you say you have in your TBR pile at the moment? And a follow up: how ever do you get through them? 

LM: I have 50+ books on my shelves or on my kindle waiting to be read. Both Indie and traditional. Both books I bought and books I’ve been gifted by authors and publishers. But, there are still many books I don’t own that I still want to read.

I get through them by reading regularly. I try to give myself a bit of time in the morning before I get work done to get myself into gear and at night in bed just before I get to sleep.

CLW: And your ideal story to read?

LM: Fantasy. I love, love, love fantasy. It began when my primary school librarian showed me The Spiderwick Chronicles. I don’t mind if it’s middle grade, young adult or adult. I just love the magic and the impossibility of it all. Also, high stakes, like life or death make books more exciting to read, in my opinion. I’m a sucker for a good romance, so a romantic subplot is a must.

CLW: I read on your website that you are also working on a YA fantasy novel. Do you have a “go to” author or two for inspiration? And can you offer the “why” that is?

LM: When I was 15 and I met those friends who were big readers, they both encouraged me to read Sarah J Maas. It reintroduced me to fantasy, because when I started high school, for a few years I was a romance book fiend. It really made me want to write my own fantasy, so I will always go to Sarah J Maas for inspiration. Later, I found VE Schwab, I thought her writing style was just as magical as her worlds. 

CLW: The Shades of Magic series, am I right or am I right? Have you read an Indie fantasy you loved and would want to share with the world? Or, if that’s too specific, an Indie author that people should be on the lookout for his/her books?

LM: Yes, The Shades of Magic Series, is the book that made me fall in love with VE Schwab’s writing. 

An Indie Fantasy book that I absolutely loved is The Savior’s Champion and the Companion novel The Savior’s Sister by Jenna Moreci. It’s so well written and so good. The romance is just perfect. It’s my favourite Indie novel.

CLW: How do you manage to find the time to read, review, promote AND be a full-time university student?

LM: Prioritizing. My ability to prioritize will always be my weapon against getting things done. It often means making hard decisions between having to study and wanting to read, but reminding myself it’ll be better in the long run really helps. My studies will come first for the time being, but, I make sure to give myself Sunday’s off to rest. Because I love reading, reviewing and content creating so much I don’t mind spending my Sunday’s off doing it. But, also while Uni is very intense during the semesters, the breaks are long and I don’t often have to study during them. Which means, between work, I can spend my days solidly working on my reading, reviewing and content creating.

CLW: Prioritizing is a key skill for anyone, but especially a writer. You’re ahead of the game. So, five facts about student life today:

LM:

  1. Online is not (& never will be) superior to face-to-face learning. This is something I learned even before COVID, so I was really devastated when we were forced online.

  2. Balance doesn’t mean 50/50, it means 75% school work and 25% fun

  3. Engaging in your learning is important. Flicking through notes isn’t enough.

  4. Social media is a new and persistent distraction

  5. Mindfulness is necessary to keep you sane.

CLW: Today marks the date for your new promotion the #readindiereadathon. Would you tell us more about it?

LM: I always wanted to start a campaign around #ReadIndie. But, was never sure how or what. I have ‘#ReadIndie’ on a message board that I can see from my bed. I was staring at it one night and the idea of a Readathon came to mind. I want to promote indie authors, I want Indie authors and readers to help promote each other. That was my inspiration behind it. 

As for the actual readathon, it’s very simple. I have arranged the prompts in 4 x 4 square. To win the readathon you need to get a bingo, which you can do by going down, across or diagonal. It means you need to read a minimum of 4 Indie books. You can read across any genre, any platform and any age category. There will be a photo challenge, where each week you take a picture based on the prompt for that week. You don’t have to participate in the photo challenge, but it would be a fun way to promote yourself and other indie authors. There is a massive giveaway at the end, with 10+ Indie book prizes.

I’ve been blown away by the support and love for this Readathon. The Indigo Book doesn’t have a large audience, so I was scared it wouldn’t take off. Instead, the community has grown and I have found my few audience members are very active and it really pleases me.

CLW: That’s fabulous! What three “takeaways” do hope are born from this challenge?

LM: 

  1. Indie books are amazing and deserved to be hyped

  2. The Indie community is amazingly supportive

  3. Reviews help indie authors!!

CLW: When you jumped into the world of independent authors and books, what did you discover?

LM: I discovered it would be a lot more work, because you have more control of your book. I really liked that. I have a business mind, having grown up in a family who own a small business and I’m also now studying a Commerce (Marketing) degree, as well as an Arts (Creative Writing) degree. However, the reality is not everyone has the same business mind or exposure as I do. Thus I discovered not enough authors think of being an author as a business, they think of it as a job, but there is a difference. The difference I think is important and in the future I hope to help authors change their mind set. (I’m not 100% sure how at the moment, but I’m sure like the #ReadIndie campaign it will come to me as my experience grows)

CLW: I think this mindset is fabulous. As an Indie Author (who has an education background rather than a business one), I have had to wrap my mind around this facet of treating what I do as a business. From that mindset, what advice would you give authors starting out?

LM:

  1. Do not ever make your book free. You’re running a business and not a charity. I know it’s hard to make sales and to get your book out there. But, if you feel inclined to give away your book to readers for free. Make them earn it through giveaways or research book bloggers, Bookstagrammer or booktubers who will review it if you give it out for free. This will help you so much more in the future.

  2. Be forward. Reach out to people, ask for reviews, send arcs to bookstores/sellers. Look for and research opportunities and take them.

  3. Marketing is just as much part of being an author as writing the book. Do research on marketing basics and if you can research your target market (for authors this is basically what age category your book is for).

  4. GET REVIEWS! I recently did a report for Uni where I looked at the influence of word of mouth on consumers. I found out that word of mouth (i.e. reviews and any media that is made independently from you) is 12 times more influential than manufacturer media (i.e. blurbs and ads. Any written by you about your own book). Try not to be too worried about negative reviews either, positive reviews are 3 times more likely.

CLW: Two fun facts about you?

LM:

  1. I’ve fenced at a national level

  2. I drink way too much tea to be healthy

CLW: One burning question you want answered…

LM: How do we change the mindset of average book consumers to think about Indie books in the same way they think about traditionally published books?

CLW: I am in agreement with you on this one. I’ve always thought it comes down to changing the mindset of the indie author and how they present their books (the product they are offering). I’ve thought that if we elevate the way we as indie authors, reviewers, indie publishers and indie booksellers approach this business, we might see that reflected in the way the world sees the indie author. What do you think it would take to see the indie world elevated?

LM: Community. Working together to elevate each other in our own community is a good start. Then, reaching out to other people in the non-indie book community and educating them on Indie books and making them see they’re just as good as traditionally published books. Also, Indie books and traditionally published books are often segregated. Traditionally published books are in libraries and big bookstores, while Indie books are on the author’s website. Seeing Indie and traditional books side-by-side in bookstores and libraries will help dispel notions that they’re different in any way. We need to enforce that books are books and that it’s about finding your preferences, it doesn’t matter how it’s published.

Historically, all art—written or otherwise—was independent. Artists painting to acting to writing livelihood was built on the passion of the creator but the benevolence of the audience. In modern contexts, this is no different. Visual artists have relied on the rich benefactor, Shakespeare relied on the support of Queens and Kings, Chance the Rapper relied on the fans and word of mouth; art has always been an endeavor that needs champions. While Independent Artists from photographers, digital artists, musicians, to authors are optimizing tools to reduce the need for the gatekeepers of culture, these same artists will always rely on the goodwill and support of the audience sharing the work.  Publishing—traditional or independent—isn’t an exception to the rule; it is the continuation of the norm.

Thank you to Lauren for taking some time to share more about her amazing initiative Read Indie Readathon. Best wishes to her this month and beyond. Be sure to visit her website and participate both there and on Instagram. Let’s make sure that voices like hers continue to be loud and heard.