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one of the most things I have learned about being an editor for lit mags (including and especially from volunteering for one that I ended up resigning from to speak against #racismincanlit and workplace harassment) is the importance of editors being accountable to writers.
when you& #39;re in a position to solicit work and uplift voices and to "gatekeep" you have to consider your responsibility, especially to the communities you& #39;re a part of and/or trying to support. I& #39;m so tired and wish editors would DO BETTER
Just stop asking for free labor already =____=
if one goes into editing, especially to support folks and communities that have dealt with a history of underpayment, under-/mis-representation, and oppression, the work needs to be done with sensitivity. treat other people& #39;s work with respect and care <3
its not enough to just seek them out. we& #39;re beyond that point. you should pay them, but also think about how you can support their work and make sure its sustainable, and and create a space that& #39;s safe(r) for folks to share their work. you want to build and set good precedents
i& #39;m not perfect and always learning from other BIPOC editors and trying to think about ways to do better. I& #39;d like to encourage other editors to do better as well
this thread is in response to a lot of things, but in this place known as Canada I& #39;ve noticed this to be an issue with quite a few presses/publications lately, although its definitely not just limited to Canada
I& #39;m thinking in particular about a case a few weeks ago when two white editors started a micropress and accepted work by BIPOC writers and then left them hanging without publishing them (sometimes at the last minute). its just so irresponsible, abusive, and exploitative
we& #39;ve also had #publishingpaidme and various hashtags that have drawn attention to unequal pay for writers, especially Black writers. I& #39;m so tired of these kinds of situations repeating themselves.
