That Looks Like Me! The Importance of Representation in Publishing
Description: E. Danielle Butler, CEO of EvyDani Books, talks with Alexa about the importance of representation in publishing.
Format: Video Q&A
Level: This presentation is for all levels.
E. Danielle Butler
CEO of EvyDani Books
E. Danielle Butler is a mompreneur with an affinity for writing and the arts. She believes in the power of words and the magic of imagination. Danielle published her first book, Mood Swing: 21 Days to Peace, Joy & Freedom of Mind in 2014. Since then Danielle’s published works have expanded to include the creation of a children’s book series inspired by her own two children, The Adventures of Zoe & Zachary and a devotional for mothers, Thoughts & Prayers for the Postpartum Mom. Danielle is also the founder of EvyDani Books, an independent publishing and communications agency. She has helped support the release of more than a dozen titles and assists independent authors in navigating their PR and marketing journeys. An acclaimed conversation catalyst, Danielle is recognized as an energetic thought provoker with a passion for sharing knowledge. Through writing and speaking she shares messages of hope, purpose and empowerment. Danielle embraces a personal mission to produce content that provokes change and inspires action. Danielle is a certified personal development coach. With a Bachelor of Arts in Theater and Master of Management, she brings a unique perspective to all she approaches. Her professional background includes nearly two decades in performing arts instruction, more than five years as a classroom teacher, and years of nonprofit administration. Danielle resides in Atlanta with her husband and children. When she’s not taking in the sights and sounds around the city, she can be found enjoying great food.
Mentioned in this video:
Danielle's book, Zoe's Bun, which she wrote because there were no books at the time, or not enough, about African American girls' hair.
The importance of having characters in books that look like YOU, especially for children of color.
Happy Tears & Rainbow Babies by Natasha Carlow
The Diversity in Publishing Baseline by Lee & Low
The book I'm Not Dying With You Tonight and how they so accurately portrayed both sides of the story by using white and black co-authors.
[bctt tweet=”We're talking about #represention in #childrensbooks with @EvyDaniB today @womeninpublish1. #representationmatters #authorpreneur #womeninpublishingsummit #amwriting #ampublishing” username=”writepublishsell”]
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That was totally awesome, good to see beginning conversation about diversity in publishing. Love the idea of owning your truth as a writer, take a look at what exist that will further the conversation. most often there is very little that have been written by Black People about Black people. I am currently in the process of writing my first book about my experience as a Domestic Worker as a memoir and have been told by many that no one will buy it unless I am a famous or already dead person, I find that discouraging and would appreciate any suggestions you may have I am a Black Canadian woman living in Canada.
Love this interview. This is exactly the reason I created my children’s book series called Honeycake.
My MC Nala in the series comes from a bi-racial family which is all based on my actual family. There are so many children in the world that are like my grandson whose parents are a mix of ethnicities. My daughter is a mix of Georgian and Persian, My son-in-law is a mix of Guyanese and Jamaican, so my grandson is a mix of all four ethnicities. What do kids like them do? There are no books out there that represent them. That is what the term Honeycake means, a whole bunch of spices. But I didn’t just want to put books out there that spoke only about race, I wanted each story to also teach valuable everyday life lessons like diversity and acceptance. How to overcome anxiety and stress with meditation and deep breathing exercises. How a simple acts of kindness is a “special magical power” that we all have inside of us. How to have honest and open communication in a safe space so children aren’t afraid to talk with their parents when things go wrong in their lives. How to live in gratitude and not just be thankful for only all the material things in their lives. Even though my books are classified as a children’s books, it also teaching the parents, caregivers etc.
If we teach our children these valuable lessons and give them the tools they need at a young age, they will grow up to be kinder and more balanced adults. There is so much negativity in the world regarding race. Let’s teach our children that no matter where you come from or what colour your skin is, we are all one race…The human race. In this beautiful world we live in, we are all one!
So much grace in this conversation!
But bold.
Thank you!
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Really appreciate this conversation. My family is multi-racial. Representation is so important.
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Thank you for this one. Multi-racial background in my family. Representation matters.
I hope to bring marginalized voices and it was good to hear this Yes we need each other.
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