Hi Jonny,
I think MKWrites raises some highly pertinent points. When I look at Amazon and physical bookshelves, I don't get a sense there is a preponderance of books by BIPOC or LGBQT+ authors. So I do think many agents are trying to encourage people from traditionally marginalized groups to come into the light and voice their perspectives through the written word. I think most do so out of a genuine sense of social mission versus just trying to act like they are in step with the times, but whether they really have the wherewithal or will to make it easier for these authors to be trad published, I am not sure of.
For instance, although it is far too small of a sample size to have any statistical significance, I have queried around 40 agents, many of whom are Asian-descent or BIPOC or who say they actively seek BIPOC stories. My memoir is expressly centered on an interracial romantic comedy set against the backdrop of an immigrant family/cultural identity/social prejudice story. One would think most of my requests for MS would come from these agents. However, I've had no ethnic Asian agents even respond, and all six of my requests for MS have come from non-BiPOC women who did not expressly mention they seek BIPOC stories.
Not sure what we can deduce from all this, especially given the anecdotal nature of it all, but I guess I would surmise that most agents evaluate on a combination of a) will this book/author sell? and b) can I get passionate about this work. I don't think the economics of being an agent allow many to be less than 50-60% shaded towards a) in order to put food on the table. But I'm new to this oft bewildering literary realm so who knows how close my guess might be.
In any case, I would read your book, Jonny. Even though my politics run more CNN, I prefer reading AP or BBC news as I find them more globally-oriented and more neutral, and I do actively read Fox News app as well in an effort to gather myriad perspectives. After all, in the end, life is challenging for most everyone, and if we truly reach out to those "on the other side," most of the time we realize they live with the same hopes and fears, aspirations and anxieties, joy and pathos as we experience.
I would think (hope) that mature, professional agents would feel the same.
Sincerely,
Richard
Straight people still get published. Cisgender people still get published. White people still get published. You get the idea. I think I said this in another reply to you (might have been someone else), but white cishet folks make up the majority in publishing actually. The idea that agents/editors are only going for marginalized people just isn't so. It isn't backed up by statistics. Agents say "I'm LGBTQ+ and BIPOC and immigrant (etc.) friendly" to let marginalized people know that they won't reject them outright (as some still do, even in the 21st Century). And even with those mentions of "Hey, I'm an agent who's on your side," marginalized folks have to be wary, because that might be a performative statement rather than one of true allyship. So don't worry about being discriminated against simply because you're white or cishet or whatever.
As far as your politics go, some agents who are very far left might be nervous about working with someone who is ultra conservative, the same way that you might not want to work with someone who is the polar opposite of you politically or philosophically speaking. Ultimately, you're in a partnership, and if you can't see eye-to-eye on some pretty big topics that probably bleed into your work, might bleed into their revisions of your work, might bleed into your author platform too then you probably won't be a good fit. That's not discriminatory on either side; that's just recognizing that you aren't compatible.
And, just an FYI, there are conservative agents. I've ruled querying some people out because they weren't liberal enough for me, personally, and I knew they would be uncomfortable with aspects of my writing, so I know they're out there.
