You know the numbers. According data collected for recent surveys, if you walk into the average publishing house, chances are pretty high that 8 out of every 10 staffer will be white. If you flip through mainstream book reviews, you'll find it difficult to encounter a book review written about a book by a writer of color. How are our children fairing at finding diverse stories? Not well. For every 10 children's books published only 1.4 will be written by and/or feature a person of color.

At PEN, we’ve been asking ourselves at what point the exclusion of so many voices becomes an issue of censorship. Now, we're asking you.

Founded in 1922, PEN America is an association of 4,400 U.S. writers working to break down barriers to free expression worldwide.

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* 1. Is equity in publishing an issue of free expression? Do market forces, commercial viability, and our limited definitions of universal narrative create the same chilling effects on what gets published as state-sponsored censorship? You tell us.

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* 2. First Name:

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* 3. Last Name:

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* 4. Name of Organization:

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* 5. Current or Previous Publishing Title / Role:

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* 6. Email:

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* 7. Online Link to Headshot: 

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* 8. Publish Anonymously? 

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* 9. Sign up for updates on Equity in Publishing?

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