Muse & the Marketplace 2018

Are you wary of introducing queer characters or themes into your fiction for fear of offending, falling into clichés, or simply "doing it wrong"? If you're a children's book author, have you ever been told that your representation isn't "age-appropriate" for your readers?Although LGBT rights' political spotlight translates to a literary one, queer characters still often feel like an afterthought, if present at all--and readers are still not all finding the positive representation they're looking for. In a market working towards realistic depiction of a diverse society in fiction, queer characters are more important than ever to reach a wider audience, diversify the world of the work, and provide representation to a marginalized community.

In this session we'll talk about the strategies and pitfalls of writing LGBT story lines, in books for adults as well as children's literature. We will cover everything from "queer baiting" to modern retellings of classic stories, and look at examples of it being done well—or missing the mark. We'll discuss recent trends and current gaps in the YA and children's book markets in particular, and you'll get an inside look at how a publishing company makes decisions about representation and what editors are looking for.