Community over engagement
Couples costume?
Our last post talked about why time is an essential element at Moonstruck Books. We discussed some of the ideas and processes we use to dismantle systems of capitalism. This post continues that thread, explaining our fundamental values and how we apply them practically. Please note that this post includes some upsetting descriptions of white supremacy and its outcomes.
For some, “capitalism” and “white supremacy” are dirty words. These existing systems of power make people uncomfortable, especially people who benefit from them. We want to emphasize that when we talk about these systems, they are systems we all live in, which the individual can choose to subvert, reject, or obey. The symptoms of white supremacy are often so inherent in our culture that we can’t see them until someone else points them out. Sometimes, they are obvious; more often, they are insidious patterns that are repeated again and again until they become normalized. Capitalism, which harms people by dehumanizing them, shares many qualities with white supremacy. The two go hand in hand.
One of the ways white supremacy shows up in communities is bullying. By identifying one individual as “different” or “Other,” the rest of the group feels entitled to harm that person. These us-versus-them binary divisions create a false dichotomy. Emily L. Hauser wrote, “All ideologies of supremacy require a strict dichotomy. There are those to whom power inheres, and those who are, by nature, lesser than and must be dominated; rejection of the premise threatens the whole and requires strict policing.” In practice, this “strict policing” happens when a group homes in on a particular characteristic of the victim, such as their identity, appearance, or beliefs and uses that characteristic as a bludgeon. Ostracizing the victim is common practice. The book Queen Bees and Wannabes by Rosalind Wiseman (on which the movie Mean Girls is based) describes this toxic community dynamic and how it negatively impacts both victims and the cliques participating in bullying.
While the consequences of bullying tend to be psychological, that is just the first layer. In the case of queer and trans people, bullying often escalates to physical attacks. Many trans people lose their lives every year to these types of transphobic killings. In some states, it is legal to use the “trans panic defense” to avoid conviction for murdering a trans person; the defendant can claim that the trans person’s “Otherness” was the mechanism of their death. Blaming the victim is another function of white supremacy: the unstated motive is, “If only that person had acted right, followed along with everyone else, and not started trouble by acting or seeming trans, none of this would have happened.” Ritualized lynching, anti-Black hate crimes, and actions that target and “punish” non-white, non-cisgender, non-heterosexual people are rife in our culture. The degree of violence is variable, but everything from a spiteful microaggression to a physical attack can be representative of white supremacy. In each case, the underlying belief is, “I, a person of privilege or power, am entitled to belittle, harm, shame, mock, or attack this person who has less privilege or power than I do.”
We believe that the antidote for this cultural poison is radical action. Karim Bettache wrote, “Dominant groups must find the courage to decenter themselves in society and actively make space for others. This means advocating and organizing for policy changes that remedy racial inequities, rather than superficial responses aimed at comfort.” Timothy Carey’s article about confronting bullying in academic spaces offers constructive suggestions as well.
To us, publishers represent a potentially dominant group. By our nature, publishers and editors are leaders and tastemakers; we build community around us, and we connect writers with readers. Publishers have a moral and ethical responsibility to break toxic community dynamics and create inclusive spaces. Choosing to build community rather than hoard abundant resources breaks the cycle. It represents a shift from the white supremacist stance of “I was here first” and the capitalist belief of “there isn’t enough to share,” to a radically human one: “what can we learn from each other?” Publishers can provide spaces for innovation, conversation, and experimentation. Rather than encourage bullying or exclusion, we believe publishers should remain respectful and open so that meaningful, brilliant writing can thrive.
This is the most essential difference between traditional publishing and indie publishing: community. Traditional publishing is based on transaction: it is a market-oriented, analytics-based industry. The four surviving conglomerates gobble up smaller presses, crush the dreams of underpaid entry-level staff and interns, and publish books that are profitable. Indie publishing, on the other hand, is characterized by connection. In his testimony during the Department of Justice’s anti-trust case against Penguin Random House, Stephen King said, “When I started in this business, there were literally hundreds of imprints, and some of them were run by people with extremely idiosyncratic tastes, one might say. Those businesses were either subsumed one by one or they ran out of business.” Idiosyncrasy lives on in the indie publishing world; arguably, being in community nurtures difference instead of forcing presses into competition with one another. One of our favorite Portland, Oregon presses is Microcosm Publishing, who embody this community spirit. We aspire to their level of punk-rock generosity and commitment to the DIY ethos.
To know another person deeply, to cherish and respect them as they are, and to celebrate them, is contrary to the white supremacist ideals of perfection, productivity, and unrealistic expectations. Connection destroys the dynamic of transactional relationships, which drives the engine of capitalism. Mutual care and community are essential to surviving these bone-crushing forces. In isolation, nobody survives.
Connecting with another person (that is, creating a community or a meaningful relationship) takes time, which takes us back to the previous post. Deep caring requires time. When you allot sufficient time to get to know someone, it represents a departure from the “single serving friends” Chuck Palahniuk referred to in Fight Club. Under capitalism, people are disposable. Replaceable. Interchangeable. Forgettable. An unhealthy community treats people this way, creating ill-defined pecking orders based around centralized power structures that reflect harmful cultural values and punish “difference.” A healthy community treats its participants as valued members, each deserving of respect. Members of healthy communities do not need to find a common enemy or whipping boy to define their bond; they are brought together by shared ideals and a will to care for one another.
One of the ways that Moonstruck Books tries to espouse this commitment to connection is to sustain relationships with our authors over time. We do this to ensure that we are never putting “engagement,” which is another word for marketing, clicks, analytics, buzz, or quick sales, over the value of a person and their writing. For our press, the most important thing is quality. We accept stories that stick with us, scare us, surprise us. For Nightmare Diaries, we chose to include seasoned award-winners alongside previously unpublished authors. It’s not about “reach” or platform for us. It’s about creating a book that we’re obsessed with, and that we think readers will love, too. Our next post will talk about our acceptance process, the steps we take prior to and during publication, and what we look for in our submissions queue. Expect less liberation theory and a lot more numbered lists!
