This will pass

How my agent tried to keep me silent

Here is another anonymous story from the publishing coalface. In this particular case, the author in question ended up ghosted by their agent for refusing to stay silent. There is a cost to speaking up…

‘Fine to speak out about free speech because I can’t stop you and I do support someone trying to take a stand on the subject in principle,’ was the response from my former agent to the news that I wanted to be more vocal about the erosions surrounding freedom of expression, particularly where women’s rights were concerned. ‘But why don’t you do as I do — read more light-hearted fiction and hope that this will pass at some point. Let others do the heavy lifting on the subject. You concentrate on writing your next novel.’

She went on to describe an industry where editors, often senior editors and managers lived in fear of more junior colleagues who had an activist bent. She explained that more and more older editors and production people in the industry were quietly resigning rather than facing a barrage of complaints for wrong-think from more radical members of staff.

 In another and later email she also explained that if even a hint got out that she might be concerned about the erosion of women’s rights or indeed willing to look at someone who  was not already represented by her and who voiced opinions which were not the Universally Acknowledged Truths spouted by the vocal activists, her agency could face ruin. Therefore, she was unwilling to take the risk with something she’d poured her heart and soul into. She had other clients to think of. She hoped I understood her reasoning.

In the event, I did my research into the imposition of morality clauses etc in the UK and ended up speaking out because ‘I can’t cut my conscience to fit this years’ fashion’ as Lilliam Hellman put it back in the 1950s.

 As a direct result of my speaking out, my agent became slower and slower in responding to my enquiries, including not passing work on to my editor. I eventually took the hint at the attempted ghosting and left.

Thankfully my publisher operates on a very broad definition of inclusion. My editor was quick to offer me a new contract with an increased advance, once I explained the situation.

 Even with such a publisher, I did get pained looks from senior management at an author party when I quietly explained my views might not fully accord with their views, despite being legally held beliefs.  I agreed to keep most of the political campaigning off my main social media and they informally agreed authors could hold views which did not accord with theirs. I remain very grateful to my editor and the senior management for holding true to the doctrine of the right of dissent for their authors.  But I do not like push things, particularly as I know activist staff can subtly undermine an author’s career, in ways which would be difficult to prove in a court of law.

I have heard from other authors and indeed aspiring authors that they do not dare ‘like’ a post or indeed follow anyone who has the faintest whiff of supporting women’s rights for fear of upsetting radical activists. The chilling effect on the industry of this simple misrepresentation of the law has been profound and does have consequences for an industry which at its heart is supposed to hold freedom of expression and free speech.

The above is why I think SEEN in Publishing is vital to provide a counter-weight to the ‘snake-oil’ DEI which many companies have been subjected to after employing consultants who were supposed to help them navigate through this potential mine field. Instead, these consultants misrepresented the UK law to their clients and helped to create a totalitarian atmosphere, a Spiral of Silence if you will, within the industry.

Thus, certain members of the industry remain blissfully unaware that  in several recent  court cases in the UK, companies and organizations have ended having to pay considerable sums to the women they openly discriminated against. In particular they appear to overlook that the creation of a hostile atmosphere such as openly saying that a company would openly discriminate against people who hold protected beliefs could result in hefty fines from an employment tribunal. It amazes me that most companies within the industry seem to be ignorant of this misrepresentation of the law and how it could directly impact on their bottom line.

The Independent Review into Diversity and Inclusion which was released in March 2024 highlights this disconnect between some DEI training and the actual law.

Further reading:

The Independent Review in Diversity and Inclusion -- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/inclusion-at-work-panel-report-on-improving-workplace-diversity-and-inclusion

An article in the Telegraph on the decline in DEI expenditure within the UK as a whole --https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2024/06/24/why-woke-companies-turning-backs-on-hr-snake-oil/