You said a MF word. We definitely need a reset because none of this is what this is about. We have a REAL opportunity to make historic changes for Black authors and that gets thrown to the wayside because of ego. I hope we can turn things around but I’ll be honest it’s feeling real bleak out here. We ALL gotta take a step back and remember that we’re here to connect and celebrate and have respectful discussions about books. All that other stuff can go.
You said a mouthful and I agree with it all. People are throwing shots instead of the main goal of reading and amplifying these authors and our stories. THATS IT! The mean girl shit needs to stay in High School. We are supposed to be sharing our love for reading and community.
It really was. I am as well. I have my thoughts about how it all came about and I don’t like that but I’m trying to refrain from speaking too much. It’s all just messy
I've been MIA from all socials with the exception of here, so I can only imagine the bull. You have definitely hit the target though. Before I left, things were getting performative and I felt like the community was headed in the wrong direction. I hope this resonates and everyone gets their shit together for the culture.
The acronym NIL hasn’t just shifted sports, it’s shifted everything; including the book world. We’re living in a time where identity and opportunity have become currency, and everyone’s chasing validation in different forms: money, credibility, clicks, and clout. It’s created a strange ecosystem of competition instead of collaboration.
There’s so much brilliance, creativity, and shared struggle, but also so much fragmentation. Every conference, every event, every club seems to be building in isolation, trying to outdo each other rather than uplift. We’ve lost the art of leaning into each other. The “support” many claim they extend has turned into a transaction, and the “community” into an algorithm.
The community truly needs healing. And I mean Collective healing. But we know that starts with personal accountability. Whether as an influencer, reader , or hell even some authors… need time to reflect on what brought them here in the first place. For many of us, social media wasn’t where we built connection; it became our default gathering place during a time of isolation for two years. We all were living in the same state of mind trying to make it. The problem now is that we have moved back into in person settings and real-world energy, and did not relearn what genuine support looked like in person.
Until we rebuild from that foundation, no marketing plan or conference lineup can fix what’s broken at the root.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful piece! ❤️🥹🙏🏽
I felt this so much. I can’t even post on threads for some reason anymore and I just watched in heartbreak and disappointment. maybe it’s best I can’t post right now. Life began lifing immediately after the event. I was thinking I still had my reading safe space to keep me going, but seems to be a façade. I’m just tired and truly hurt by it all.
You said a MF word. We definitely need a reset because none of this is what this is about. We have a REAL opportunity to make historic changes for Black authors and that gets thrown to the wayside because of ego. I hope we can turn things around but I’ll be honest it’s feeling real bleak out here. We ALL gotta take a step back and remember that we’re here to connect and celebrate and have respectful discussions about books. All that other stuff can go.
Agreed. Yesterday was a lot smh.
You said a mouthful and I agree with it all. People are throwing shots instead of the main goal of reading and amplifying these authors and our stories. THATS IT! The mean girl shit needs to stay in High School. We are supposed to be sharing our love for reading and community.
Yesterday was nasty and I’m still trying to get my thoughts together
It really was. I am as well. I have my thoughts about how it all came about and I don’t like that but I’m trying to refrain from speaking too much. It’s all just messy
Same that’s why I made this lil post here and not on threads. I don’t want ppl dissecting what they think is important or respond to one part.
I agree, I like how you approach things. This is a good venting and calm platform lol
YES! Lol
I've been MIA from all socials with the exception of here, so I can only imagine the bull. You have definitely hit the target though. Before I left, things were getting performative and I felt like the community was headed in the wrong direction. I hope this resonates and everyone gets their shit together for the culture.
The acronym NIL hasn’t just shifted sports, it’s shifted everything; including the book world. We’re living in a time where identity and opportunity have become currency, and everyone’s chasing validation in different forms: money, credibility, clicks, and clout. It’s created a strange ecosystem of competition instead of collaboration.
There’s so much brilliance, creativity, and shared struggle, but also so much fragmentation. Every conference, every event, every club seems to be building in isolation, trying to outdo each other rather than uplift. We’ve lost the art of leaning into each other. The “support” many claim they extend has turned into a transaction, and the “community” into an algorithm.
The community truly needs healing. And I mean Collective healing. But we know that starts with personal accountability. Whether as an influencer, reader , or hell even some authors… need time to reflect on what brought them here in the first place. For many of us, social media wasn’t where we built connection; it became our default gathering place during a time of isolation for two years. We all were living in the same state of mind trying to make it. The problem now is that we have moved back into in person settings and real-world energy, and did not relearn what genuine support looked like in person.
Until we rebuild from that foundation, no marketing plan or conference lineup can fix what’s broken at the root.
Thank you for sharing such a thoughtful piece! ❤️🥹🙏🏽
Everything you said
A muhfuckin woooooord!!
I felt this so much. I can’t even post on threads for some reason anymore and I just watched in heartbreak and disappointment. maybe it’s best I can’t post right now. Life began lifing immediately after the event. I was thinking I still had my reading safe space to keep me going, but seems to be a façade. I’m just tired and truly hurt by it all.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽🙌🏽