We have been paying close attention to the conversation around Cautionary Fables and Fairytales, and making notes for the future.
Cautionary Fables and Fairytales’ mission statement is to spotlight folklore from around the globe. We try to include respectful and thoughtful portrayals of the cultures from which these stories are rooted. With this in mind, clearly we need to do better.
The anthology was curated based on invites, and of 50 invitations sent out, 25 were sent to Asian writers and/or artists. Unfortunately, not all invitees were able to participate because of time commitments or their own preference. In some instances, we could not afford the rates of those who said yes.
We are a small 2-person indie publisher team with other commitments, which is why the anthology is invite-only. It takes a lot of time to review an open submission process. In retrospect, we should have made that time.
Our goal from the beginning was to make sure Asian voices were represented, and we apologize for that ultimately being our weakness. While we planned and executed the book and campaign with the best of intentions, we know that “what we meant to say” does not negate what we did say. If you would like to continue this conversation, let us know as we’re open to discussing it. We are Kel (Organizer/editor) and Kate (editor), and can be contacted at:
Sorcery101@gmail.com
kojiro_muyo@hotmail.com
Thank you for reading.