Dear Editor…
I keep reading about the lack of diversity in children’s books and that agents are in search of non-white main characters. I am about to query a middle-grade novel (an adventure across parallel worlds) in which the main character is part Native American and her best friend is Chinese. (The characters’ ethnicities do not impact the plot at all.) Should I attempt to work this into the query letter? Any suggestions as to the best way to do it?
Sincerely,
Mary
Dear Mary…
Absolutely include that fact in your query letter. It’s one more feature that distinguishes your project, and its current status on publishing’s radar only helps. Go the extra step of pitching the colorblindness of your casting, which many people consider the ultimate goal of diversity efforts: The hero is the hero because s/he’s got heroic qualities – skin color is incidental. I’d share this at the end of the second paragraph in a three-paragraph query, where Paragraph 1 pitches the hook, Paragraph 2 presents key plot and thematic elements, and Paragraph 3 touts your credentials. Leading with this topic could imply that ethnicity does actively factor into the story; placement at the end of Paragraph 2 offers it as a feature, but not the primary one. Possible wording: “With a main character who’s part Native American and a best friend who’s Chinese, Title of Book features an ethnically diverse cast without driving racial themes. This is an [adventure/love/whatever] story, through and through.”
Happy writing!
The Editor