Not All, But Almost All
To those who do not buy books written by women. To those who are not capable of mentioning the name of at least five female authors. To those who have not read even five female authors. To those who do not join a book club because that is a plan for women. To those who do not attend writing workshops given by women. To those who attack female authors without having taken the trouble to read them. To those who queue at a writer's book signing and, the first thing they do upon reaching the table, is clarify that the book is not for them, but for their girlfriend or their mother. To those who leave bad reviews of books written by women that they clearly did not read. To those who believe that if a woman sells many books, it is because she has connections or because she is pretty or because she is famous or because who knows to whom she gave it or because she was lucky, or because she is privileged or because it is 'fashionable' to publish women.
TL;DR
- Many people do not buy or read books written by women.
- There is a reluctance to acknowledge or name female authors.
- Women are the main supporters of the publishing industry.
- The contributions of women in editing and literary promotion are often overlooked.
- Success of female authors is frequently attributed to factors other than talent, such as luck or connections.
- Certain genres perceived as 'domestic' or 'sentimental' are dismissed when written by women, unlike similar themes by men.
- The term 'feminine literature' is used condescendingly, implying it is separate from 'real' literature.
- Women's autobiographical or autofictional works are sometimes labeled as gossip or diaries, unlike similar works by men.
- Women are often excluded from the opening acts of literary fairs.
- The author asserts that these issues are widespread, though not universal.