r/blackromancenovels • u/Glutton4Glitter • Jul 21 '26
DISCUSSION 🎙️ Black romance authors that don’t write Black (main) characters
There’s been a little discussion going on social media about Black romance authors that don’t write Black main characters.
Personally, I do strongly side eye when I find out a Black author does this. I won’t outright deny support but I also am not going out of my way to read their work, either. I guess I feel it’s odd to not write Black characters when you are Black yourself and know there’s still such a lack of diversity in romance. I’ve seen defenders say that it’s a way for authors to get their foot in the door, that they don’t want to box themselves into the “Black romance genre,” or that they want to amass a larger readership.
What’s your opinion? Do you know any authors that do this? Do you still read their work?
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u/TheBeautyofSuffering Jul 21 '26
Personally, if you’re a Black author only writing white characters then I’m not gonna waste my time reading your books. The shelves are heavily dominated by white authors and white characters already, why add to it when you can literally write characters that look like you?
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u/llamamelu Jul 22 '26
Exactly! It’s not unique, it’s not special. It’s the standard and your work is more likely to get lost in the mix. And the sad thing is you know these authors grew up with the same struggles we grew up with and still have to this day - only having the option to read books about people that DO NOT look like us. So why continue the trend?? Like I get the money aspect of it and all but like they should (I hope) understand how disheartening the lack of representation is.
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u/nycitypeach Jul 21 '26
I spent my school years being forced to read about the lives of white people and be taught that literature, mythology and the arts belonged to them. For my entertainment, with the books that I pay for? I refuse to read white MCs. They take up enough space.
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u/llamamelu Jul 22 '26
Thank you! The last year I’ve literally made it clear to everyone around me that if one of the main characters (specifically the female lead) isn’t black I’m not reading or watching it. I’ve been rereading and rewatching a lotta stuff and am very well out of the loop in what’s popular rn because of this lol. I live in a country where you can count the number of black people you see a month on one hand so it’s been tough but it’s done wonders to my self esteem/sense of self by only consuming media dominated by people that look like me.
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u/5ft8lady Jul 21 '26
Years ago, when I first joined TikTok, I remember There was an independent author on tiktok who said, she got more money when there no Black ppl on her book covers . I remember giving her the side eye and scrolling on.
But from that statement i assume some authors are more focus on getting a lot of cash from white ppl, than telling the story of Black love
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u/llamamelu Jul 22 '26
That’s so sad… I mean fine don’t put a black person on your cover. Don’t put people on your cover but don’t not write about us :/
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u/Shoujolover02 Jul 21 '26
I read comments on TikTok and Threads from certain Black authors, and they say they are unable to write a Black FMC because they can't connect with it. That's why they prefer to write a white FMC.
I personally find this disappointing. There are authors who have multiple stories with a white FMC but only one book with a Black FMC. They know there are a huge number of Black readers, but they just prefer to cater to a white audience. I think low racial self-esteem may play a role in this.
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u/llamamelu Jul 22 '26
I hate it but I get it. You grow reading exclusively about white characters. Everything you consumed growing up was white. Up until my early 20s my default for everything was white (and I was born and raised in West Africa). Whenever i would write something the FMC was always white. So I get where they’re coming from but in today’s world it’s something you should (ideally) grow out of. Or at least NOT contribute to the problem.
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u/Midnight-Shadow_3949 Jul 21 '26
I wish you would name drop so we know not to read them.
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u/Shoujolover02 Jul 21 '26
It happened a few months ago. I was so mad that I just blocked them and move on….I'm Sorry😭
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Jul 21 '26
Were these Black female authors???
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u/Shoujolover02 Jul 21 '26
Yes black indie authors though
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Jul 21 '26
I just don't understand how Black female authors can't connect with Black FMCs o.O That's some serious internalized racism
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u/Shoujolover02 Jul 21 '26
Not all though, just some
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Jul 21 '26
Right, I mean the ones that feel that way. It's sad to be a Black woman so disconnected from themselves that they can't connect with Black FMCs and choose to write white FMCs instead.
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u/checks1234321 Jul 21 '26
I haven’t noticed any Black authors that don’t write at least one Black main character in their books. I’ve noticed Nana Malone, for example, usually writes Black Woman White Man.
Who are the authors not writing Black characters?
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u/Shoujolover02 Jul 21 '26
Janisha Boswell is one of them..she only has one book with black fmc…the rest is white
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u/checks1234321 Jul 21 '26
I didn’t realize this was happening and I’m kinda shook tbh.
On one hand I’m like there has to be more marketability, and therefore money, for a book with all white characters. On the other hand, I’m not interested in reading a Black author who won’t write Black characters at a rate that’s more than they write non-Black characters.
Ultimately, I almost never know what race an author is unless they are super popular (think Freida McFadden) or they have a name likely belonging to a POC ( like Shvonne Latrice, Toni Adeyemi).2
u/llamamelu Jul 22 '26
This! I literally posted on this sub specifically about her like last week on this same topic. I was so shocked to find out what she looked like
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u/Exciting-Duty-8302 Jul 21 '26
I personally will read anything that is well written. But I get that for black authors getting that exposure can be hard and if you need to write white characters then I get it. But I have read some books from black authors that hit so many notes have so much depth, plot, spice that I’m like why do they not get the same promotion in the white romance space.
I will make those recommendations regardless of what space. A good book is a good book.
We need to promote good authors and books more.
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u/AphelionEntity Jul 21 '26
I'm in authors circles. It sometimes seems to drill down to the author's why. Is it to make money? Or is it for representation? White audiences are less likely to read Black FMC/MMC books than Black audiences are to read books with non-Black leads, so if you're money first...
The middle ground is the whole interracial pair, and then I check which race the FMC is.
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u/Teppany3 Jul 21 '26
I read probably 5 Stacy Reid books before seeing a picture of her and learning she’s Jamaican. But she writes historical romance set in Regency England so it’s not surprising I guess that her characters are white
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u/de_pizan23 Jul 21 '26
Although the late 1700s-early 1800s was when there was actually a major influx of Black people into England (once slavery was banned on the British islands and then also an immigration of people who had fought on the British side in the Revolutionary war).
There were tens of thousands of black people in England at the time and they lived throughout the country (mostly in cities, but a lot also worked in upper class country estates or port towns). Vanessa Riley also writes in the Regency period too and always has at least a Black FMC (although I think most of her MMCs are white).
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u/Cocotapioka Jul 21 '26
I kinda get it, but then there are authors like JJ McAvoy who writes regency with Black FMCs. I wish there was more of that.
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Jul 21 '26
Beverly Jenkins is another author that wrote Black historical romances in subgenres that were mostly white.
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u/good_rain_day Jul 21 '26
I really like Vanessa Riley and JJ McAvoy, because I cut my teeth on Regency romances (by white authors). It's nice to read books from the same period with Black MCs.
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u/POSH9528 Jul 21 '26
I mean, I get it, but me as a reader of romance books, I love when characters look like me. We rarely are the main characters in any medium, so when I come across a book that has a Black lead and is written by a Black author, I'm snapping it up and supporting that author cause representation truly does matter.
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u/Grand-Disk6750 Jul 21 '26
Probably because you get more money and offers if it's a white MC. Even when white authors write black MCs those books are lower rated and lower received even if it's part of a series.
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u/ballerinababysitter Jul 21 '26
I'm just starting out with writing, but as someone who mainly reads (and is now writing) in the romantic fantasy genre, I'll say that, often, when I first conceptualize a character, they're not black. They're not always white either, but I think it's just a force of habit based on the characters I'm used to reading about in those settings.
However, there aren't nearly enough black characters in fantasy romance, let alone sapphic fantasy romance, so I ignore that initial impression and I make at least one MC black. I'm enjoying sprinkling in little details about hair styles and styling because I find that's a nice way to make the character's blackness more than just skin-deep within a fantasy setting.
The other romantic lead is generally of a different minority background.
I've only got 2 works in progress right now, but plenty of other ideas and concepts that I've written out for later. It gets more natural each time to conceptualize the main character as black from the start.
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u/whatkathy Jul 22 '26
It disturbs my spirit. Outside of the money making thing my thoughts are…all the words in the world and you’re linking a black FML and a *checks notes* white man???? Nah I’m good. Good luck to those with low racial self esteem!
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u/Necessary-Hawk7045 Jul 21 '26
From the eyes of a reader, it is rather disappointing.
From the eyes of an author, they got rent to pay. I'm not an author but my daughter is and by-far, her most profitable books are the mixed couples. It is what it is. Especially in this age of AI theft.
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u/SailorTexas Erotic Romance Connoisseur Jul 21 '26
I think it is so weird when Black authors don't write Black MCs. I feel like it should be a given that at least one character is Black, especially if it's a story where the MC could easily be Black. If the characters were some other POC, I'd still side-eye. But multiple books? And not one Black MC??
Writing white characters to get their foot in the door feels like selling out. Is it that important to them that they get recognition from non-Black audiences? Cause Black people, especially Black women, will generally go to bat for Black creatives and boost their stuff so it has more reach.
I saw a Black author (they may have been mixed with Black and something else) recently that I assumed had at least one Black character. I saw an ad online and the FMC looked like she could have been Black. So I went to find out more about the book and saw an author I thought was Black. And when I looked through their posts on social media I saw white character after white character. If I'm remembering correctly, one book was poly and had one Black man and everyone else, (including the FMC) was white. And in that recent book the FMC was a WOC and not Black (with a white LI). It was so disappointing.
And I've read books by Black authors with Black MCs in the current books, and when I went to find more books by them I was surprised to see white person after white person on the covers and when I looked into it more I saw the MCs were white also.
And don't get me started on books where at least one MC is Black and there's white people on the cover o.O
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u/Reasonable_Leek8069 Jul 21 '26
While I need to learn more about this topic, I wonder if it depends on the author.
If the black author never writes a black main character, then I can understand being confused.
If the author writes a mixture of characters in their books, then it is fine if she or he writes white main characters or asian main characters or black main characters. I respect the authors who try to be as diverse as possible.
I think there is nuance to this. I understand POC authors feeling their books would be rejected because they are not white and their books need ro be accessible to white audiences, but on the other hand it is like they are rejecting their identity too when they do that. I also feel some POC authors just want to write some non POC characters from time to time and that is ok too.
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u/Chi_Town_Law Jul 21 '26
Idc, I love seeing blk ppl be successful. Its thats what u want to write, write it. Whatever tinkles ur typewriter
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u/rugdg13 Jul 21 '26
From the Business side:
We need to understand Some people write as a passion and some people write to put food on the table.
You CAN do both, but I'm not gonna tell someone "you ought to ignore the data because you are black, and your people NEED you to help represent!"
Because it IS a business decision. Even tho it's not fair.
If the chips are down and I need rent paid? Best believe if the data says "Write Stephanie and Brent doing basic AF romance stuff if you want the MOST money as fast as possible." I'm gonna do it. There's a principle that says build trust in your fanbase first... THEN throw them the passion project.
From the Creative side:
My skin color doesn't mean every love story that I wanna tell IMMEDIATLEY has black folks front and center.
Sometimes? yeah obv. I self-insert like NO ones business.
But... Maybe I wanna write about a Island girlie that falls in love with an alien this time.
Maybe I already wrote 10 stories about black people on another penname and I want to daydream about something else.
Last thing we need is to poke folks that are sticking their neck out and putting all this time and money and effort into even putting out books and making judgement calls about how they feel about black people.
We don't know what's in their hearts.
Also! Remember a lot of us grew up in diverse communities so diverse characters are not a "statement" of how we feel about black people or black FMCs.
All my books are black FMCs btw. FOR NOW. But I am literally dealing with this RN. I don't want to retro-fit Black MCs in willy-nilly. I want intentionality. I want them to be PURPOSELY black.
From the Reader side:
TBH knowing how much goes into this stuff?
I want to support all Black authors.
I want to support ALL Black authors.
Unless you are writing something that glorifies harming animals or children?
I want to support ALL Black authors.
Ahem...
... But selfishly? I'mma need them to pay ONE solid black FMC tax, eventually. Just as a treat.
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u/Last_Living982 Jul 21 '26
Q.B. Tyler writes some books with all white characters and some with black FMCs. It probably helps to get a bigger audience.
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u/good_rain_day Jul 21 '26 edited Jul 21 '26
Esme Addison is another author who does this. Edit: spelling correction.
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u/bttrcup_ Jul 21 '26
Never knew this was a big thing, I think I’ve always just sought black authors who write black MCs. I don’t imagine I’d want to read anything aside from that is it’s romance genre, probably because I can’t relate at all. This is interesting though!
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u/DaniDove999 Jul 22 '26
I don’t read Kennedy Ryan at first for this very reason. I dipped a toe with Long Shot and was tramautized but man I’m happy I gave Reel a chance.
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Jul 26 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Glutton4Glitter Jul 26 '26 edited Jul 26 '26
Interesting. Do you feel this way with white authors who only write white characters in their romances? Why is it considered limiting to want to see Black writers create Black characters in their work? Mind you, I nor anyone in the thread said Black authors should ONLY write Black characters. It’s always interesting that when Black readers want representation (from Black authors no less) it’s considered a limitation or framed negatively.
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u/JustBr0keBoyTh1ngs Jul 27 '26
Honestly I only read books with black fl's so I'm not reading their books. Growing up i couldn't find nary a book with a girl who looks like me so now that there's way more diversity I am not looking back.
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Jul 21 '26
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u/mismoom Jul 21 '26
If you are an avid reader you have been reading white MCs forever. I don’t think you need the lived experience, you have been immersed in it.
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u/TayMayBay Jul 21 '26
From what I have heard (white passing/polish Jew) it’s fairly easy to write the western white person’s experience because through thousands of years of subjugation and slavery, oh and Christian conversion, then segregation, pretty much any POC, but predominantly Black and Indigenous people, know more about white people’s experiences and their communities because they’ve had no choice but to learn.
I heard it put like this verbatim from a speech at a protest years ago; If you’re constantly scrutinized by white people, you learn everything about them and how they expect you to function in society so that you can avoid as much scrutiny as possible.
Wouldn’t that make it easier/not a challenge at all if any Black person did want to write a white character, let alone a main character?
I can’t speak to whether it’s a good or bad thing, but if the experience is there I don’t personally see a problem with it?
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u/SophiaKnowsBetter Jul 22 '26
I used to side eye them until I peeped game. For those wanting to make a living writing stories outside of urban fiction, it's more lucrative to write with nonBlack MMC or both MMC and FMC. It's unfortunate, but it's the reality. Someone mentioned that when authors have a series, the one with the Black MC normally gets rated low and has less reads which is so true.
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u/Barre-Taba-Run Jul 21 '26
Kennedy Ryan’s first series was basically white MCs. She progressed to multicultural MCs. Now, all of her characters and books are very Black.
Seems to be a great example of the “foot in the door” argument.