LOS ANGELES (AP) — Growing up an avid reader, Kwana Jackson knew where to look for romance novels with Black characters: Segregated in the “African American interest” section where only determined shoppers would find them. When Jackson became a published author, she saw other ways in which writers of color were obscured. That could affect both book sales and the odds that their work would catch the entertainment industry’s attention. While Jackson says she was surprised when one of her novels was optioned for a TV series, she’s among the writers benefitting from TV’s growing demand for content. Streaming services are among the key customers, snapping up books by women, people of color and LGBTQ writers.
