Lee & Low Books Releases 2023 Diversity Baseline Survey Results

​February 28, 2024 -- New York, NY— Lee & Low Books has released the 2023 results of its Diversity Baseline Survey (DBS 3.0). Nearly two hundred companies, located in North America, participated, which included all the “Big Five" publishers, review journals, trade publishers, university presses, and literary agencies. This represents a 10% increase from the number of surveys sent out in 2019, with an additional 9.5% increase in responses.

Similarly to the DBS 2.0 survey, DBS 3.0 gathers statistics on publishing staff, literary agents, and reviewers in four major categories—gender, race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and disability—with the new goal of ascertaining whether the industry is becoming more inclusive over time. Two additional categories were added this year—age and location/region.

Since the 2019 survey, there have been statistically significant changes to the numbers. According to the survey, 72.5% of publishing, review journal, and literary agency staff are White/Caucasian, a significant decrease from 76% in 2019. The rest are comprised of people who self-report as Biracial/Multiracial (8.4%), Asian/Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander/South Asian/Southeast Indian (7.8%), Black/African American/Afro Caribbean (5.3%), and Hispanic/Latino/Mexican (4.6%). There continues to be an alarming lack of representation within the publishing industry of Native American as well as Middle Eastern people (less than 1% each). 0.8% of respondents said their identity was not listed.

"Typically, a response rate to a voluntary survey like this gets a 10-15% response," said DBS coauthor Laura M. Jiménez, a professor of children's book literature at Boston University, "DBS 3.0 has received a response rates of 36%, which is huge. From a social science perspective, this kind of growth in responses in under a 10-year period is uncommon."Noteworthy highlights include the number of respondents identifying as bi and pansexual (14%), marking a remarkable change in orientation.

"Over time, there’s been a shift in attitude toward the survey," says Publisher and DBS coauthor Jason Low."Companies are more eager to take part in it today than in 2015, when people needed to be convinced that establishing a data-driven baseline for inclusive hiring was the only way to measure progress."The number of responses has increased by 154% from the DBS 1.0 to DBS 3.0, providing a clear indication that the hesitation toward participation that was once so prevalent has receded. This is a sign that the industry is trending in the right direction.

To see the infographics, explore the data breakdown, and read the full study, please review here: https://blog.leeandlow.com/2024/02/28/2023diversitybaselinesurvey/

About Lee & Lee Books:

In 1991, Lee & Low Books began with a simple mission: to publish beautiful books about everyone, for everyone. Lee & Low Books is the largest and most trusted multicultural children's book publisher in the United States and a leader in the movement for greater representation in publishing since its inception. The family-run, independent, and certified 100% Minority Owned Business Enterprise (MBE) produces award-winning, high-quality books for every age under the imprints Bebop Books, Children's Book Press , Cinco Puntos Press, Lee & Low Books, Shen's Books , and Tu Books. The list includes leveled books for beginning readers, picture books, early chapter books, middle grade, and young adult books, and a wide selection of bilingual and Spanish language titles.