[aaron-riser Posts: 9 Status: Offline I love to write]

I've written a story that, as a backdrop, showcases a close-knit, multicultural group of neighborhood kids. There is nothing in the story that denotes the ethnicity of any of the kids (just gender references), no stereotypical anything, but in my minds eye I see the mix. I grew up in Detroit, MI in a neighborhood just like this and attended really diverse schools from elementary all the way through college..

My question is, how do I approach publishers with this vision of the story? Should I spell it out in the query letter?  I do need some help on this one. The story is pretty polished and ready to go. Thanks in advance.

[JodyJS Posts: 1,316 Status: Offline Who you gonna call? EMERGENCY KITTENS! WWW]

Hi Aaron,

I think you can mention in your query that your story is set in or features multicultural kids or neighborhood. "In this multicultural picture book, ...," for instance.

Jody

[aaron-riser Posts: 9 Status: Offline I love to write]

Thanks for the insight.

[Debbie Vilardi Posts: 7,004 Status: Offline Language is so cool! WWW]

To me, this could be left for the call, when an agent or editor often asks how you envision the book. But remember that art is up to the artists and art director, often with some input from the editor. You'll have to decide how important this is to you. Right now, friend groups with this type of diversity are pretty much the norm (unless the circumstances of the story make it unlikely), so I wouldn't be too concerned about it.

[aaron-riser Posts: 9 Status: Offline I love to write]

Thanks for the information. Even though the story is written and the characters have their quirks, nothing beyond that about the characters is set in stone. By asking the original question, I've started to get more clarity about how I should approach the cultures of the characters. A slight rewrite may be in order.