Our Authenticity Advocates are a network of ‘experts by experience’ covering many different, and often intersecting, facets of diversity. This unique network of experts includes young people (contact with under 18’s is through parents/teachers) young adults and professional inclusion consultants who all want to help ensure authentic representation and can contribute vital first-hand knowledge, expertise and lived experience to the benefit of children’s books.
Inclusive Minds connects publishers, authors and illustrators with Authenticity Advocates to provide insight from their lived experience to ensure authentic represention in new books. We strongly encourage publishers and book creators to seek insight from Authenticity Advocates at as early a stage as possible, in order to involve those with direct knowledge and experience from the start. This way Authenticity Advocates can support authors and publishers at character and plot development stage which helps to shape authentic characters.
The potential value of this new network to the publishing sector is vast. For those wanting to ensure diverse characters are included appropriately and authentically in a forthcoming book (and we hope that is all of you), the network of Authenticity Advocates may well be able to help. Initial ideas can be bounced, an early manuscript read, feedback supplied, rough artwork checked, a possible book cover viewed… the list is endless. We'd advise talking to more than one Authenticity Advocates to ensure you hear about a range of experiences.
Connections between authors, publishers and Authenticity Advocates should be made, at the very latest, alongside the development/structural edit or a manuscript (but ideally much earlier), and as Authenticity Advocates are not sensitivity readers, Inclusive Minds won't accept submissions for any projects that are at copyediting stage or later.
To access the network, simply send Inclusive Minds an outline of the project using the enquiry form. We will share your enquiry with the network to find interested and relevant Authenticity Advocates. We cannot guarantee that the network includes Authenticity Advocates who can help with every specific request. However, the network is always growing so this may change in future.
Before completing the form, please read the detailed client information about types of feedback, costs and projected timescales for a project.
Please also read the disclaimer statement before sending an enquiry.
Requests submitted to the network will incur an initiation fee. This covers the administrative costs associated with reaching out to the network of Authenticity Advocates and making connections. The initiation fee enables us to keep the network running.
Once one or more potential Authenticity Advocates have expressed interest in the project, and you’ve indicated who you would like to be connected with, you will be provided with a quote for the full project.
It can take some time to make connections, so apply to the network as early as possible during the book creation process.
Authenticity Advocate may also attend events and engage in public speaking opportunities, please contact us if you are interested in discussing a speaking opportunity for the Authenticity Advocate, or fill in the form, to access the network with an enquiry.
Detailed client information about types of feedback, costs and projected timescales for a project.
Read the FAQs.
As well as giving you a real voice and a chance to change the future of children's books, involvement in the network will provide insight to and experience of the publishing industry, hopefully making you feel it is a place where you can belong, and in which you can play a valuable part. This in turn should help to diversify the workforce of the future.
The benefits of becoming an Authenticity Advocate are many and varied. In addition to being valuable work experience that may lead to references and further work experience, some of the benefits that you might be offered include:
References
An acknowledgement in the book (wording should be agreed with Inclusive Minds)
Mention on book/author/publisher website (wording should be agreed with Inclusive Minds)
Invitation to book launch or other promotional events
Blog/interview in relation to your involvement in the development of a book or character
A signed copy of the book from the author, or the publisher might donate books to the Authenticity Advocate’s chosen school
Tickets/passes for events such as London Book Fair.
To express interest in becoming an Authenticity Advocate, please fill in this form.
Read the FAQs.
Please note that all contact with Inclusion Ambassadors under the age of 18 takes place via a parent or guardian.
Many Authenticity Advocates are also willing to represent Inclusive Minds by taking part in media opportunities to talk about the need, provide quotes or speak at events. Authenticity Advocates have already appeared on national television (such as Newsround) and radio (including Radio 4), taken part in literary festivals (including Imagine Children's Festival), spoken at many conferences and events and been interviewed by national press (including the Guardian). In 2019 they developed and ran a panel session at the London Book Fair.
Please contact us if you are interested in discussing an opportunity for the Authenticity Advocates.
