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Author Lori Tharps has an interesting article in The Root about whether or not Obama's presidency will increase opportunities in publishing for black writers.

My thoughts? Not likely. But it would be nice. Just like universal healthcare would be nice. Actually I see that happening way before publishing making much needed internal changes. Geez, don't I sound cynical, uh realistic.

I think super-editor Malaika Adero says it best:

"Sometimes there's this notion that publishers introduce the hot new thing," she says, "but we don't lead, we follow." Adero, who founded the UpSouth International Book Festival in 2006, says authors get it wrong when they lump the publishing industry in with short-lead media like TV, newspapers and magazines. "As publishers, we only have the ability to document a trend that has already established itself." In other words, right now publishers are still focused on the past, reviewing proposals about the election, not looking toward the future (which explains the reported $7 million thrown at Sarah Palin for her life story).