Eye on Small Business: Lauren Simone Publishing, East Hartford

A mother and daughter publishing house is a rare thing. A Black-owned publishing house established by a mother and her two daughters, is rarer still, but that is the reality of Lauren Simone Publishing, co-founded in East Hartford in 2017 by.Melissa-Sue John, Ph.D., and her daughters, Alyssa Simone John and Olivia Lauren John, for whom the company is named.

Melissa-Sue John, also an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Saint Joseph in West Hartford, said she started the business after noticing the “huge disparity” in the representation of  BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color) individuals, not only as characters in stories but also as authors in the children’s book industry.

A 2020 report by the Cooperative Children’s Book Center highlighted the issue for her. It revealed that of more than 3,000 children’s books published that year, 60% were written by White authors and centered on White characters. In contrast, only 12% were about Black characters; 8% were written by Black authors; 9% were written by and about Asians; 6% were written by and about Latinx (the non-binary alternative to Latino or Latina); less than 2% about indigenous people; and less than 1% about Pacific Islanders.

“To counteract these disparities and promote inclusivity, I founded Lauren Simone Publishing House,” she said. Her aim was to help underrepresented individuals become published authors and illustrators.

Commenting on the financial implications of being a Black-, women-  and family-owned business, John mentioned limited access to capital and investment due to systemic disparities. (See related story on Page 12.) On the upside, though, she said this unique setup could also attract support from consumers and organizations committed to diversity, equity and inclusion – otherwise known as DEI – “potentially creating unique market opportunities.”

Elaborating on the financial challenges, John said the company had applied for grants, competed in pitch competitions and offered workshops to garner funding, with Lauren Simone receiving to date a Women’s Business Development Council (WBDC) grant and a Citizens Minority-Owned Small Business Champion grant. The publishing house had also won first place in the Hartford-based reSET Impact Accelerator program and second place in New Haven’s Hayvn Hatch female-founder pitch competition.

Asked about what methods Lauren Simone used to ensure its books resonated broadly while still focusing on young Black readers, John referenced the Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who argues that while stories can often originate from simple misunderstandings or a lack of knowledge of others, they can also have a malicious intent to suppress other groups of people due to prejudice.

“Our aim,” John said, “is to present multidimensional characters with various backgrounds (Africa, Caribbean, America) and varying interests. We serve Black young readers and all other readers to encourage compassion, perspective-taking and fuller understanding of diversity and inclusivity.”

She added that the publishing house partners with bookstores, museums, libraries, schools and community recreation centers to increase visibility of its authors and their stories.

Nor is the company restricting its readership to children. It recently published its first adult book – and one with a nice local flavor – “More Than Merely Eyes Can See,” which tells 30-plus stories of diners at a Friday gathering in Hartford. The book sets out to show the importance of seeing others as individuals to reduce stereotypes, with the proceeds of sales going to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Hartford.

Said John: “We are very proud of this work.”