Diversity in Literature

Bestselling novelist Tobias Wolff, slam poet Taylor Mali, journalists Eliza Griswold and Jake McAuley and celebrated children’s book author Dianna Hutts Aston came together on stage last week at St. Mark’s School of Texas to celebrate storytelling. This Tenth Annual Literary Festival, hosted by St. Mark’s students and faculty, marked the first time that a children’s author was invited to participate. Not only is Aston known for her wildly successful Chronicle Books series, which includes A Butterfly is Patient, An Egg is Quiet and A Seed is Sleepy, but her earlier works like An Orange in January and A Moon Over Star (read by President Barack Obama to D.C. schoolchildren in February 2010), have become school and library favorites nationwide.

Photo: Left to Right – Authors Eliza Griswold, Dianna Hutts Aston, Taylor Mali (center), Tobias Wolff, James (Jake) McAuley

Electronic search for and discovery of these authors’ books online—as well as the myriad products and services we all want and need—has become a regular part of our daily lives. Want to buy a used GoPro for that ski trip? Click once and there it is. Need a discounted, portable speaker for your iPhone? Boom—the selection is enormous. Looking for a book suited to the interests of your child or partner? It’s there online too.

But what about the quality books across all genre that aren’t yet published? Where can they be found? Wouldn’t it be helpful if agents and publishers could easily search for and discover the unpublished manuscripts that they want to publish? Aston, who already has experienced the success and thrill of being traditionally published over 15 times, has five unpublished manuscripts uploaded and easily searchable on Inkubate.com. These rare gems by a beloved #kidlit author are awaiting publication. With a few simple clicks, the right agent or publisher could strike it big.

That’s why Inkubate’s platform is such an elegant model. Editors looking for Aston’s picture book chronicling the hopes and dreams of American workers will find it on Inkubate. They’ll also access proprietary analysis tools that enable them to quickly discover epic war dramas written in the style of Eliza Griswold and/or Robert Rodata. Psychological horrors crafted in the style of Stephen King’s Misery are also accessible with one click, as are memorable coming-of-age adventures written in styles similar to Jack London and Tobias Wolff.

Front Row: Authors Taylor Mali, James McAuley, Dianna Hutts Aston, Eliza Griswold and Tobias Wolff Back Row: Students of the St. Mark’s School of Texas with their Master English Teacher David Brown and their distinguished Headmaster David Dini

Book retailers and libraries aiming to promote fresh content that is relevant to their readers’ interests can also use Inkubate’s technology to refine, expand and perfect their book recommendation platforms.

With a few easy clicks, the promising writing of emerging and established authors can be identified, marketed and distributed to a highly targeted and engaged consumer audience.

Inkubate congratulates the St. Mark’s School of Texas for bringing great literature and legendary authors to their Dallas, TX-based campus.