The Association of Canadian Publishers is building a database of freelancers in the publishing industry who belong to marginalized communities. Those who self-identify as BIPOC, LGBTQ2s+, disabled, or another underrepresented group are invited to add their name to the public Diverse Communities Database, along with their publishing industry expertise such as copy editing, sensitivity reading, and indexing.

“We recognize that engaging more freelancers from diverse communities is not a long-term solution to this challenge but it is a preliminary step and initiative we can undertake immediately,” the organization said on its website. The industry organization underlined that the database is for all levels of experience.