Dear Art Director, I've recently noticed more AD's asking for artists of a specific heritage or background. I think this is great! I imagine there are projects or subjects that are more appropriate for artists of certain backgrounds. With that in mind, would you say that it would be helpful for artists to be more open about their personal backgrounds, orientations, etc. on their sites? I think the fear of discrimination is still an unfortunate but valid reality for many artists.

YES! As an AD I really wish it was easier to tell from people’s websites what heritage/gender/etc they are. I always feel like a creepster when trying to figure it out from social media. That said, I know there’s a fear of being pigeonholed into doing only commissions that deal with a certain group if you are a member of that group—more so if that group has been marginalized and discriminated against. No one should feel forced to reveal more about themselves than they are comfortable doing just to get a gig.

I think this is the best advice in general: If you have any special knowledge or experience from your heritage, location, hobbies, interests, gender, sexual orientation, or from having a differently-abled body then please do mention it in your “about” page IF you are interested in getting work in that area. Not just the big controversial issues but also: are you obsessed with succulents? Are you vegan? Are you a rabid tennis fan? It’s not JUST about race, it’s about ADs being able to give projects to people who have specialized knowledge in the areas in which they’re going to be making work. And there are more and more jobs where it’s very important to make sure the piece is being done by a person who identifies within a certain group, and I think that as representation becomes more important in media, the opportunities will outweigh the risks where being transparent about your identity/experiences lie.

And just to especially note — that doesn’t mean good work can only come from people who have the “right” identification — Donato, Greg Ruth, Tommy Arnold, and Dave Palumbo have all been doing amazing covers with POC characters for Tor Books recently, and they are not POC. The point of having greater diversity in media is not to say that certain people can’t do certain jobs — it’s about making sure more artists have the opportunity to do them. Diversity among pro artists is a much bigger issue than we can discuss here — it goes deep into the availability of art education and socioeconomic backgrounds and deep societal issues. This is a tricky conversation sometimes, just like the conversation around cultural appropriation, but I think the growing visibility of diversity in artists can only be a good thing.

—Agent KillFee