In honor of Black History Month, I need to talk about something that's been sitting heavy on my heart: and I know it's sitting heavy on yours too.

The myth of invisibility.

You've heard it before. You've probably even said it yourself: "Black authors are invisible." "Authors of color don't get seen." "The algorithm hides us."

But here's the truth I want you to sit with: You are not invisible.

Let me say it louder for the people in the back: You are not invisible. You are undervalued.

And those two things? They're not the same.

The Difference Between Unseen and Undervalued

When we say we're invisible, we're claiming that no one sees us: that our work doesn't reach eyes, that our voices don't carry, that we're shouting into a void.

But that's not what's happening.

Your work is being seen. Your stories are being read. Your creativity is being consumed. Your ideas are being borrowed, replicated, and repurposed: often without credit, without compensation, and without acknowledgment.

That's not invisibility. That's exploitation.

The problem isn't that you're unseen. The problem is that the systems in place: the algorithms, the traditional publishing gatekeepers, the marketing machines: have decided your work isn't worth the same investment, the same promotion, the same respect as your white counterparts.

They see you. They just don't value you fairly.

And when we keep using the language of invisibility, we're internalizing their narrative. We're accepting their framing. We're telling ourselves we don't matter when the truth is we matter so much that they're threatened by our power.

You Are Not Invisible: You Are Powerful

I'm the Owner and CEO of Bright Headed Publishing, and I started this company because I was tired of watching talented authors of color get overlooked, underpaid, and underestimated. I was tired of seeing brilliant stories go unnoticed while mediocre work from privileged voices got six-figure deals and nationwide tours.

But I also got tired of hearing us describe ourselves as invisible.

Because here's what I know: Invisible things don't get stolen. Invisible things don't get copied. Invisible things don't inspire fear in those who benefit from the status quo.

You are not invisible. You are so visible, so impactful, so powerful that the industry has to actively work to suppress your reach. They have to manipulate the algorithm. They have to decline your pitches. They have to overlook your submissions.

That takes effort. That takes intention. That takes acknowledgment of your presence and your power.

So let's stop giving them the satisfaction of making us believe we're invisible.

The Algorithm Doesn't Define Your Worth

One of the biggest lies we've been sold is that the algorithm is neutral: that it's just a system reflecting what people want to see.

But algorithms are built by people. And people have biases. Those biases get coded into the systems, and suddenly your content is reaching fewer people, your books aren't showing up in recommendations, and your platform isn't growing at the same rate as someone with identical content but a different skin tone.

The algorithm isn't neutral. It's designed to favor those who already have privilege.

But here's the thing about algorithms: they're not the only path to success.

You don't need the algorithm to validate you. You don't need a viral post to prove your worth. You don't need the system to work in your favor for your story to matter.

Your story matters because you matter. Your voice matters because the people who need to hear it are out there searching for exactly what you have to say.

Reclaiming Your Value in a Biased System

So what do we do? How do we move forward when the systems are rigged against us?

First, we stop centering their validation. We stop waiting for permission from gatekeepers who were never going to give it to us fairly. We stop measuring our success by metrics designed to minimize us.

Second, we build our own systems. We create our own networks, our own platforms, our own communities. We support each other's work. We buy each other's books. We show up for each other in ways the industry refuses to show up for us.

Third, we own our narrative. We stop calling ourselves invisible and start calling out the systems that undervalue us. We name what's happening. We document the disparities. We refuse to internalize their bias as our inadequacy.

And finally, we keep creating anyway. Because our stories are not just for those who already see our value: they're for the next generation of authors who need to see what's possible. They're for the readers who are starving for representation. They're for ourselves, because our stories deserve to exist regardless of who acknowledges them.

Your Story Has Value: Period

During Black History Month and every month, I want you to remember this: Your story has value simply because it exists. Not because it went viral. Not because it got picked up by a major publisher. Not because the algorithm favored it.

Your lived experience, your perspective, your creativity, your voice: these things have inherent worth that no system can diminish.

When you sit down to write, you're not just creating content. You're documenting your truth. You're claiming space. You're leaving a legacy.

And that legacy will outlast any algorithm, any biased system, any gatekeeper who tried to keep you out.

You are not invisible. You are powerful. And your story matters.

Don't let anyone: not the algorithm, not the industry, not even your own doubt: tell you otherwise.

I started Bright Headed Publishing to amplify voices like yours, to create pathways for authors who've been shut out, and to build community around the truth that our stories deserve better. That we deserve better.

So keep writing. Keep creating. Keep showing up in your full power.

Because the world doesn't need you to be seen by everyone. It needs you to be seen by the right ones: the readers who are waiting for exactly what you have to offer, the community that will champion your work, and most importantly, by yourself.

See your own value. Own your power. Tell your story anyway.

That's how we change the narrative. That's how we break the system. That's how we win.

Watch the full episode here: https://youtu.be/D6xR3lJ6FpI

Connect with Me & Access More Resources

Want to keep building outside the algorithm? Here are a few ways I can support you (and a few things I’ve made that I know will help):

• Be a guest on The Author’s Mic™: https://brightheadedpublishing.com/be-a-guest
• Grab the “So You Want to Write a Book” guide: https://brightheadedpublishing.com/
• Support the books: Weight For It + You Sound White
• Join the Indie Reader Society (IRS) Book Club: https://brightheadedpublishing.com

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Tired of shouting into the social media void? Meet TrustBridge™, the connection engine behind Bright Headed Publishing. We bypass the algorithm by making targeted, respectful introductions for indie authors to the communities that actually matter. We handle the research, the pitching, and the follow-up so you can focus on writing.

What you get:

• Curated connections (Podcasts, Book Clubs, and Bookstores)
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Ready to build real visibility? Explore TrustBridge™ Author Services here.