Judge By The Cover: The Fresno couple spreading awareness on all-inclusive books

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- "What we really wanted to do is bring these books into our community because our community is very diverse, and they deserve to be able to see themselves in the books on the shelves."

Ashley and Carlos Guerrero from Fresno are passionate about books written by diverse authors and are working hard to provide a space to share them with the community.

They say finding certain books in big box stores can be challenging, discouraging some authors from publishing.

"In the last four years, we have seen a decrease in the number of Latinos who are participating in publishing, and there are a lot of theories as to why, but the result is that a lot fewer books by Latinos get published and promoted," Ashley said.

This couple wants to change that in Central Valley by supporting marginalized stories and voices.

In November, they launched an online bookstore named "Judging by the Cover."

Their current collection includes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry echoing the experiences of queer, feminist, and BIPOC communities, which stands for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color.

"You will see a to-be-red list. These are books that we've had the chance to learn about and want to read, and the recommended list is books we have read," Ashley said.

Books, they say, have inspired or educated them about many cultures.

"It helps give your perspective into other people's lives. You can see what others are going through, and it helps you shape your worldview a little," Ashley said.

Their ultimate goal is to open a physical space for their business, but for now, they are excited to provide a platform for more authors.

"One of our big goals is to bring some of these authors to Fresno so people like us can see them and know this is possible for them," Ashley said.

To visit their online bookstore, click here.

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