A subspecies of the entertainment industry'
s velvet
mafia, the Velveteen mafia is comprised of the many gay
men (and the occasional
lesbian) who work in the field of children's
book publishing.
Though not formally organized, these editors, authors, illustrators, art directors, publishers, etc. do tend to huddle together at industry events (making quite the splash) and are known for their wit, style, and general panache around the office...and around town. They are highly influential.
An obvious (and brilliant) mash-up of author Stephen Gaines' term "the velvet mafia" (which he used to describe the in-crowd of Studio 54's heyday) and the title of Margery Williams' classic 1922 children's
book, "The Velveteen Rabbit."