The publishing industry has a gambling problem
5 hours ago
- #author-careers
- #publishing-industry
- #literary-culture
- Toni Morrison's debut novel, 'The Bluest Eye,' initially had modest sales and went out of print before being revived by Oprah's Book Club decades later.
- Many celebrated authors, like Cormac McCarthy and Jack Kerouac, faced commercial disappointments early in their careers before achieving success.
- Publishing industry's reliance on 'track' (sales history) pressures writers to succeed immediately, often penalizing them for factors beyond their control.
- Debut authors are often favored by publishers due to their 'clean slate,' while mid-career authors struggle with the stigma of past sales performance.
- High advances can set unrealistic expectations, making it harder for authors to secure future deals if their books underperform.
- Industry trends, like the 2020 surge in acquiring books by Black authors, sometimes lack proper support, leading to later dismissals of such initiatives.
- Small presses are increasingly receiving submissions from authors dropped by larger publishers, crowding out opportunities for emerging writers.
- The decline of literary media outlets and book coverage has made it harder for authors to build audiences and for readers to discover diverse books.
- Publishers' risk-averse strategies prioritize blockbuster potential over nurturing long-term author careers, harming literary diversity.