WHOM TO SATISFY? THE PUBLISHERS? OR THE AUDIENCE?

OPINION PIECE

The contemporary writing and publishing industry is a constantly changing and advancing sector with regard to technology and marketing. The challenges shift exceptionally as the media and the public constitute the major audience. The writers are expected to be highly accommodating, while the publishers are expected to be strategic. Writers endure continuous pressure from publishers and audiences concerning the market as well as their interests. This scoping review intends to examine the current research on these difficulties and hassles of the writers from the publishing industry, and also the audience, to some extent. The critical question is: How do the markets and media influence the authors, and what part do the publishers play in the business? The topic is widely noticed and studied with regard to the issues faced by authors in the contemporary writing world. Most of the research results are published as articles, journalistic works and reviews. Data issued from 2017 to 2023 exhibits the role of unpredictable market expectations rising with regard to content and deadlines. The decrease in creative freedom is noted as the pressure arises from rigid deadlines or contracts between the publisher and the author.

The ‘issues’ or ‘pressures’ faced by the authors in the writing industry can be surveyed as the content ‘correctness’ according to the audience and the exceedingly changing expectations of the markets. This review concentrates on a collaboration of both perspectives. One of the most recently investigated cases was the Penguin Random House – Simon Schuster merger. In the United States, a federal judge has blocked the proposal of Penguin Random House to purchase Simon & Schuster because of concerns about domination over the industry. The judge states that both publishers contribute among the biggest five, and merging the two will create supreme domination, resulting in less competition for the top-selling works. This directly affects the author's advances, declining them, eventually leading to the fall of releases. Stephen King, one of the well-celebrated authors, testifies against the merger, arguing that the authors would have fewer places to get the content published. Considering the then market (August 2022), if the merger is allowed, almost 50% will be controlled by these companies. The Department of Justice points out the diminishing diversity and creativity of the output as well. Several media platforms pointed out threats the authors would encounter if the merge is established, one of the most recent examples to show how the industry can overwhelm authors.

‘The Death of the Author’ podcast, hosted by Brandon Sanderson and Dan Wells discusses how interaction with audiences can reschedule the idea that the author initially thought of. Brandon Sanderson mentions his query on Robert Jordans, that Jordans was considering alterations after his audience interaction. If this is true, the power play of ‘marketing success’ can be comprehended here, as the author tries to create content based on the level of ‘reach’. The Guardian reports the ‘rewritten Roald Dahl books’, the character of Augustus Gloop in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is now described as ‘enormous’, Mrs Twit as ‘beastly’ and the Oompa Loompas are identified as gender neutral. These modifications are welcomed, considering the works can be ‘enjoyed by all day’ by publisher Puffin. These examples scope a study of how the authors’ initial script can be changed according to the trends and the ‘ethical’ ideas of the current age. The changes in Roald Dahl’s work were not much welcomed by some authors like Salman Rushdie, who labelled them as ‘absurd censorship’. ‘To update or not to update, that is the question...” published in Artshub by Amra Pajalic questions what these changes can mean to the writers of now in the future.

Several online media houses brought in these situations of authors in the industry. Catherine Milne, Publisher at HarperCollins Publishers Australia, says, ‘I want someone who loves what they write – they’re personally invested in it. They’re not writing because they think ‘this genre is so hot right now’ or ‘this genre will get me published’, in the Australian Society of Authors. Considering the demands and pressure put upon the authors by the industry, how far can this statement be practically executed? Is it possible to be one of the bestsellers if not producing the trending genres? Will the publishers welcome it if the work fails to cooperate with the marketing drift?

There are substantial, well-authorised studies and findings regarding this topic. The form of expression mostly includes articles, journalistic works and peer-reviewed articles. Existing research concentrates more on the difficulties faced by the authors, and a solution for the discussion remains stagnant. Contemporary shards of evidence for these are real experiences and incidents from the current industry. A comprehensive study, covering most of them, will glorify the issues more evidently. Still, how practical is it to bring in a change?