Glory days? They Were Gone Long Ago.

A response to the New York Times article of 1.5.09: Putting off the Ritz: The New Austerity in Publishing.

I have a challenging and inspiring job -- I'm a literary agent. I've been in publishing for four and a half years, and have been agenting for roughly two of those years. And now with a new year, a spring in my step, and a slew of newly read manuscripts, I naturally look towards the future. In the air is an eagerness for Obama, for the gloom of late 2008 to be over, and an optimism to find the next cat book, or dog book, or vampire book, or the latest literary wonder, whatever works... Monday, January 5, 2009, the first day back at work.

First things first, check for any urgent e-mails and then go to the New York Times book section. Anything up?

Another article informing me about the impending death of the publishing industry. Hmmm, like I needed a reminder? Whether we kept our jobs or not, we know. Black Wednesday wasn't so long ago that we already need a recap. We've spent part of our vacation searching for great free lance work for our beloved editor friends who were laid off. We know the holiday parties were canceled, because we didn't go to any. And by the way, is it so depressing that Random House can't go to Bermuda this year? Not in my opinion -- I'd rather they buy five new debuts instead, any day. Or perhaps those expensive lunches can be put towards publicity for the titles already scheduled. It's fine to point out how the glory days are over, and to be honest, they have been for a while -- I don't have any colleagues -- senior or junior that take regular limo rides or go to The Four Seasons. Bread Bar at Tabla or a cocktail at the Grand Central Oyster bar are some typical dates -- and that really only feels appropriate when there's an actual book deal. We should take more advantage of our nice offices and make a pot of coffee to talk shop instead. I'm all for it.

Publishing shouldn't sound so grim so much of the time, because after a while, it can be discouraging -- to people in and out of the business. Let's take a minute and think about who reads the book section of the Times. I haven't done a focus group, but my best guess is that the readership largely consists of people who read books, and the people who make books happen. So why not add in something, anything to inspire people who read books to read more? And why not inspire the ones who work for books to avoid crawling underneath their desks. Instead we are officially informed that the publishing business is suffering. Mission accomplished. Again. Remember the September New York Magazine piece, THE END?

Anyway, instead of how everything is miserable and no longer glamorous, why not report about some wonderful little novel that was sold for $20,000 -- and from a small press, please? Why not talk about how a more discriminating editorial board will produce finer fiction or more commercial fiction -- hey, I'm no book snob. How about a piece about how two movies, Revolutionary Road and The Reader were both made from even more glorious novels? I don't know, some light, please? I don't suggest a state of ignorance, but let's round out the equation and look at the bright side -- just every once in a while. Let's plump up the book section with some news about books! Because I worry that the more you talk about how books are going down the tubes, the more they will. It's bad press and it's not the whole story.

Comments

[GhostwriterDoF]

Dickens traveled all over to promote his works and left a lasting legacy. But he also wanted to have his stories heard as he intended them to be read. He immensely enjoyed the interaction with his fans and basked in the telling of the tales.

There shall always be a great market for Literature but, what are you feeding the hungry eyes of book lovers? Maybe the Publishing Industry took their eyes off the prize? It should be all about the connection you have with your readers. That is the Glory of publishing, the rest is cake. And the Glory isn’t gone. It’s out there, waiting to be re-discovered within the printed pages of your books.

[Social Construct]

The evolution of publishing need not be looked at through such a dark lens. One must use historical perspective and critical thought to "brighten" the gloomy outlook. Max Weber's works on bureaucracy would shed some light, I think. Publishers have been caught in the "Iron Cage" of defending the institutions while the very foundations of what they have built are shifting. Books are not going away as much as they are being redefined in a physical sense.

[tomas0808]

I'm afraid it's just reality check time. The big publishers could have avoided being hit so hard by the coming depression/recession, but they made the mistake of letting the art/commerce relationship swing too far toward commerce by hiring corporate people who know numbers and have connections on Wall Street to run their companies instead of people who know books. They have become just like the major Hollywood film studios, purveyors of shallow fantasy and trendy schlock. Just like the indy movie scene, the small publishing industry is where the real books are.

Why? Because the major publishers (because of the corporate influence) are always looking for books that look just like last years book that turned a small profit (but everyone forgot after two days),or ones that touch on the trendy buzz topics instead of anything original or that tells truths about ourselves and the human condition.

[StoutHouse]

"Just like the indy movie scene, the small publishing industry is where the real books are."

Sweeping generalizations are seldom true, and this one is no exception. Every season major publishers put out remarkable books, some of which go largely unread, just like indie presses such as Melville House, Soft Skull, and others. Some, however, find a wide readership, not because they're "shallow fantasy and trendy schlock," as you put it, but because they're exceptional books. Have you read Junot Diaz's "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao"? How about Bolanos' newly translated 2666? Or anything Philip Roth has put out in decades? Or Salman Rushdie, or Michael Ondaatje, or James Salter, or, or, or. If you can't find good writing in the big leagues, you're not looking hard enough.

Yes, indie presses put out good books, too, but even that segment of publishing is susceptible to trends -- in particular self-conscious, postmodern, ironic, meta-narrative nonsense such as the well-meaning folks at McSweeney's have foisted on the literary world, inspiring every Brooklyn hipster with a pen (or, more likely, vintage Olivetti electric) to tap out page after page of awful prose.

Good literature is everywhere. So is bad literature, no matter how rad the self-consciously "indie" jacket art.

[uncleentropy]

You are correct in the observation that the novel will survive as a proving ground for cinema....but not for much more. The market demographics are terrible and publishers don't do anything but bite their nails about it.

If book publishing were serious about creating a renaissance, it would need to prepare for a downloadable future. Getting rid of the "ornamentation" of hard copy materials might increase readership, but other initiatives need to be taken by the industry, and it is too insular and nostalgic to work at creating reading communities, mistakenly thinking of reading as an act as private as writing.

Books can be like music.

[Billie]

I agree! It's no good at all to be dwelling on bad news all the time. I think it is dangerous to focus on so much negativity. i believe in the power of positive thinking. it is the hopeful, brave attitude.

I'm a book lover and always look forward time spent reading. Also, reading about authors and books. Enough with the doom and gloom. We all get it. Anyway, just saw Revolutionary Road friday night and Wow! I've always loved Richard Yates and it was great to see his book so well treated as a film. The acting was brilliant. He is one of the greatest american writers, in my opinion, and I wish he'd been more appreciated in his lifetime. Also, his short stories are genius.