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# Fictional Influence: Why Books Are Getting Worse
- URL: https://jrwarden.com/fictional-influence-why-books-are-getting-worse/
- Published: 2026-06-21T16:07:50.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-21T16:07:50.000Z
- Author: J.R. Warden
- Tags: Posts, Writing, Publishing

Just popping in to share this excellent article for all my readers and writers. 

> Kristin McTiernan argues that the publishing industry is experiencing a decline because it relies on a skewed feedback loop, mistaking the high sales of hyper-marketed, formulaic "cozy-fantasy slop" for genuine consumer preference while locking out distinct or challenging voices. 

> To cater to a younger demographic with shorter attention spans and a lower reading ability, publishers have flattened prose, shortened books, and scrubbed out complex ideas—a stark contrast to past blockbusters like *The Da Vinci Code*, which, despite clunky prose, still engaged readers intellectually. 

> By treating simplicity as a lack of depth, the industry has alienated mature, affluent readers who are choosing to walk away rather than buy watered-down content, creating a self-inflicted spiral of declining sales and shrinking author incomes.

[Why Books Are Getting Worse (And Who’s Really to Blame)Publishers blame readers. Readers blame publishers. Author incomes keep dropping. The real problem is who the industry stopped writing for.![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7d/01/7d011407-bf39-4ef0-b9d3-4ebf72a0dd5f/content/images/icon/Fictional-Influence--Logo1--1fec3417-a429-42b9-a661-e2b18fb77a14.png)Fictional InfluenceKristin McTiernan![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/7d/01/7d011407-bf39-4ef0-b9d3-4ebf72a0dd5f/content/images/thumbnail/photo-1628025832090-8de412e2369d-a2e8a70b-ed61-4f59-854d-0539068382df.jpeg)](https://www.kristinmctiernan.com/why-books-are-getting-worse/?ref=fictional-influence-newsletter)

Enjoy (or not)!

\~ J.R. Warden