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.
Kristin McTiernan
Enjoy (or not)!
~ J.R. Warden
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