It's Still Worth Writing, Even if No One Buys Books
Writing is more than a business, even if publishing executives might make you believe otherwise.
There’s been a lot of noise online this week about a post from fellow Substacker
, “No one buys books.” I’ve followed Elle’s newsletter, , for quite a while, and this is the first time I’ve seen her work shared far and wide in many of my circles—artists all over the internet are concerned about some of the things included in the post. And rightly so.The post summarizes some of the things said by publishing executives during the Penguin Random House vs. DOJ case from 2022 when the Department of Justice blocked Penguin Random House from buying Simon & Schuster—something that would have essentially resulted in Penguin having a monopoly on the publishing industry.
I followed the trial rather closely in 2022. As someone with the aim of being traditionally published, I was concerned about the potential merger of two massive publishing houses. It seems like every day there are fewer options when it comes to finding a place for your writing to live in print, and combining two of the largest options just didn’t seem . . . right. At least not right for authors.
One of the best resources I found during the trial that helped me understand everything is the Print Run Podcast. Episode 152—Show Trial covers some of the highlights from the perspective of two literary agents (I’d recommend it if you’re looking for more information on the same things Elle talked about in her post.)
While analyzing the statistics and the specific quotes from the trial can be helpful, it can also feel a bit dismal. The writing and publishing world often feels this way, regardless, even without the unwelcome opinions of CEOs and the helpful, albeit a bit pessimistic, commentary I’ve seen online.
The thing is, we—yes, you and me—know that people do buy books. I know I do, and I know my friends and family members do, too. I know the holds for some books at my local libraries are in the hundreds and even thousands, and I know that my book club has enough members to buy out an author at Barnes and Noble every month.
So I guess what I’m trying to say is: writers, don’t despair.
My two biggest takeaways from the Penguin Random House vs. DOJ trial are perhaps a little different than some you might have stumbled across this week.
Publishing executives don’t really know what they’re doing, and;
Writing still is, and always will be, worthwhile.
Publishing executives don’t seem to know what they’re doing.
And perhaps that’s actually okay? At worst, it’s a symptom of many industries—those at the top aren’t the ones with the most accurate portrayal of what is really going on in their company. Sure, they may have some big numbers and some scary predictions, but they aren’t the ones in the trenches every day.
This isn’t to let executives off the hook, but it is to say that maybe they shouldn’t be the final word on how we ultimately let ourselves feel about the publishing industry as a whole.
Something that Erik Hane and Laura Zats discuss in the podcast is that the everyday work of publishing is much more nuanced than what the DOJ case explores. Editors, agents, writers, and yes, even book publicists, alike have discussions every day that the trial can only scratch the surface of—and this is especially the case when it comes to hearing from these high-power executives.
Publishing houses may not actually know how to effectively market books, and they clearly only try to market books that are already built-in bestsellers, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re actively trying to harm authors.
Most publishing houses still publish thousands of lesser-known titles every year. Some of them are blockbuster hits, and some of them are not. Some authors sell ten books, some sell 500, and some sell hundreds of thousands. At the end of the day, though, publishing executives don’t dictate which books sell—it’s all largely a big guessing game (unless you’re Stephen King or Michelle Obama and already have a built-in audience that will ensure stellar sales.)
Regardless, writing is still worthwhile.
I don’t know about you, but I got into this thing called writing because I actually like it. Sure, my dreams have shifted a bit since I was writing creative short fiction (that’s being a bit generous with the description) in elementary school, but the truth remains that I love writing.
I love reading good writing.
I love spending time to wordsmith a page into existence.
I love sharing good writing.
I love the actual, physical act of writing.
Sometimes when a big newsworthy (or, ahem, noteworthy) story like the one headlined “No one buys books“ comes around, we writers can get caught off guard. Our dreams can momentarily feel like they’ve turned to dust, and the hour we spend every morning typing away at our computer in our pajamas before the sun’s poked its tendrils over the horizon can seem useless (good morning, by the way!)
But don’t be discouraged.
I know that’s easier said than done. I know I need to take my own advice—I’ve had a rough time writing for the past year (in case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been gone from this platform for a while)—but don’t let that stop you.
I, like many writers, have had to come to the painful realization that my writing may not ever become a best-selling novel. Hell, it may not even become a published book—at least not a traditionally published one.
That’s rough. That hurts a little bit, and I know that reading about how authors don’t often sell their books to publishers, let alone sell out their advances, can feel like a stab to the heart.
We writers feel things deeply, and to hear some of the callousness in the publishing industry can feel personal, but please, please, don’t let that stop you from putting words down on paper. Don’t let that stop you from writing the book you’ve had stewing for years or working up the courage to press submit on Query Tracker.
While it can be hard to see the barren stats laid out before us, it can also serve as inspiration—inspiration to get back to the heart of what writing is, rather than stick with it for the business of writing.
The ultimate good news, in my humble writerly opinion, is that those big blockbuster books we hear about frequently—those one-in-a-million success stories—allow publishers to keep taking a chance on the little authors. Because the thing that became abundantly clear to me when reviewing the information shared from the Penguin Random House vs. DOJ trial is that publishing is still about taking chances. Publishing executives may not know exactly what they're doing or what makes a book successful, but they know that to find those diamonds in the rough, they have to take a chance.
This industry, this intrinsic desire in all writers, is all about taking a chance. So take a chance on yourself and on your writing. Don’t let this stop you from putting pen to paper, fingers to keys, and continuing to write.
This month, my book club read If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook. If I’m being honest, this book wasn’t particularly up my alley or appealing when we voted on it, but I was open to reading it, as I always am with our book club picks. I’m glad I gave it a chance because I found the family and the town conjured up by Cat Shook completely enthralling.
The book follows a Southern family as they navigate grief and personal discovery in the wake of their patriarch’s death—and after a life-altering secret is revealed at his funeral.
It truly was a joy to read—so much so that I found it inspiring me as I dove into the draft of my next project (more to come on it soon!) I really enjoyed Cat Shook’s writing style. She writes in third-person omniscient point of view, which I haven’t read in quite some time. While this POV does make it a little tricky to understand whose head you’re in, and who’s who, at the beginning of the novel, the POV is what made this book so special.
All that to say, if you’re in a reading rut, looking for something quirky and a bit different, or on the hunt for some writing inspiration, I’d highly recommend reading If We’re Being Honest by Cat Shook.