The Downfall of Publishing

 

Let’s talk about what’s happened to publishing, the holy grail of what should have been words and stories has turned into fast fashion and a marketing game and frankly, I’m fed up off it.

Let me start of by explaining who I am to the new comers I guess (if I have any that is). A lot has changed since I started this blog years ago. It was and still is for book reviews but now that I’ve grown my back bone and developed my frontal lobe, I’m so ready to talk about thoughts I have on the industry to. Check out my last post if you are dying to know about me…..which you’re probably not. Let’s move on.

I’ll never forget the feeling of picking up my first romcom after a long hiatus during a really difficult time. It was Hook, Line & Sinker by Tessa Bailey and it felt like heaven. One minute I was running an errand at Holland & Barrett and the next I was falling in love in the middle of Waterstones. The small-town vibes, the friends to lovers, the close proximity trope, all set in charming little Westport. I had Friends by Chase Atlantic blasting through my headphones and all I could think about was Fox Thornton and Hannah Bellinger. It was bliss. That moment in publishing back in 2021 feels worlds apart from now. Sometimes I wonder if someone flipped a switch, but instead of one big jolt, it's been these slow, almost unnoticeable shifts. Listen, I’m naive, but not that naive.

I remember the feeling of venturing out of vanilla romance and diving into the dark side. It started with my first Cora Reilly book, and from there, I was introduced to all the staples of the dark mafia romance world. There was Danielle Lori with her unforgettable hits, and of course, Cora Reilly with hers—meeting characters like Nico Russo and Elena Abelli, understanding the obsession with the fed Christian Allister and his Malyshka and feeling the tension between Ronan and his kotyonok, who was none other than Mila. Oh, what a time to be alive in the book world. There was the rise of indie authors like Somme Sketcher and her return with book four of Sinners Atone, which I’m currently flying through. It was everything and more—and then, something changed.

Authors started writing for trends instead of for the readers and that is when everyone began to notice, speak up, and walk away. If a smutty scene goes viral, it is because readers made it go viral. But now there is an overwhelming wave of self-published authors trying to force those kinds of scenes into their books just to chase virality off a single line. It is not just cringey, it is not writing. The scenes that go viral do so because of the story around them, because of how that moment adds depth and layers to the narrative. They resonate because of the complexity in the writing, not just because one line made someone feel hot and bothered.

Everyone wants to be everything nowadays. Everyone is a singer, everyone is an influencer, and everyone is not acting with integrity in some cases.

I have said it once and I will say it again. An author can only do so much because ultimately the success of their books is in the hands of the consumers, which is fortunate in some cases and unfortunate in others. Let me give you an example.

I was first introduced to Cora Reilly via TikTok. It was Bound by Duty featuring none other than Dante Cavallaro and Valentina. Personally, I much preferred Twisted Pride, which was Remo and Serafina’s story. I have openly spoken on this blog about how much I am not fond of her books, yet for some reason I can’t stop myself from reading them either. It is simply because they are like trash TV or more like a comfort blanket. I know, it is a bit like when you are not feeling well and just want to watch something that matches your mood. Anyway, TikTok really overrepresented her in that case. In contrast, Angelo Visconti and Rory Carter, written by Somme Sketcher in her debut book Sinners Anonymous, could have all the stars in the world and then some and it still would not be enough. People were heckling her to finish her book Sinners Atone, which was a couple of years late, and guess what? She released it when she was content with the story and ready with the work and boy did she deliver. Somme writes for her readers and for the story she created.

On my LinkedIn, I often use the term ‘fast-fashion’ to describe what publishing has become: a predictable ego contest. Many of these amazing authors are represented by just one literary agency, and when you are under one umbrella with one perspective and one view of success, everything starts to bleed into one another. I am not here to discredit professionals because I look up to many of them. I just want to offer an alternative view. Ali Hazelwood is a new and respected author who has recently caught my attention. Hazelwood’s success reflects her as a person, author, and professional. It is not predictable and it is not over advertised. Meanwhile, I can already predict what some newly signed romance authors will look like in five years: movie adaptations, an excessive number of special editions, lacklustre editions for the UK market, and countless interviews. I have also noticed similar patterns in the newspapers sent to readers. We need to take a step back.

BookTok and Bookstagram have shifted so far off the radar that now, people say what they have to, in order to get a chance to be featured on the stories of mainstream authors. I know this because I have done it myself in the past, and that was all it took for me to stop, reflect, and rewind all the way back.

The book community used to be like Pinterest: drama free, relaxing, and informative. Now it is fuelling the fire, draining energy, and often misleading.

If I do not like a book, I usually refrain from talking about it. It is someone’s work after all. Just because everyone else says they like it does not mean I have to. Let me give you an example: Wild Card by Elsie Silver. I am still on chapter four and have not finished it and nor will I in the foreseeable future. I am reading Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood and Sinners Atone by Somme Sketcher at the same time, and not once have I felt the urge to go back to Bash and Gwen’s story. That is the truth. Elsie Silver is a fantastic writer, and if I do not like two of her books out of a four-part series, it is not unusual. That fact doesn’t change that she is still one of my most anticipated authors to read from. Just because you do not see many two-star reviews does not mean they do not exist; it just means that truth often gets concealed. I do hope, however, that authors take criticism in stride. Do not be afraid to have honest feedback on your PR list.

That is the other thing. These big accounts have worked so hard creating posts on Instagram. I am blown away by how much creativity is out there, especially from those who bring book characters to life. I have seen some of the most realistic art I have ever seen before, and I have used it in my own posts too. But I unfollowed a lot of these big accounts mostly because every post looked the same, every review sounded the same, and it was saying everything an author would want you to say. I was hyping so hard on my page that I was sure if that version of me existed in real life, I would label her a human headache and stay away from her at events.

Let me tell you a story if you will. It’s about filler, and I’ll explain the link it has to books. I was in high school during the King Kylie Jenner era—the big breasts, the BBL, the big lips, and of course the makeup back then too. At the age of sixteen, I already told myself that if I had the money, I would get a breast augmentation because it was exactly what I needed. I was obsessed with the idea, and at eighteen I even booked appointments to see what would look best. At eighteen! I am twenty-five now and wondering what I was thinking. Anyway, years went by, trends changed, and by then I had finally developed a brain. Looking back, I feel sad for my younger self. There are still things I do not love about myself but have learnt to accept. While I dislike my teeth, I have had people tell me they love how they make me look. The point is, just because I do not like a book does not mean the whole book community should not either, and vice versa. It is nice to see a variety of opinions and to bond over them.

It is time to bring back authenticity in the publishing landscape. Think of it like dissolving filler, but this time instead of reinjecting it, we are going to sink into our own skin.

We need to make sure authors have their own path to success shaped by their own definition of it. We should focus on uplifting everyone, not just the people with big followings. I have sixty-three followers and I am happy. If you like what I post, cool. If you do not, that is cool too. Because guess what? I know my content will not get a lot of followers or many likes. I post my reviews simply because I like knowing someone might stumble upon them.

My next post will be more focused on one issue, which I like to call The ARC Dilemma. The name is still a work in progress.

Let me know what you think about my thoughts on publishing and the changes happening from all sides.

See you between the pages.

Vivian.