Volume XXXVI: The Power of Reading Intentionally
And why it doesn’t just benefit readers, but the world beyond
Introduction
When there are countless ways to find your next read, with influences coming from publishers, celebrity book clubs, social media creators, booksellers and more, it’s easy to forget that what we read has a greater impact. But purchasing or checking out books—just like anywhere else we spend money—can be a part of our conscious consumerism.
As the largest companies within the publishing industry—including Amazon—only continue to grow bigger, so does their influence. Unlike smaller, independent publishing companies, these giants have money to spend to shape what we buy, when we buy it, where we buy it, and more. And as these giants have a history of systemically excluding BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and disabled authors, such growth runs the risk of even further inequities.
The more we know about the publishing industry—everything from how a book is chosen for publication to why we do or do not see it at our local bookstore—the better we can understand why we are interested in reading a book in the first place. And this not only improves our own reading experience (when we know more about our own tastes we can better determine if we’re reading a book because of external factors, or sheer interest), but also helps us better spot the industry’s negative actions and their consequences (consequences that do impact readers). We’re better equipped to make conscious decisions about what we read and why.
There are probably many readers who are thinking, “but I read for pleasure,” or “reading isn’t political.” But, of course, it is; just like with anything, we are making an active choice as to where we spend our time and money. Of course you can read for pleasure, but also what books have you decided fall under that category? What authors? Who doesn’t, and what is the justification? We don’t have to read just academic nonfiction for reading to be considered political.
In this newsletter, we’re looking at how the publishing industry has made it so readers don’t even need to think about their next read, the forces shaping said influence, and how going against those influences can create real systemic change beyond the reading world.
A Deeper Look
The publishing industry has expectations for readers, and these expectations are funneled into how they promote certain books.
When looking over manuscript proposals from literary agents, editors take into consideration a number of things: other books they’re publishing that same season and books they’ve already published, trends, past sales, author social media followings, and much more. If a publisher decides they’d like to publish the book, they will offer a contract to the author; if multiple publishers want the book, it might go to an auction. Publishers will put forward different royalty and advance terms, the size of which depend upon the book’s format, projected sales, and much more.
But when a publisher offers an advance—a payment split into multiple parts that authors must out earn before making royalties on each book sale—they are promising not just the author but the publishing company that the book will sell a certain way. Therefore, they are foreshadowing how invested they will be in marketing, publicity, and sales promotion of the book. (A higher advance means more support, as they need to make that money back.)
And so, if a publisher is spending more money to promote a book, us readers are more likely to hear about it. A stronger pre-order campaign, a hardback version that will increase the odds of book reviews and awards, social media ads, Google ads, paid spots in your favorite newsletters, Amazon pages, and much more. (Up until recently publishers could even pay to have their books spotlighted in Barnes & Noble key browsing sections.) We as readers are so strongly influenced to read certain books, we likely don’t even realize the extent—but when was the last time you read a book that you haven’t seen anyone talk about on social media? And how often do you make a point to do so?
While not a traditional publishing house, Amazon’s influence over readers is huge as well, and we might even be more concerned about their impact because they harness tech in a way publishing does not. Not only do their self-publishing and audiobook programs rope authors and narrators into unclear, often predatory, terms that limit the accessibility of their stories, but they purposely lose money on book sales to drive consumers away from supporting independent bookstores—stores that need those sales to stay open. They lower their costs and build exclusive programs to influence us readers to turn to them instead. And then when you shop on Amazon, you’re going to see what their algorithms promote to you and what publishers pay to promote.
What’s even more is that when editors are looking at trends and historical sales to decide which books to publish, or when Amazon is considering which audiobooks to make Audible Exclusives, or when marketing managers are creating launch campaigns, the overwhelming majority of people making decisions in publishing are white, cishet, and abled—and life experiences shape biases. Too often, publishers focus on diversity as a “trend”—something that does not require long term investment. And so the books we’re seeing promoted more tend to also be by white, cishet, and abled authors. As these books sell more because of the increased attention, the cycle then repeats.
Ways to Respond
Importantly, we readers hold an immense amount of power when it comes to creating change within publishing. Publishers look at sales data to assess who they should publish, what they should publish, marketing efforts, and much more. That means, of course, that how and where we spend money matters.
Divest from Amazon. Whether using Goodreads, Audible, ordering books, and more, there are a number of independently-owned alternatives (and way more ethical ones) available. Doing so is often a matter of privilege, but when we are able to make this change, we can have a huge impact.
Some of our favorites include The StoryGraph for tracking reads and reading stats, Libro.fm for audiobooks, and purchasing/ordering our next read directly from an independent bookstore. See more recommendations in this video.
Amazon also dominates the self-publishing industry, given how easy it is to sell books directly to consumers. If you are looking to self-publish, we encourage you to look elsewhere (especially given all of Amazon’s behavior regarding AI training and reproduction).
Support independent publishers. Smaller publishers, aka those not owned by the Big Five, don’t have the budget or staffing to influence our reading in the same way. When we read more from these publishers, not only do we support their work, but we’re able to discover a new business to support based on which books we enjoy the most!
Some small publishers are finding unique ways to stand apart from the Big Five. Author’s Equity is a new publisher and we share in this video why what they’re doing is not the solution.
Read beyond what’s trending. It might take a little effort at the start, but once you make a habit of browsing independent stores with no book in mind, seeing what your favorite authors are reading, and diversifying who you follow on social media, you’ll find so many amazing new stories to pick up.
But how does this change echo beyond the publishing industry?
When we read more authors whose stories have been systemically excluded from publishing, we tell publishers that these stories deserve investment, that more should be published. And as a diversity of perspectives and ideas are added to our world, more individuals are likely to read something new that shapes their empathy and thoughts—and even how they act. Reading (in any type of genre) can impact how we vote, our political ideas, who we surround ourselves with, and so much more.
And when we support independently-owned companies, we invest in local communities as opposed to further fueling extreme capitalism, inhumane treatment of employees, a wealth gap, etc.
Final Musings
In Becoming Abolitionists, Derecka Purnell writes: “Just because I did not know the answer didn’t mean that one did not exist.” Publishing has existed in the same way for far too long; and while we readers might not have all the answers on how to create change, we do have the tools to help usher it along.
We can help those who are trying different solutions, who are working to build a better world through a love for reading and to create a more fulfilling industry (and hold those accountable that aren’t in the meantime).
Please also take the time to advocate for a free Palestine by contacting your governmental reps, reading Palestinian authors, and more, and to aid the people of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. As Women’s History Month comes to a close, we can't help but reflect on the inequities we’re seeing play out across the world again and again, and with so little action at the hands of those in power being taken.
We’ll be back in a few weeks with a deep dive into a recent read. We also offer free downloads (wallpapers, templates, and more), and our exclusive downloads for newsletter subscribers (with password newsletterdownloads). If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, don’t hesitate to get in touch via email, the comments below, or Instagram DM.
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