In 2023, the book publishing industry experienced a decline in sales and an increase in conflicts, with legal disputes, protests, and censorship being prominent factors. The industry was also affected by external forces beyond its control.

After the spike in sales during the pandemic, print book sales decreased, but fiction books remained popular, particularly among young readers on BookTok. Despite not releasing a new book in 2023, Colleen Hoover, a prominent author on BookTok, maintained her position as the top-selling author in the country. According to Circana, three of her novels were among the top 10 best-sellers. Other successful releases included books by Sarah J. Maas and Rebecca Yarros, who are considered pioneers of a newly coined genre called “romantasy,” which blends elements of romance and fantasy.

Some notable works in literature included Justin Torres’ unique retelling of the hidden history of homosexuality in his book “Blackouts,” which won the National Book Award for fiction. Critics also praised James McBride’s diverse crime novel “The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store,” R.F. Kuang’s satirical piece “Yellowface,” Paul Murray’s family drama “The Bee Sting,” and nonfiction books such as Jonathan Eig’s biography on Martin Luther King, “King,” Naomi Klein’s exploration of the internet in “Doppelganger,” and another National Book Award winner, Ned Blackhawk’s “The Rediscovery of America: Native Peoples and the Unmaking of U.S. History.”

The world of literature was heavily influenced by legal battles, corporate decision-making, rumors from the royal family, advancements in technology, and increasing divisions both in America and overseas.

In the past year, two books written by famous individuals who were estranged from their families were top sellers: Prince Harry’s “Spare” and Britney Spears’ “The Woman in Me.” Both books discussed themes of feeling trapped and controlled, with Harry sharing his fears of the royal lifestyle potentially leading his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, to take her own life, and Spears talking about her father’s conservatorship and the power he had over her finances and personal choices. Harry reflected on his life as a form of introspection, beginning the book with a famous quote by William Faulkner: “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” Spears looked back with optimism at a promise she made to herself when she was younger: “I can pave my own path in life. I can make my dreams a reality.”

ChatGPT is not yet a major force in the book market, but real-life writers are worried enough to take legal steps to prevent it, or at least control it. Numerous lawsuits were filed in 2023, including a class-action lawsuit brought b y the Authors Guild and George R.R. Martin and John Grisham, among other authors. The plaintiffs allege ChatGPT is a “massive commercial enterprise” reliant upon “systematic theft on a mass scale.”

The CEO of the Authors Guild, Mary Rasenberger, expressed to The Associated Press that she believes the publishing industry is about to experience a surge of books created through AI technology. This could potentially reduce the income of authors, who already earn very little from their writing.

Rasenberger believes it is necessary to inject funds back into the system. He advocates for authors to be compensated for their copyrighted books that are utilized in AI programs.

In 2024, Simon & Schuster will celebrate its 100th anniversary. This publishing company is known for authors such as Stephen King and Hillary Clinton, but it also serves as a cautionary tale of a publisher owned by a corporation and unable to determine its own future.

In 1975, Gulf & Western purchased Simon & Schuster. Since then, the company has been under different leadership structures, most recently under Paramount Global. Although the company experienced significant growth in 2023, Paramount deemed it a “non-core asset” and its future was determined by market considerations and antitrust regulations. Following a federal judge’s decision to block Penguin Random House’s acquisition of Simon & Schuster, stating concerns about decreased competition, Paramount sold the company to the private equity firm KKR.

Paramount’s final statement was as dry as a financial report, stating that Simon & Schuster is set up for future growth and the transaction itself shows significant value and helps with our plan to reduce debt.

The publishing world’s effort to increase the availability of diverse literature faced opposition from a rise in censorship and attempted censorship, according to the American Library Association. This trend has not been seen in years, with books such as Toni Morrison’s “The Bluest Eye” and John Green’s “Looking for Alaska” being removed from bookshelves. In late 2023, Green was one of the authors involved in a Penguin Random House lawsuit against Iowa’s limitations on sexual content and representations of gender identity.

Efforts to find a compromise were unsuccessful. Scholastic faced backlash when it created a separate package of diverse books that could be rejected by communities for school fairs. Authors were upset and the children’s publisher issued an apology. The company has now introduced a new approach where diverse books are included in the main catalog and schools can make their own decisions on how to promote them, similar to bookstores and libraries.

In April, Salman Rushdie is set to release a book titled “Knife” detailing his experience after being violently attacked with a knife in August 2022. Despite heightened security measures, Rushdie has resumed public appearances and was recognized at various events, including PEN America’s spring gala and the Frankfurt Book Fair. He also received the inaugural Disturbing the Peace prize at the Vaclav Havel Center in Manhattan.

The Hollywood labor disputes not only disrupted the entertainment industries, but also had a ripple effect on other events. Netflix’s CEO, Ted Sarandos, who played a major role in the writers’ strike, chose not to attend the PEN America ceremony where he was slated to receive a Business Visionary Award. Actress Drew Barrymore was removed as the host of the National Book Awards when she began filming her talk show while the writers were on strike. She was replaced by actor and literacy advocate LeVar Burton.

The conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza caused divisions among the literary community, similar to other discussions in the public sphere.

Masha Gessen, a Russian author and activist, stepped down from her role as vice president of the PEN board. This came after the organization, which focuses on literature and human rights, cancelled an event featuring panelists from both Russia and Ukraine. The Ukrainian participants had voiced their disapproval of the Russian presence. Additionally, popular author Elizabeth Gilbert announced the postponement of her novel “The Snow Forest” due to objections raised by some Ukrainians regarding its setting in Russia. Gilbert referred to this as a “course correction.”

The Frankfurt fair organizers called off a planned recognition for Adania Shibli, a Palestinian writer who was set to be honored with an award for female authors from Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the Arab world. Zibby Owens, a sponsor of the National Book Awards and author-publisher-podcaster, withdrew her backing upon discovering that some finalists planned to make a statement about the ongoing war. Owens expressed concern that the authors would use their speeches to advocate for a pro-Palestinian and anti-Israeli stance, but the statement itself denounced not only antisemitism, but also Islamophobia and bias against Palestinians.

The 92nd Street Y in New York City cancelled a scheduled appearance by Pulitzer Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen due to his signature on a petition against Israel’s takeover of Gaza. This decision was met with criticism from other writers and resulted in some employees quitting, causing the Y to delay their fall literary events. As a result, Nguyen was offered the opportunity to speak at the independent bookstore McNally Jackson instead.

On Instagram, Nguyen reflected on not only discussing their book, but also the suppression of art during times of conflict and separation. They expressed that some individuals are only interested in viewing the world as a dichotomy of “us vs them.” For Nguyen, writing is their chosen method of resistance and coping with grief.

Source: wral.com