Updike Now Too?
In what is rapidly becoming a book industry cliche’, another old master (this time John Updike, formally Norman Mailer), has been trotted out to decry technological innovations in publishing. His remarks (among them the flown-in-from-Oz sentiment that “literary fiction should stand on its own, with or without author promotion”) drew huge applause from booksellers and publishers, a reaction I equate to doing a rain dance while the levees give away.
The whole ugly scenario (as reported by the Washington Post and discussed at some length at Readerville) went down at Book Expo America, the industry’s yearly hootnanny and examination of itself. I go every year because it makes me proud to work in the book business. Hearing this kind of foolishness makes me want to shoot my business in the head.
I don’t begrudge Mr. Updike his provincialism for one moment. The man has been writing books for a half-century and the system of his youth has served him well. But what I can’t stand is those cheering him on, those who have to fight the daily battles of decreased attention spans, Internet retailing and an industry dragging itself by the shorthairs into the present, giving standing ovations to what is essentially a sob story. Publishing might have been king of the hill at one point but now there are many smaller hills, each with their own royalty. This is not future fetish but reality. Ignoring it not only stupid but dangerous.
Yes, it would be lovely if it were as easy to sell books now as it was in 1968. It would also be lovely if I were 6’5, President of The United States and had x-ray vision. It will never happen. The sooner we accept this and plan for the future instead of cheering while knee deep in the tarpits of our past, the healthier our industry will be. Those who make it go everyday should know this.