If you ever wondered why literary works are hard to come by these days, you can only blame yourself. Here's a story from a 'distant' (but only geographicaly) part of the world:
"Reading seems less than fashionable ... especially when it comes to fine literature. People searching for a good book, often complain that there isn’t much choice in a market dominated by romance, cheap humor or life in the fast lane. Works with substantial artistic and intellectual value seem to have very little commercial value."
Thus literary works of some higher merit than purely commercial are disappearing because readers don't care to read them.
On the other hand:
We publish what readers want to read, says a publisher of commercially successful books:
"Saying that young people don’t like “good reads” is an excuse ... “Publishers and writers refuse to admit to their inability to produce good work that people will actually read and pay for.
“If all I did was follow the market," says the publisher, "I’d have nothing to differentiate me from other publishers. Logically, there’s no way to find out whether or not a book will sell until it is actually published,” she said.
Trends ... are created when publishers research what the public wants and embrace readers as a source of inspiration."
"Social media is a primary way to communicate with readers," says the publisher. "It enables the company to publish books readers want."
More: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/lifeandtimes/read-a-good-book-lately-too-many-indonesians-answer-no/494107
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Hardly a fine commentary on the state of literature. I fall into a category of writers that write to an audience that is non-existent or not qualified to know what is art and what is simply grist for the publishing mill. Why bother?
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