"Remember how only 300,000 books were published in 2005? The number has swollen to three million or more." This statistic explains so much about what's going on with publishing right now.
I do think (hope?) there are still readers out there who want to be challenged or surprised instead of spoon-fed exactly what they think they want. (Won't they get bored reading the same tropes over and over?) I'm a tired mom with little brainpower left at the end of the day, so sometimes I do want to read a thriller novel that doesn't force me to think too hard. But I find after a few of those, I'm hankering for something more thoughtful that digs deeper into the human condition instead of skating across its surface.
I guess the bots can give the people what they want... but can they give us what we NEED?
I agree completely! I don't mind mindless fluff now and again, but I don't understand the point of reading if you know going in exactly what's going to transpire in all circumstances because you're being spoon-fed a series of tropes. I want to be challenged, and as a writer, I want to write for people who share that trait!
Great points in both parts, but it gets still worse.. 300k books/year + self-publishing = 3M books/yr..
Self-publishing + generative A.I. = 3B+ books/yr!! And as you note this applies equally to visual arts and music!
"Remember how only 300,000 books were published in 2005? The number has swollen to three million or more." This statistic explains so much about what's going on with publishing right now.
I do think (hope?) there are still readers out there who want to be challenged or surprised instead of spoon-fed exactly what they think they want. (Won't they get bored reading the same tropes over and over?) I'm a tired mom with little brainpower left at the end of the day, so sometimes I do want to read a thriller novel that doesn't force me to think too hard. But I find after a few of those, I'm hankering for something more thoughtful that digs deeper into the human condition instead of skating across its surface.
I guess the bots can give the people what they want... but can they give us what we NEED?
Great post. Lots to think about...
A
I agree completely! I don't mind mindless fluff now and again, but I don't understand the point of reading if you know going in exactly what's going to transpire in all circumstances because you're being spoon-fed a series of tropes. I want to be challenged, and as a writer, I want to write for people who share that trait!