The destruction of the Catalan literary ecosystem
We now have a rich and diverse literary ecosystem, but it is in danger and I think it is up to all of us to roll up our sleeves, including readers, who must try to buy and read more consciously.
BarcelonaThe other day, at a book launch, I attended a conversation between three independent publishers who discussed with concern and helplessness the changes the Catalan publishing market has been undergoing recently. And perhaps global sales figures have indeed grown., but for whom have they grown? One of the editors explained that, in her case, for example, the supposedly glorious day of Sant Jordi sold half as many as last year. Not ten or twenty percent less, no: fifty percent. Another commented that the average sales figures for each title were around 400 copies. A third told me on the phone that their sales this year as a whole are thirty-five percent down. So when we say that Sant Jordi went very well, we should specify who it went well for.
I also listened to an episode of Emerald City, the literary oasis program on Catalunya Ràdio hosted by David Guzmán, where they reviewed Sant Jordi and discussed the new market dynamics, marked by the presence of three major groups. The concerns expressed by those speaking were more or less the same, some with greater vehemence (and justification) than others, some with resignation.
The overpublishing policy of the major groups
It is evident that in a mature literary market there must be everything: from the famous editor who loses his money and his life to publish small gems to the large diverse group with economic muscle that produces bestsellers in chain. The problem isn't that everything exists; the problem is that right now there are dynamics that endanger our delicate ecosystem, the most threatening of which is the overpublishing policy of the large groups. Before sharing any figures, let's keep in mind that, according to various statistics, people read five books a year on average: five. Well, on the Penguin Random House website, they say they published 2,500 titles last year. In a 2023 news story, they mentioned that the Planeta group had published 4,500. Given this, it's absurd for an independent publisher to be questioning whether they should publish 25, 30, or 32 books a year. The problem with the 4,500 is that these books occupy a physical and media space in the finite space of bookstores and media outlets. Booksellers can't sell all the books published, and the media can only report on an infinitesimal portion of literary production. The policy of the large groups is, therefore, the same old abuser policy. And we are all tolerating and feeding it.
But it doesn't end there. For example, on Sant Jordi Day, independent publishers must have a stop at all costs; the larger ones, on the other hand, know they will be at the stops of the major bookstores (Casa del Llibre, Fnac, Central, and others). Or, for example, the public money they receive: the criteria for receiving aid don't take into account turnover or the number of employees. If we draw a parallel with any aid to families, we will see that many are based on family income: above a certain amount, that family unit is considered not to need public aid. Perhaps we should ask ourselves if some kind of upper limit should be established on subsidies to publishers; would that be a way to make the large groups restrain themselves a bit when it comes to overpublishing?
Another problem with the major groups is that they don't seem to discriminate against literary quality. I'm not saying they don't publish good books; obviously they do. But they also publish many others that often don't meet certain minimum standards, and I'd say they sometimes give too much importance to juicy financial results, thereby pushing literature that isn't very literary. But, of course, you might ask: can literary quality be objectified? It's clearly quantified in grants to writers. Some say this is cyclical, that on other occasions we've entered into this spiral of inflationary publishing. Perhaps so, but the feeling is that the force of the onslaught is getting stronger.
We now have a rich and diverse literary ecosystem, but it's in danger, and I think it's up to us all to roll up our sleeves, including readers, who must try to buy and read more consciously, without letting ourselves be swept away like jellyfish by the hot tide of commercialized new releases. Also booksellers, who should make an effort to choose and try not to harm independent publishers; also journalists, who should be more attentive to giving space to everyone; also authors. However, I don't have much faith; the UN warned years ago that about 150 species are becoming extinct every day. Who cares if we run out of dodos and have to coexist only with the largest predators?
