Entrepreneurial Identity in US Book Publishing in the Twenty-First Century (Elements in Publishing and Book Culture)

Entrepreneurship underpins many roles within the publishing industry, from freelancing to bookselling. Entrepreneurs are shaped by the contexts in which their entrepreneurship is situated (social, political, economic, and national). Additionally, entrepreneurship is integral to occupational identity for book publishing entrepreneurs. This Element examines entrepreneurship through the lens of identity and narrative based on interview data with book publishing entrepreneurs in the US Book publishing entrepreneurship narratives of independence, culture over commerce, accidental profession, place, risk, (in)stability, busyness, and freedom are examined in this Element. Cover Title page Copyright page Entrepreneurial Identity in US Book Publishing in the Twenty-First Century Contents Introduction 1 Independence amidst Consolidation: Independent Publishers and Bookstores 1.1 A Brief Introduction to the Book Industry Landscape 1.2 The Independent Narrative 1.3 Place Narratives 1.4 The Culture over Commerce Narrative 1.4.1 Downplaying Commerce 1.4.2 Passion 1.4.3 #BooksAreEssential Example 1.5 The Accidental Profession Narrative 1.6 Risk Narratives 1.7 Support for Indies: The Case of Bookshop.org 2 Freelancers: Flexibility and Uncertainty as a Contractor 2.1 Employees vs Contractors 2.2 The (In)Stability Narrative 2.3 The Busyness Narrative 2.4 The Freedom Narrative 3 Intersectionality and Entrepreneurial Identity Conclusion and COVID-19 Bibliography