Writing Cultures and Literary Media: Publishing and Reception in the Digital Age (New Directions in Book History)

This Pivot investigates the impact of the digital on literary culture through the analysis of selected marketing narratives, social media stories, and reading communities. Drawing on the work of contemporary writers, from Bernardine Evaristo to Patricia Lockwood, each chapter addresses a specific tension arising from the overarching question: How has writing culture changed in this digital age? By examining shifting modes of literary production, this book considers how discourses of writing and publishing and hierarchies of cultural capital circulate in a socially motivated post-digital environment. Writing Cultures and Literary Media combines compelling accounts of book trends, reader reception, and interviews with writers and publishers to reveal fresh insights for students, practitioners, and scholars of writing, publishing, and communications. Acknowledgements Praise for Writing Cultures and Literary Media Contents Chapter 1: Introduction References Chapter 2: Writing Culture and Cultural Value Cultural Capital Blended Publishing Models Risk and Restricted Production Intuition and Brand Building Literary Sociology Conclusion References Chapter 3: Critics and Curators in a Socially Networked Age Cultural Curators Reader-Response Criticism Critics and Social Networks Cultural Elitism Versus Relatable Reads Criticism Versus Reviewing Conclusion References Chapter 4: Diversity, Representation and Innovation in Online Literary Promotion Culture and Imperialism Opening Up the Narrative Taking Up Space The Problem of Likeable Characters Conclusion References Chapter 5: Instagram, Poetry and the Cult of the Amateur The Pre-digital Poetry Landscape The Noble Amateur Insta-Democracy Branding The Entrepreneurial Self Conclusion References Chapter 6: From Fidelity Publishing to Playable Stories Adaptation Convergent Culture The Waste Land Ur and Arcadia The Split Condition “Bandersnatch” Experiential Stories Conclusion References Chapter 7: Marketing True Lies and Autofiction True Lies and the New Journalism Authenticity Stoner My Struggle Liveblog Autofiction Online Conclusion References Chapter 8: Materiality and Post-Digital Storytelling Post-Digital Writing Culture Paper Objects Slow Books The Lost Words Visual Editions Text and Absence Conclusion References Writing Cultures in a Digital Age Survey: Summary of Key Findings Conclusion Index This Pivot investigates the impact of the digital on literary culture through the analysis of selected marketing narratives, social media stories, and reading communities. Drawing on contemporary examples, ranging from the reissue of John Williams' novel Stoner (2013) to Rebecca Watts' perceived attack on Holly McNish's status as a poet in Poetry Now (2018), each chapter addresses a specific theme arising from the overarching question: How has writing culture changed in this digital age? By examining shifting modes of literary production, this book considers how discourses of writing and publishing and hierarchies of cultural capital circulate in a socially motivated post-digital environment. Writing Culture in a Digital Age combines compelling accounts of book trends, reader reception, and interviews with writers and publishers to reveal fresh insights for students, practitioners, and scholars of writing, publishing, and communications.