Australian publishers are rushing books to market at the expense of quality, leaving authors frustrated and readers overwhelmed, according to industry insiders and academics. A Sydney author, using a pseudonym for fear of backlash, described her debut nonfiction book published by a major house as a 'deranging experience.' A pivotal chapter was cut without her knowledge, the cover art featured an animal native to the wrong country, and a copy editor queried references to hunting for potentially offending vegetarians. Major errors, including a character's name changing midway, slipped into the first print run.
Rushed production schedules erode quality
'I'd assumed the publisher would take care of these things,' the author said. 'It felt like they were trying to shove me out the door and get the book out.' Her story is not uncommon, says Catriona Menzies-Pike, a critic and editor with over 20 years of experience. 'The industry is being asked to do more with less, and to do it more quickly,' she writes in a Guardian analysis. The pressure to capitalize on Christmas sales or news cycles leads to accelerated timelines, as seen with The Mushroom Tapes, published just four months after Erin Patterson's murder conviction. Authors Helen Garner, Chloe Hooper, and Sarah Krasnostein likely spent more time touring than writing.
Overcrowded market and economic pressures
Alan Sheardown of New Edition Books in Perth notes the market is overcrowded, with more titles than he can stock. 'New and unusual voices' struggle to break through due to economic pressures. Printing costs rise while book prices stagnate, leading to the loss of independent publishers and bookshops unable to compete with Amazon and discount stores. Richard Flanagan has called for government price-fixing measures common in Europe. NielsenIQ BookData recorded over 9,400 Australian print books scheduled for 2024, down 7% from the 10-year average, but self-published ebooks are growing. Despite the slight decline, consensus holds that too many books are published too quickly, eroding quality.
Errors and lack of revision plague books
Talk to authors, prize judges, critics, and editors, and you hear of wonderful books marred by shoddy copy editing, errors, and cursory proofreading. 'I felt sorry for my editor,' Rebecca said. 'She was clearly stressed out.' Alice Grundy, managing editor of the Australia Institute Press, says rushed timelines collapse production schedules, a perennial complaint in Australian publishing. Publicists juggle multiple titles monthly, leaving many books to slide from view quickly. Grundy questions why publishers rush print deadlines when 'arguably the point of a book is that it takes time to make and to read.'
Three-month shelf life and cultural impact
Researchers Julienne van Loon, Bronwyn Coate, and Millicent Weber found new titles typically get three months on bookshop shelves before being returned or remaindered. Yet culturally significant books like Behrouz Boochani's No Friend But the Mountains (2018) and Bruce Pascoe's Dark Emu (2014) took much longer to gain traction. 'There is a lot that we don't know yet... about the complex and layered ways in which local books contribute to our cultural, social, educational and individual vitality,' van Loon writes.
Publicity mishaps and author income
Another author, Lee, had his book's publicity copy rewritten after it 'completely mischaracterised my novel and made it sound like it was written for an audience of children.' The early version was sent out, defining reception. Author Jennifer Mills, incoming chair of the Australian Society of Authors, says writers are never paid for their labour, only for the product. 'The reality is that there are shorter publishing and publicity schedules for each book,' she notes. Research by Creative Australia in 2022 found the average Australian author earns just $18,200 a year from writing. Advances and royalties depend on sales, heightening pressure to promote without payment.
Small publishers offer alternatives
Small publishers like Aniko Press and Pink Shorts Press take a slower approach. Emily Riches of Aniko Press worked three years on Miriam Webster's short story collection The Slip, with no other books lined up. 'You feel a little drowned out,' she says. 'We want to publish good books, and take care with the process.' Pink Shorts Press co-founders Margot Lloyd and Emily Hart republish neglected works and trust their instincts. 'Publishing is not a data-rich industry,' Lloyd says. 'You'd think we would have clear ideas about what books connect with which readers, but we don't.'
Future of Australian literature at stake
While The Mushroom Tapes succeeded with rapid publication, the future of Australian literature cannot rely on speed. 'If the price of speed is quality, the risk is that readers – overwhelmed by choice and by hype, disappointed by books hurried to market and distracted by other media – will just stop caring,' Menzies-Pike concludes.
