Earlier this month, at the Publishing Industry’s annual BookExpo America, American author John Updike stated in a speech made to an assembly of publishers, booksellers and authors that “the written word was supposed to speak for itself and sell itself without author promotion.”
And while his speech garnered a standing ovation, it didn’t alleviate growing doubts within the industry that such sentiments were no longer viable. In fact growing concern that the industry is being hijacked by marketing techniques seen more often in commercial advertising for fast moving consumer goods, makes Updike’s comments more sentimental than factual.
