How I Met My Publisher: Casual and Serial Intermediaries in First-Time Authors’ Publication in the Italian Literary Field

Abstract

Which cultural intermediaries are involved in the search for, and selection of, aspiring authors in the Italian book publishing industry? What do they do and why? I provide an in-depth description of cultural intermediaries involved in book production, based on a study of the Italian literary field, which has been characterised in recent years by an intense search for successful books by first-time authors. I find that two types of intermediaries are involved in the book pre-selection process: casual intermediaries who occasionally build on their position within the field to broker manuscripts between aspiring authors and publishers, and serial intermediaries who choose repeatedly to act as gatekeepers. Both types of intermediaries are rewarded with social capital, whereas serial intermediaries earn symbolic capital as well. Publishers rely on the same intermediaries for the selection of both literary and popular fiction. Cooperation among agents in the field is more common than expected.