The role of multimedia conglomerates in American trade book publishing

Abstract

This article examines the consequences of the increasing control of the American book publishing industry by international media conglomerates with interests in many other, usually more profitable, areas of the mass media. It argues that publishers use the opportunities for corporate synergy, or cross-subsidization between different areas of the media, to arrange appearances by authors on mainstream television, influence the publication and placement of book reviews and exploit film, television, magazine serialization, book club and foreign rights. The varying amounts spent on publicity for different books have allowed the major publishing houses to wield significant influence in determining which authors and books receive the most public attention. However, recent technological developments in mass media, particularly the growth of interactive multimedia, may also encourage publishers to develop forms of promotion which locate different types of readership more exactly.