We Taught Readers About Publishing
A funny thing has happened over the last decade.
Readers have become incredibly knowledgeable about publishing.
They know what ARCs are. They know what NetGalley is. They know what preorder campaigns are.
They know about Amazon algorithms, bestseller lists, KU page reads, retailer rankings, ad spend, conversion rates, and launch strategies.
They know the difference between indie and traditional publishing. They know what agents do. They know what editors do. They know how advances work. They know how royalties work.
And sometimes, they know just enough to be dangerous.
Lately, I’ve seen growing frustration among publishing professionals about readers weighing in on industry conversations.
Readers discussing contracts. Readers explaining marketing. Readers analyzing sales. Readers offering business advice. Readers confidently explaining how publishing “should” work.
But I find myself wondering if we’re asking the wrong question.
Maybe the question isn’t why readers think they understand publishing. Maybe the question is why we’re surprised they do.
How We Got Here
Twenty years ago, most readers knew very little about the business behind books. They walked into a bookstore. They bought a book. They read it. That was the relationship.
Today, publishing operates in public. Authors share sales screenshots. They discuss preorder goals. They talk about advertising costs. They explain launch strategies. They share contract milestones, retailer frustrations, bestseller rankings, and royalty statements.
Some share every victory. Some share every disappointment. Readers haven’t forced their way into those conversations. We’ve invited them. One post at a time. And if I’m being fair, I’ve done this too.
For nearly six years on Buzzing About Romance, we’ve spent countless hours pulling back the curtain on publishing. We’ve answered listener questions about foreign rights, audio rights, distribution agreements, and publishing contracts. We’ve talked about why an author might choose wide distribution over Kindle Unlimited, why a publisher might acquire certain books, how different publishing paths work, and what happens behind the scenes long before a book reaches a reader’s hands.
A big part of what we do is education.
I genuinely believe readers benefit from understanding the industry. I think informed readers make better consumers, ask better questions, and have a greater appreciation for the work that goes into creating books.
So, this isn’t me standing outside the conversation pointing fingers. I‘ve helped build the conversation.
But lately I’ve started wondering whether we’ve reached a point where the curtain has been pulled back so far that some readers no longer see publishing as an industry they observe. They see it as an industry they participate in. And maybe that’s where some of today’s friction begins.
Information Is Not Expertise
None of this is necessarily bad. Transparency has helped readers better understand the realities of publishing. It has helped readers understand why books are priced the way they are. Why marketing matters. Why discoverability matters. Why authors make certain business decisions. Why reading is political. Why is it so important to read diversely.
The problem is that access to information and professional expertise are not the same thing.
Knowing how something works is different than doing it. Watching an author launch a book is different than launching one. Following contract discussions is different than negotiating contracts.
Seeing sales numbers is different than understanding how those numbers fit into a larger business strategy.
Most industries have a natural barrier between professionals and customers. Publishing largely removed that barrier. We opened the office door and invited everyone inside.
Why We’re Seeing More Opinions
One thing I’ve noticed is that readers increasingly speak about publishing the way sports fans talk about their favorite teams.
They know the players. They know the statistics. They know the history. They know enough to have opinions. Lots of opinions.
Sometimes those opinions are insightful. Sometimes they’re completely wrong. But the reality is that people tend to form opinions about things they spend time learning about, and readers have spent years learning about publishing because that’s what we’ve been teaching them.
One of the stranger developments in modern publishing is that entire careers now revolve around books without actually creating them.
And to be clear, this isn’t criticism. Many content creators work incredibly hard. Building an audience takes time, consistency, and skill.
But it does create an interesting dynamic.
We now have reviewers, influencers, podcasters, content creators, subscription services, marketers, consultants, and educators all building businesses around books. Some have built audiences large enough to become full-time careers.
Meanwhile, many authors, the people creating the product at the center of the ecosystem, are still struggling to earn a sustainable income. That’s not anyone’s fault. It’s simply a reality worth acknowledging.
The attention economy rewards visibility. Sometimes, the people talking about books earn more than the people writing them.
And perhaps that’s another consequence of pulling publishing into public view.
The business around books has become almost as visible as the books themselves.
The Transparency Trade-Off
Transparency creates connection. It creates understanding. It creates community. But it also creates familiarity. And familiarity often creates confidence.
The more readers hear industry conversations, the more comfortable they become participating in them.
That doesn’t mean they’re publishing professionals. But it does mean they feel invested.
At some point we have to acknowledge that this is a predictable outcome of turning publishing into a public conversation.
You can’t spend years inviting people behind the curtain and then act shocked when they start discussing the stage production.
The Real Question
I don’t think the solution is less respect for readers. Readers are smarter and more informed than they’ve ever been.
But I do think authors, even publishing, sometimes forget that information alone doesn’t create expertise. Watching a business operate is not the same thing as running it.
At the same time, professionals shouldn’t be surprised when people form opinions about systems they’ve spent years observing.
The industry wanted transparency. The industry got transparency.
What we’re experiencing now may simply be the natural consequence of that choice. We taught readers about publishing. Why are we surprised they’re talking about it?