Cancel Culture in Publishing: who gets to cancel?
Since former President Donald Trump’s loss against now President Joe Biden, there has been a call for publishers to acknowledge their responsibility to not publish any future memoir of Donald Trump. An open letter has been created, calling for the “publishing boycott of Trump administration memoirs”.
Cancel culture is not a new phenomenon, but its utility is increasingly being questioned in society. Cancel culture has evolved from its pop culture origins into a broader discussion about how to “hold public figures accountable for bad behaviour”. So, how is cancel culture affecting the role publishers have in society?
To explore this topic further, we need to look at how publishers are expected to react to author scandals, and the expectations placed upon publishers as moral gatekeepers.
To cancel, or not to cancel?
Publishers are under increasing scrutiny about how they react to author scandals. These scandals are often played out online, with social media providing more people with a platform to voice their opinions. Publishers are expected to react quickly, either in support or opposition of the author.
For example, Simon & Schuster US cancelled senator Josh Hawley’s forthcoming book due to criticism of his actions in relation to the Capitol Hill building attack.
“As a publisher it will always be our mission to amplify a variety of voices and viewpoints: at the same time we take seriously our larger public responsibility as citizens, and cannot support Senator Hawley after his role in what became a dangerous threat to our democracy and freedom.” (Simon & Schuster US)
In response, Hawley tweeted:
“This could not be more Orwellian. Only approved speech can now be published. This is the Left looking to cancel everyone they don’t approve of. I will fight this cancel culture with everything I have. I’ll see you in court.”
It puts publishers in a tricky position. On the one hand, they don’t want to be seen as censors, only publishing material that will not cause offence. But on the other hand, publishing has become so much more than the book. Authors become an extension of a publisher, meaning it is important for publishers to think carefully about how author scandals reflect upon their company. Furthermore, publishers are expected to have an established moral standpoint to which they must measure their authors against.
A tool for social justice?
Publishers are made to be hyperaware of their role as moral gatekeepers, and how the consequences that publishing or not publishing something impacts their company and society.
But the publisher’s role should revolve around helping society talk about difficult issues. Is this something which can be achieved through ‘cancelling’ someone? And is it an effective long-term strategy when addressing controversial figures?
Publishers can find themselves in a dilemma as they don’t want to add legitimacy to a controversial figure through publishing their book. But equally they don’t want to ignore important discussions that can arise from publishing their book. Therefore, cancel culture might not be an effective way of protecting society. Through its best intentions, it can close down spaces for discussion around difficult issues.
Cancel culture has seemingly become interwoven into the literary world. The question is about the role publishers will continue to have in cancel culture, and the effect it has on the literary world: about whether in the process of ‘cancelling’ one person, you end up shutting-down important spaces for discussion. Maybe more needs to be done by publishers and society after the action of ‘cancelling’ takes place, to facilitate discussion, listen openly to others and readdress social norms.
Comerford, R. (2021) S&S US cancels book from US senator Josh Hawley. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/ss-us-cancels-senator-josh-hawleys-book-1232493. [Accessed 25/02/2021].
Flood, A. (2020) Open letter calls for publishing boycott of Trump administration memoirs. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jan/19/open-letter-calls-for-publishing-boycott-of-trump-administration-memoirs. [Accessed: 30/01/2021].
Glanville, J. (2020) Resisting censorship. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/blogs/danger-censorship-1221023?ref=Yudu. [Accessed 29/01/2021].
Greenspan, R. (2020) How ‘cancel culture’ quickly became one of the buzziest and most controversial ideas on the internet. [Online] Available at: https://www.insider.com/cancel-culture-meaning-history-origin-phrase-used-negatively-2020-7. [Accessed 25/02/2021].
Romano, A. (2020) Why we can’t stop fighting about cancel culture. [Online] Available at: https://www.vox.com/culture/2019/12/30/20879720/what-is-cancel-culture-explained-history-debate. [Accessed 25/02/2021].
