Akubandakanyi noma yimaphi ama-clown ababulali, amahhotela ahlaselwe, noma ukuziphindiselela, abafundi besikole se-telekinetic, kodwa kuleli hlobo, umbhali uStephen King waqala ukuxoxa indaba entsha ethusayo: isimo esibucayi semboni yezincwadi yaseMelika ngo-2022.
Umbhali, obhale abathengisi abaningi abathusayo kusukela ngeminyaka yawo-1970s njengeThe Shining and Carrie, wethule ubufakazi kule nyanga egameni labaphathi beBiden emzamweni woMnyango Wezobulungiswa wokumisa ukuhlanganiswa okuhlongozwayo kwama- $ 2.2bn kwePenguin Random House, umshicileli omkhulu waseMelika, kanye USimon & Schuster, enye yezinkampani “ezinkulu ezinhlanu” eziphethe imboni yezincwadi yase-US.
NgoNovemba wonyaka odlule, uhulumeni wobumbano wamangalela ukuthi amise isivumelwano, ethi ukubopha kuzonikeza izinkampani “ukulawula okungakaze kubonwe ngaphambili” kokuthi ubani ozozwakalisa amazwi azo empilweni yamasiko aseMelika, intuthuko “engaholela ekulimaleni okukhulu kubabhali. ”.
Emavikini amathathu ezingxabano kulo Agasti, ukuqulwa kwecala kungene emhlabeni ongacacile wentuthuko yababhali bemali enkulu kanye nokuhlanganiswa kwemboni, okuveza ukungaboni ngaso linye mayelana nokuthi isivumelwano sizoba nomthelela kanjani ebhizinisini lezincwadi, futhi ngenxa yalokho, liyini ikusasa lazo. Isiko lokubhala laseMelika lalibukeka njengababhali nabafundi ngokufanayo. Icala elingakaze libonwe liye labizwa ngokuthi icala lokushicilela lekhulu leminyaka.
Ngakolunye uhlangothi, uMnu King, ongomunye wababhali abaphumelele nabahola kahle kakhulu esizukulwaneni sakhe, wayezimisele ukufakaza ngokumelene nomshicileli wakhe ovamile, uScribner, oyingxenye kaSimon & Schuster, ukuze aphikisane nokuhlanganiswa okwengeziwe embonini yezincwadi.
Kunconywe
“Igama lami nginguStephen King. Ngingumbhali ozisebenzelayo,” waqala ngokuthuka, ngaphambi kokugxeka izimo zemakethe ezicindezele ababhali abaningi “ngezansi komugqa wobumpofu”.
“Ngize ngoba ngicabanga ukuthi ukuhlanganisa akulungile emqhudelwaneni,” usho kanje. “Kuya kuba nzima kubabhali ukuthola imali yokuziphilisa.”
“Umhlaba unzima manje. Yingakho ngize,” engeza. “Kufika isikhathi lapho, uma unenhlanhla, ungayeka ukulandela i-akhawunti yakho yasebhange uqale ukulandela inhliziyo yakho.”
Ukungqubuzana noMnuz King kungenye yezingqinamba eziningi kuleli cala, eligoqe izimpikiswano zokuvala ngoLwesihlanu mhla ziyi-19 kuNcwaba.
Yize icala lincike ezindabeni zobuchwepheshe ezifana nokuguquguquka kwezinkontileka zababhali, incazelo yamandla asetshenziswayo kuphela, kanye nokufaneleka kwezinhlelo ezihlukahlukene zochungechunge lokunikezela, wonke umuntu emhlabeni wezincwadi ubhekile lapho isinqumo sehla kulokhu kuwa.
Abafundi bangase bafune ukunaka, futhi. Icala alithinti nje kuphela ukuthi abantu bazisebenzisa kanjani izincwadi, futhi ngayiphi intengo. Njenganoma iyiphi indaba emnandi, lena inamadrama amaningi kanye nenhlebo okumele ihambe.
"Lokhu kuyindaba enkulu," uMichael Cader, umsunguli wephephandaba iPublishers Lunch, etshela i-Independent. “Kungenzeka ukuthi leli cala belihanjelwe abantu abambalwa, kodwa belihlaba umxhwele imboni yonke. Kokubili imiphumela engaba khona yesivumelwano ngokwaso kanye nethiyetha yokuba nontanga kanye nabantu abasembonini yakho esitendini esixoxa ngemininingwane yebhizinisi ngendlela eyimbudumbudu amasonto amathathu bekuphoqa abantu abaningi.”
Ingxabano enkulu kuleli cala yayiphathelene nemikhomo emikhulu yemboni yokushicilela, izincwadi lapho ababhali bezuze khona ngaphezulu kwama-$250,000 ekuthuthukisweni kwabo kwezihloko okulindeleke ukuba zibe phezulu ohlwini lwabadayiswa kakhulu.
I-DOJ yathi i-Penguin Random House engaba khona - uSimon & Schuster juggernaut izolawula uhhafu wemakethe yalezo zincwadi ze-blockbuster e-US.
"Yizona kuphela izinkampani ezinemali enkulu, idumela, amandla okuhlela, ukumaketha, ukukhangisa, ukuthengisa, nezinsiza zokusabalalisa ukuze zithole njalo izincwadi ezithengiswa kakhulu," kusho abameli be-DOJ enkantolo.
Khonamanjalo, abanethemba lokuhlanganiswa batshele inkantolo yaseWashington, DC, ukuthi abafundi nababhali akufanele besabe uma uhulumeni evumela iBig Five ukuthi ibe yiBig Four.
“Kuyimali enhle kubo bonke abathintekayo, okuhlanganisa nababhali,” uStephen Fishbein, ummeli kaSimon & Schuster, esitatimendeni sakhe sokuvala.
Abaholi abaphezulu ePenguin Random House kanye noSimon & Schuster bathi imakethe yezincwadi ikhule kakhulu futhi inokuncintisana kunocezu uhulumeni akhetha ukugxila kulo, oluhlanganisa izincwadi ezingaba ngu-1,200 ngonyaka, noma amaphesenti amabili emakethe yezentengiselwano yaseMelika, izinkampani zaphikisana ngamafuphi ngaphambi kokuqulwa kwecala.
Sekukonke, ngo-2021, cishe ingxenye yezincwadi ezithengiswa e-US yayivela kubashicileli abangaphandle kweBig Five, isikhulu esiphezulu sePenguin Random House uMarkus Dohle wethula ubufakazi. Inkampani iphinde yaphawula ukuthi empeleni isilahlekelwe isabelo semakethe kusukela ngo-2013 ukuhlanganiswa phakathi kwePenguin neRandom House.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, izinkampani zaphikisa ukuthi inqubo yokuthola izincwadi iyinhlanganisela yobuchwepheshe nokugembula, lapho ngisho nezikhondlakhondla zokushicilela zingeke ziqinisekise ukuthengwa ngemali enkulu kuzohumushela ekuthengisweni okukhulu nasekufinyeleleni okukhulu kwamasiko, noma zibikezele ukuthi incwadi yombhali oyiqalisile nini. izoba yi-breakout hit.
"Lawa akuwona amawijethi esiwakhiqizayo," kusho uMadeline McIntosh, isikhulu esiphezulu sePenguin Random House, ethula ubufakazi. "Ukuhlola kuyinqubo encike kakhulu."
Ukumangalela ukubikezela ikusasa lencwadi elithengiswa kakhulu kwakufana “nokuthatha udumo ngesimo sezulu,” kwengeza i-CEO ye-Simon & Schuster u-Jonathan Karp.
Le nqubo ebingalindelekile izohlala ingagxilile ngisho nangemva kokuhlanganiswa, izinkampani zaqhubeka, ngoba abahleli be-Simon & Schuster kanye ne-Penguin Random House basazovunyelwa ukuthi babhidisane ngomunye nomunye ngezihloko ezizayo.
Noma kumbhali wenganekwane, nokho, lesi sisekelo samthinta uStephen King esengaphandle lapho.
“Ungasho futhi ukuthi uzoba nendoda nomfazi ababizana ngomuzi,” kufakaza umlobi. “Kuyahlekisa kancane.”
U-Amy Thomas, umnikazi wePegasus Books, enezitolo eSolano, Berkeley, nase-Oakland, eCalifornia, uthe ukuhlanganiswa kungase kuphinde kuhoxise ukuthi ubani oshicilelwayo kwasekuqaleni, okuholela ekwehleni okungaba khona lapho kuzwakala khona amazwi amasha nabalulekile.
Izincwadi ezibaluleke kakhulu akuzona ngempela eziqala njengabenzi benzuzo abasheshayo, kodwa ukuhlanganiswa kuvame ukumema ukusesha kwezindawo ezisheshayo zokunciphisa izindleko. Ngaphezu kwalokho, uthe, abathengisi abamele ikhathalogi enkulu ehlanganisiwe ye-Simon & Schuster ne-Penguin Random House ehlanganisiwe bangase bangabi naso isikhathi sokulwela zonke izihloko zabo ngendlela indlu encane yokushicilela ingenza ngayo.
“Izinto zizolunga. Imigqa izokwehliswa. Kuningi kakhulu,” etshela i-Independent. “Ziningi izincwadi. Akuwona wonke asebenzayo. Futhi eziningi zazo zikufanele noma kunjalo. ”
Izinkampani ezinkulu zingase futhi zibe nesikhuthazo esincane noma amandla okunikeza abadayisi bezincwadi imigomo emihle, uma kubhekwa isilinganiso esikhulu semisebenzi yenkampani ehlongozwayo.
Ngaphandle kweminye imibuzo yobuchwepheshe mayelana nokuthi isivumelwano se-Simon & Schuster - Penguin Random House sizoba nomthelela kanjani ekukhokheni kwababhali nezitolo zezincwadi, kuphinde kwaba nodaba oluncane kakhulu lokuthi ababhali bakhokhelwe kanjani izizumbulu zemali nokuthi kungani.
Kulo mbuzo, ukuqulwa kwecala kwaba uhlobo lwekhasi lesithupha, lapho kukhulunywa ngohlu lomshicileli weBig Five uHachette “lalabo abaphunyukile”, futhi labika ngamaholo abantu abayisikhombisa abanjengomlingisi uJamie Foxx kanye nomlobi wephephabhuku waseNew Yorker uJiayang Fan. .
Umshicileli we-Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery uze wafakaza ukuthi bakhokhele “izigidi” ngencwadi kasomahlaya u-Amy Schumer, nakuba izilinganiso zokuthengisa zaphakamisa ukuthi le ncwadi ingase ingakufanelekeli ukukhokhelwa okukhulu kangaka.
Icala liphinde lachaza ukuthi iqoqo lika-$65m lika-Barack noMichelle Obama bathola kanjani izincwadi zabo lisondele ku-$75m lapho abahleli bePenguin Random House bebezodinga imvume kumzali wabo oyinkampani, uBertelsmann waseJalimane, ukuze baqhubekele phambili.
Kodwa ukugxila kulawa magama amatende kwakungaphezu nje kwenhlebo yemboni yokushicilela. Ukuqulwa kwecala kwagqamisa ukuthi ingxenye encane yezincwadi ezithandwayo isekela kangakanani imboni yokushicilela.
Abaphathi bePenguin Random House bathe ngaphezu nje kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yezincwadi zabo zenza inzuzo, ngamaphesenti amane nje ezincwadi kuleso sigaba athatha amaphesenti angama-60 emali etholwayo. Ngo-2021, ngokwedatha evela ku-BookScan, ngaphansi kwephesenti elilodwa lezihloko eziyizigidi ezi-3.2 eyalandelelwa zathengiswa ngaphezu kwamakhophi angama-5,000.
Uma kubhekwa lesi simo, abashicileli abakhulu bathi ukuhlanganiswa kwabo kuzodala ukusebenza kahle kwebhizinisi, okubavumela ukuthi badlulisele lokhu kongiwe ukuze ababhali abengeziwe bathole ucezu olukhulu lwephayi.
Kodwa-ke, iJaji uFlorence Y Pan ubonakale ewushaya phansi lo mcabango, enqaba ukuvuma ubufakazi bePenguin Random House ukusekela lesi simangalo, ephikisa ngokuthi abuqinisekisiwenga ngokuzimele.
"Ijaji liyichithile ngokuphelele futhi ngokuphelele impikiswano yabasolwa ngokwamukela lobo bufakazi," kusho uMnu Cader, wePublishers Lunch.
Kanjalo noStephen King.
"Kwakukhona amakhulu ama-imprints futhi amanye awo ayeqhutshwa abantu ababethanda izinto ezingathandeki kakhulu," esho. “Lawo mabhizinisi, ngalinye ngalinye, aqalwa abanye abashicileli noma aphelelwa yibhizinisi.”
Umlando wakhe wokushicilela ulandisa ngemboni elawulwa kakhulu yizinkampani ezimbalwa. UCarrie washicilelwa ngabakwaDoubleday, okwagcina kuhlanganiswe neKnopf, manje eseyingxenye yePenguin Random House. IViking Press, eveze ezinye iziqu zeNkosi, ibiyingxenye yePenguin, eyaba yiPenguin Random House ngo-2013.
UDavid Enyeart, umphathi we-St Paul, i-Next Chapter Booksellers ezimele yaseMinnesota, uthi imashi ende yale mboni yokuhlanganisa ikwenza kube nzima ukuthi amazwi amasha avele futhi afinyelele kubafundi ezitolo ngoba abashicileli abancane abakwazi ukuqhudelana.
“Bayakwazi ukuthatha izinqumo ezizimele mayelana nokuthi bazoshicilela bani, kodwa abakwazi ukusabalalisa leli lizwi ngamandla njengenkampani ecwile ephaketheni. Lokho kunomthelela kakhulu kulokho abathengi abakwazi ukukufunda,” usho kanje. “Lokho kuwumthelela wangempela wonke umuntu awubonayo.”
Abanye bathi le ndaba iyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kunokuhlanganiswa kwebhizinisi okuqeda konke ukuhlukahluka nokuhlukahluka kwebhizinisi. Yizikhathi ezinhle kakhulu kanye nezikhathi ezimbi kakhulu embonini yezincwadi. Kuya ngombono wakho, ngokusho kukaMike Shatzkin, oyi-CEO yenkampani yokushicilela i-Idea Logical Company.
"Ibhizinisi lezincwadi njengoba lilinganiswa ngezihloko seliqhume iminyaka engu-20," etshela i-Independent. "Ibhizinisi lezincwadi njengoba lilinganiswa ngamadola selikhule iminyaka engu-20."
Ulinganisela ukuthi izihloko eziphindwe izikhathi ezingu-40 zitholakala ngaphezu kwengxenye yesigidi noma ngaphezulu yezincwadi ezanyatheliswa ngo-1990. Ukuthi nje abashicileli nezitolo zezincwadi manje babhekene nokuncintisana nabashicileli ngokwabo abasebenzisa izinkonzo ezifana ne-Amazon's Kindle Direct, kanye nabaqalayo, ngiyabonga. ku-inthanethi, manje sebenokufinyelela okushibhile kumaketanga afanayo wokunyathelisa nowokugcina impahla ayevame ukuthengeka kuphela ezindlini ezinkulu zokushicilela.
Umuntu ofuna ukudayisa izincwadi akadingi ngisho nengqalasizinda eningi yezakhiwo. Bangamukela inkokhelo yencwadi, bese bedlulisela i-oda lokunyathelisa nokuthunyelwa kubasakazi abafana no-Ingram, ngaphandle kokuthinta incwadi ngokwabo.
Ngisho nobhubhane alukwazanga ukuthengisa, ngokusho kukaMnu Dohle wePenguin Random House. Ukuthengiswa kwezincwadi eziphrintiwe kukhule ngamaphesenti angaphezu kwama-20 phakathi kuka-2012 no-2019—kwalandela amanye amaphesenti angama-20 phakathi kuka-2019 no-2021.
Ukwenza inzuzo emhlabeni lapho, uMnumzane Shatzkin elinganisela, cishe amaphesenti angama-80 ezincwadi athengiswa ku-inthanethi, ngezinhlobonhlobo ezingenamkhawulo, ngokunyatheliswa nokuthunyelwa ngokushesha, abashicileli abakhulu bangasinda kuphela, uthi, ngokuhlanganisa nokwenza imali okuthembekile. izincwadi eseziphrintiwe kakade kumakhathalogi abo angemuva. Lezi zincwadi azidingi abashicileli ukuze bakhiphe imali eningi bathole umbhali omusha othembisayo futhi bathuthukise umsebenzi wabo.
“Umhlaba esikuwo, osekuphele iminyaka engu-20 sikuwo, wukuthi isimo sebhizinisi elingaphansi kwabashicileli bezentengiselwano siya ngokuya sincipha, nekhono labashicileli lokusungula incwadi entsha njengenenzuzo liyancipha kakhulu, " uthe. "Okukhulile yikhono lokwenza imali ngohlu olujulile okungenzeka alukaze lwenziwe imali ezinsukwini zakudala."
Okuzayo ngemuva kwesilingo sokuhlanganisa i-Amazon, elawula, ngokwezibalo ezithile, isilinganiso sokuphindwe kabili kwezintathu zemakethe yezincwadi ezintsha nezisetshenzisiwe e-US, kanye no-Ingram, umsabalalisi, inkampani elawula iningi lezincwadi ezizimele. ukusatshalaliswa phakathi kwabashicileli nabafundi.
Ngokomthetho, ukuhlangana kwethula ithuba lokuthi uhulumeni ahlole ukuthi inkampani ehlongozwayo isengozini yokungancintisani, kodwa i-Amazon ikwazile ukusebenzisa imigqa yayo eminingi yebhizinisi ukuxhasa ibhizinisi lezincwadi elibhongayo elakhelwe phezu kwezihloko ezinikezwa ngamanani aphansi.
"Le sudi ethile ifana nokujaha into ephunyukile kudala," uPaul Yamazaki, umthengi wezincwadi esikhungweni se-San Francisco City Lights Bookstore, etshela i-Independent, ehlezi kuvulandi onelanga embozwe izitaki zezincwadi. "Uma uMnyango Wezobulungiswa uzobheka lokhu ngempela, futhi ubhekele abafundi nababhali, kufanele babheke i-Amazon."
Ukuvimbela okuhlukile njengokuhlukana kwe-Standard Oil kanye nezinkampani ze-Bell System, uhulumeni akavamile ukukhetha ukuhlakaza ama-monopoli ngaphandle kokuhlanganiswa.
Noma kunenqubekelaphambili ekuzishicileleni, ezentengiselwano nge-elekthronikhi, kanye nokuchuma kwezitolo zezincwadi ze-indie eminyakeni yamuva nje, eziningi eziphethwe yiqembu elikhulayo labasanda kufika embonini kanye nabantu bemibala, ukuthengiswa kwe-e-commerce kokushicilela kwenze kwaba nzima emishinini yokunyathelisa emincane. ukuze izincwadi zabo zifinyelele kubafundi ezitolo, kusho uMnu Yamazaki.
“Imishini eminingi yokunyathelisa—i-City Lights, i-New Direction, i-Copper Canyon, i-Coffeehouse—yonke yaqala njengalolu hlobo lwamaphrojekthi asekhaya nomuntu owayenombono omuhle futhi owayene-sweat equity kanye nomshini wokubhala,” esho. "Sidinga yonke i-ecology ukuze iphumelele."
Kwisayensi yemvelo yamanje, nokho, ngokusho kuka-David Enyeart we-Next Chapter, inhlanzi enkulu ibonakala iba nkulu, inezinzuzo ezimbalwa kuwo wonke umuntu ngokuhamba kwesikhathi. Akakwazanga ukucabanga nokukodwa okuhle mayelana nokuhlanganiswa.
“Esizokubona ngokuhamba kwesikhathi ukwehluka okuncane kokunikezwayo, isizathu esincane sokuthi banikeze izaphulelo ezingcono futhi sivuleke isikhala sezitolo ezizimele kanye nohlobo lwezincwadi esifuna ukuzikhangisa. Lokho kuwuhlobo lwendaba ngempela. Kuyinto yesikhathi eside. Ngeke kushintshe lutho usuku nosuku,” kusho yena.
Kunconywe
“Kunjalo lapho siyovuka khona eminyakeni embalwa edlule, futhi sekusele abamemezeli ababili kuphela, futhi basicindezela kakhulu.”
Lesi sihloko sachitshiyelwa ngomhla ka-23 Agasti 2022. Ngaphambilini sathi lowo owayengumshicileli we-Simon & Schuster imprint Gallery Books wethula ubufakazi ngesikhathi sokuqulwa kwecala lokuhlanganisa. Nokho, ubufakazi bavela kumshicileli wamanje weGallery, uJennifer Bergstrom.
