In recent years, the publishing industry has been dominated by women. In the US, women are now responsible for more than 50 percent of the new books published yearly, with an increase in female writing published across all genres (read more about women’s rise in publishing here). The success seems a long time coming to most, in a time where diverse voices and stories are becoming more and more welcome within the publishing industry. But to some, this success has brought on the question: What happened to all the young male writers?
It’s this question that author and critic Jude Cook wanted to explore when he founded Conduit Books. This new small press based in the UK is making waves in the publishing industry as a press that aims to initially focus on publishing literary fiction and memoirs written by men. At first, it seems like a shocking platform to take, but stick with us. Here, we will dive into the goals of Conduit Books and the controversies surrounding it to judge whether it plays into the patriarchy or rather aims to diminish it.
Gender in the Publishing Industry
Historically speaking, the publishing industry has been dominated by white male voices for centuries. However, according to economist Joel Waldfogel, women now write the majority of all books published yearly, both fiction and nonfiction. Not only that, but in his study, Waldfogel found that on average, books by female authors see more engagement in sales and readership. Waldfogel assured that it wasn’t simply a lack of male authors that has driven female success. There is still a large increase in men publishing books each year, there is just a larger increase of women.
In this environment, naturally, Conduit Books came with pushback. Many critics believed that with women finally taking the lead in a creative industry, Conduit Books simply aimed to take back their place at the top. Immediately, Cook’s idea was placed among those of the toxic “men’s rights movement” formed by men who miss misogyny. However, Cook quickly wanted to change this narrative, claiming that his concern about the lack of men getting published in these genres was not an attempt at gaining back the patriarchy of the past, nor was it to shut out or shun what he described as the “renaissance for literary fiction by women,” spearheaded by authors like Sally Rooney. Instead, he wanted to acknowledge a situation where, he says:
…new male authors are often overlooked, with a perception that the male voice is problematic.
Positive Masculinity
As a young woman, I think that in today’s world it can be easy to feel like women have done all that we can for decades and still do not have the respect or rights that we deserve. This is why I found Cook’s stance to be a striking one. Cook aims to share stories that center around positive masculinity: stories about men, written by men, that discuss topics like fatherhood, sex, and relationships. I think that a small press that allows men to open up emotionally and not only understand and explore these topics for themselves, but also even open the door to other literary fiction from more diverse perspectives, may be exactly the push that movements like the feminist movement need right now.
Many authors, both male and female, agree and have voiced interest in this new endeavor, hoping to see it bring up male readership. Author Anne Enright says:
I don’t see any problem with men getting published, when those men are not misogynistic, because it is actually misogyny that has done out of fashion, not male writers.
As Enright, among other authors, points out, the main concern with Conduit Books, and males’ role in literary fiction as a whole, is not whether or not their stories are worth being told, but whether or not young men will read them.
Male Readership: The Chicken or the Egg?
Men read far less literary fiction, or just fiction in general, than women. A study highlighted in Psychology Today points out that women and men tend to read for very different reasons. Women mostly read for pleasure and find joy in relating to characters and circumstances found in fictional books. Men desire to learn something functional and immediate from their reading, which is why many men are more interested in nonfiction or self-improvement books.
In addition, men are less likely to read books written by women. There still seem to be stereotypes that stories by female authors are uninteresting or too unrelatable to male readers. So it becomes a problem of consumer habits.
This invites a complex paradox that Conduit Books attempts to solve: Are men not writing literary fiction because men aren’t reading literary fiction? Or are men not reading literary fiction because men aren’t writing it?
Fiction Fostering Empathy
Either way, men should be reading fiction. There is evidence that points to a general decline in young men as they are struggling with mental health, academics, and adulthood as societal concepts of masculinity shift. On one hand, there are the loud, angry and assertive voices that covet domination and toxic masculinity. But there are also the voices of those recognize and acknowledge that the idea of masculinity needs to change. Conduit Books aims to amplify the latter and give young men a new norm. Author Sarah Moss says:
Men need space and support to explore emotions beyond anger, to be open and curious about their own and others’ lives, to try out other eyes and other voices, all of which fiction might plausibly do. I’ve no objection to men having a room of their own, as long as they do their own housework.
Considering the state of young men today, more literary fiction may be exactly what men need. Studies have shown the benefits of reading fiction in building critical thinking skills and empathy. It also helps with mindfulness, as it takes readers out of their own head for a while and into someone else’s.
The Voice of the Modern Man
In my opinion, there is a desire to know what the progressive modern man is thinking. I agree that this maybe is a voice we have been missing in contemporary literature. Not the loud, angry voice that is heard all too often on the news or internet, but the voice that seeks to change and stands to see the other side of things. The ones who may be willing to read more fiction, to learn about themselves and how to express their identities and emotions, and to empathize with others. What a powerful man this could create.
Conduit Books just recently closed its first round of submissions. The publishing industry is interested to see how the small press takes off. Exactly what types of men will be attracted by this project, and what types of stories will it put out into the world? With Conduit Books, we may finally have the opportunity to have those difficult and seldom-had conversations about the many effects of masculinity, not only on those around them, but on men themselves.
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Explore literary fiction on our Exploring the Depths of Literary Fiction bookshelf on Bookshop.org.
