University Honors

Literature is a cornerstone in societies the world over because of the power it holds tochange the way people view their lives. It is easy to pick up a book; what is not so easy are theprocesses that get that book into the hands of readers. Publishing trends in the United States andUnited Kingdom change with the wind, and at no time is this more present than in the 21stcentury as social media impacts trends. This ever-changing market means that there is often littlespace for large publishers to take a risk on non-traditional books — that is, books that breakliterary expectations. While this gap can be filled by independent presses, these do not alwayshave the resources to market the non-traditional literature they publish, and in many cases thesebooks do not end up well-liked by the general public because they break from the form thatmany expect from modern literature. Through an analysis of modern book social media circlesand publishing trends, the ways in which non-traditional literature can be promoted to a muchwider audience with the intention of popularizing non-traditional literature will be examined. Aliterature review of various publications regarding the state of modern publishing and pastresearch on the state of the US publishing industry will also be taken into account.