School of Communication

CMNS 472-4

BOOKS, MARKETS AND READERS

Prerequisites:

75 credit hours, including CMNS 372.

Course Description:

The course examines the relationship between books and readers, and the dynamic role that markets play in this relationship. In addition to the required texts, students will read and discuss various market research studies. The class will also consider the trend in the publishing world toward consolidation and the effect of this trend on mainstream publishing.

Required Texts:

Anne Fadiman, Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader.
Sven Birkerts, The Gutenberg Elegies.

Recommended Readings:

(on reserve in the Belzberg Library and available for purchase at downtown Bookstore)

- Victor Nell, Lost in a Book
- Janice Radway, Reading the Romance

Evaluation:

Seminar Presentation 25%
Class participation 25%
Mid-term exam 25%
Final paper 25%

Course Topics:

Unit 1: The Role of Reading

- The New Reader: Who, What, When, Why, Where and How We Read.
- Reading – What is it good for? The role of reading and books in contemporary society.
- Who Buys What? The importance of genre in the modern market.

Unit 2: The Evolution of the Book and the Book Market
- The Blockbuster Era and Its Consequences.
- Reading Between the Lines: the growing appetite for literary fiction.
- The Holy Trinity: mystery, science fiction and romance.
- Non-fiction, Reference and How-to Books: Why They’re Sexy.
- The Educated Imagination: schools and universities as markets.
- The Harry Potter Phenomenon: the very serious business of children’s books.

Unit 3 – Marketing the Book
- Why Some Books Sell and Some Books Don’t.
- Retail and non-retail environments and buying trends.
- Marketing Genre, Marketing Literature: know your reader.
- What Are You Reading? the influence of reviews, bestseller lists, celebrity endorsements and literary prizes.

Unit 4 – The Future of the Book and the Book Market
- Writing and Publishing in a Modern Landscape: the role of the small press, the self-publisher, the traditional house and the Internet.
- The 21st-Century Book: How and What Will We Read Next Week?

The School expects that the grades awarded in this course will bear some reasonable relation to established university-wide practices to both levels and distribution of grades. In addition, the School will also follow Policy T10.02 with respect to intellectual Honesty, and Academic Discipline (see the current Calendar, General Regulations Section).