A Suitable Publisher

"Within a week of Random House and Penguin merging to become the world's largest books publisher with an estimated revenue of $4 billion, the aftershocks have started. The new entity, eager to cut cost and streamline operations, has asked author Vikram Seth to return his $1.7 million (approx Rs ten crore and thirty lakh) advance, a part of which was paid to him for A Suitable Girl, the 'jumpsequel' to his best-selling novel, A Suitable Boy….

     Penguin Random House's drastic step goes straight to the heart of the dilemma the publishing industry finds itself in. 'Worldwide, but especially in Europe, the publishing world is in a state of crisis. The focus now is on commercial books that can be churned out quickly and cheaply. The space for literary books has shrunk rapidly,' said a well regarded industry watcher who is also a longtime acquaintance of Seth."
— Reema Gehi, Mumbai Mirror
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