Member-only story
From Gatekeepers to Cash Grabbers
Why Traditional Publishing is Failing Writers
Publishing was about storytelling.
One upon a time, storytelling was about discovering voices that needed to be heard, about giving readers access to worlds they had never imagined. It was about talent, craft, and the sheer magic of words.
But today? The industry that once prided itself on being the gatekeeper of great literature has transformed into something else entirely, a system where money speaks louder than merit.
What happens when publishers no longer take risks? When instead of searching for the next great author, they simply look for the next author who can pay?
This is not just a personal frustration. It’s a symptom of something much bigger. And I’ve seen it firsthand.
The Pay-to-Publish Trap
I spent part of my life under a dictatorship. I know what it’s like to buy good books at outrageous prices, passed from hand to hand in secrecy. I know what it’s like to be denied access to world literature, to specialized academic works. I know what it means to be a prisoner in a system that doesn’t just restrict your movement, it controls your very thoughts.
