Personally, I think all his novels can be published again in today's publishing landscape. I also wonder what much of the media we consume today would look like if it were not for McCarthy. He has written works that have influenced other works, such as his Westerns and The Road (influencing the creation of parent/child dramas and speculative fiction).
I’d say that it would probably be more difficult to find a publisher that would agree to publish his work, unlike when he submitted The Orchard Keeper. Like J. K. Rowling when she was trying to find a publisher and kept getting rejected.
It is a shame that the book industry and people outside the book industry still do not take self-publishing as seriously as traditional publishing. However, he could also try self-publishing and make content on social media (as unusual as that sounds for Cormac McCarthy). Share things related to reading and writing, promote the book ahead of time to a large audience, and then sell it. I think that might work for him. And his popularity could snowball from there with each proceeding work, regardless of whether he chooses to continue to self-publish or traditionally publish. And hopefully, he would have found a good editor like Albert Erskine.
Also, going off what you said in the post, Ian, I think it is sad that it is harder to break into the writing industry with literary fiction. I suppose people aren’t intelligent as they used to be, as McCarthy said in his 2022 interview. Maybe there is something that I don’t quite understand about why people do not read as much literary fiction too. Maybe people don’t have the patience to read such works.
It's tough to know if McCarthy's work would be published today. I have yet to read all of McCarthy's works, but my favorite as of yet is The Border Trilogy, which I tend to think wouldn't be published today, as I think most people haven't the attention to stay engaged with McCarthy's minimalism, which I've always enjoyed. I love works that say less, which allow one's mind to wander in possibility. And when it comes to McCarthy's violence, I sadly tend to think that the vast majority of his audience tunes in just for the violence, that those "base consciousness lovers of violence [who] need to be told what to like" are all that keep McCarthy relevant. This is truly sad, as even I, who writes a fair amount of "death poetry," find it a bit hard to get through works like Blood Meridian. I view McCarthy's violence not as a glorification of such, but as the recognition of how far mankind has come from our savage beginnings. I'm reminded of how Blood Meridian ends with the surveyors, how they're charting out civilization over the thin crust which keeps mankind safe from the chaotic fires of Hell burning just below our feet; that civilized man now walks upon a thin layer of civility, but that it would take only a tiny poke to send us back into the fires of savagery. Anyhow, great work as always, WC. I'm so glad that I found you here on Substack. Also, speaking of "death poetry," I need one of those shirts! Do you still sell merch?
I think it'd be a real struggle for him, especially with his early works. The publishing gatekeepers nowadays seem way stricter about what they let in. However, I also believe that McCarthy's talent would be undeniable and would eventually get him a publishing deal.
When it comes to my favorites like "Suttree" and "Blood Meridian," I'd say they're a tough sell nowadays. The thing is, they require more effort from readers, you know? If you're not used to that level of involvement, chances are most people will just put them down. There's a lot of depth there, things you've mentioned in your videos – intricate storytelling and layers that might not appeal to everyone.
Personally, I think all his novels can be published again in today's publishing landscape. I also wonder what much of the media we consume today would look like if it were not for McCarthy. He has written works that have influenced other works, such as his Westerns and The Road (influencing the creation of parent/child dramas and speculative fiction).
I’d say that it would probably be more difficult to find a publisher that would agree to publish his work, unlike when he submitted The Orchard Keeper. Like J. K. Rowling when she was trying to find a publisher and kept getting rejected.
It is a shame that the book industry and people outside the book industry still do not take self-publishing as seriously as traditional publishing. However, he could also try self-publishing and make content on social media (as unusual as that sounds for Cormac McCarthy). Share things related to reading and writing, promote the book ahead of time to a large audience, and then sell it. I think that might work for him. And his popularity could snowball from there with each proceeding work, regardless of whether he chooses to continue to self-publish or traditionally publish. And hopefully, he would have found a good editor like Albert Erskine.
Also, going off what you said in the post, Ian, I think it is sad that it is harder to break into the writing industry with literary fiction. I suppose people aren’t intelligent as they used to be, as McCarthy said in his 2022 interview. Maybe there is something that I don’t quite understand about why people do not read as much literary fiction too. Maybe people don’t have the patience to read such works.
Excellent analysis. DEI is the enemy of art, as well as many other things.
Yes! Thanks for coming over and supporting also brotha!
It's tough to know if McCarthy's work would be published today. I have yet to read all of McCarthy's works, but my favorite as of yet is The Border Trilogy, which I tend to think wouldn't be published today, as I think most people haven't the attention to stay engaged with McCarthy's minimalism, which I've always enjoyed. I love works that say less, which allow one's mind to wander in possibility. And when it comes to McCarthy's violence, I sadly tend to think that the vast majority of his audience tunes in just for the violence, that those "base consciousness lovers of violence [who] need to be told what to like" are all that keep McCarthy relevant. This is truly sad, as even I, who writes a fair amount of "death poetry," find it a bit hard to get through works like Blood Meridian. I view McCarthy's violence not as a glorification of such, but as the recognition of how far mankind has come from our savage beginnings. I'm reminded of how Blood Meridian ends with the surveyors, how they're charting out civilization over the thin crust which keeps mankind safe from the chaotic fires of Hell burning just below our feet; that civilized man now walks upon a thin layer of civility, but that it would take only a tiny poke to send us back into the fires of savagery. Anyhow, great work as always, WC. I'm so glad that I found you here on Substack. Also, speaking of "death poetry," I need one of those shirts! Do you still sell merch?
I think it'd be a real struggle for him, especially with his early works. The publishing gatekeepers nowadays seem way stricter about what they let in. However, I also believe that McCarthy's talent would be undeniable and would eventually get him a publishing deal.
When it comes to my favorites like "Suttree" and "Blood Meridian," I'd say they're a tough sell nowadays. The thing is, they require more effort from readers, you know? If you're not used to that level of involvement, chances are most people will just put them down. There's a lot of depth there, things you've mentioned in your videos – intricate storytelling and layers that might not appeal to everyone.