The traditional publishing industry has one foot in the grave and a battleship anchor around its neck. Now, they seek to drive off the last of their successful authors and resulting revenue streams – all in the name of … whatever it is SJWs want this afternoon. They hiring, many have already hired, Sensitivity Readers (a.k.a. Censors):

Before a book is published and released to the public, it’s passed through the hands (and eyes) of many people: an author’s friends and family, an agent and, of course, an editor.

These days, though, a book may get an additional check from an unusual source: a sensitivity reader, a person who, for a nominal fee, will scan the book for racist, sexist or otherwise offensive content. These readers give feedback based on self-ascribed areas of expertise such as “dealing with terminal illness,” “racial dynamics in Muslim communities within families” or “transgender issues.”

This is from a Chicago Tribune story. And the Tribune gets it all wrong from the start. The friends and family might (might) get to read a manuscript. But, where does one find a literary agent these days? I heard there were 2 left in New York. But they are both busy hunting for new employment. Agents are as common nowadays as bookstores.

The new stores, the editors, the publishers, and the printers are all together on the internet. A few clicks on the keyboard and a new book is approved, published, and on sale to 2 Billion people instantly. And for better royalties than the biggies ever paid.

Soon traditional publishers (a few university, technical, and niche presses exempted) will be confined to the museum of unnatural history. Perhaps their “sensitivity readers” will be a side exhibit. A curiosity.

This last, failing, and stupid trend is but another attempt at social justice warrioring by people who otherwise could never find gainful employment.

‘Racism”. “Dealing with illness”. “Transgender”. “Left-handed, midget, refugee points of view on socio-economic distribution of expenditures in education”. (I made that last one up…). All of these smack of the holier-than-thou censoring for which SJWs are infamous. Nothing shall be uttered (or thought) which defies the narrative (which changes with the breeze). Who the hell cares?

Freedom to Read Foundation.

If a book is offensive, then it won’t sell. Or, maybe it will sell even better because it offends someone. No one is forced to buy or read it. Get over it. Some busybody out there has been offended by every word ever scribed.

The next illogical step wold be for the publishers to burn their own books at SJW tantrum rallies, blue-haired hippies at a Nazi bonfire of ignorant glee. They might as well burn their presses and offices too.

They’re on life support and they’re trying to plug their own plug. Let them.