All's Quiet on the Western Front

The U.S. publishing industry has been rather quiet for the last three and a half months. Bookstores across the country have been closed for the first couple of months of the states' stay-at-home orders. Even now that most of the stores have reopened, people aren't shopping in brick & mortar places.

The truth is COVID-19 still exists. Over 123,000 have died. Most people are cautious in where they go, even with the phased openings in the states.

Add to the pandemic issues, the U.S. unemployment rate is running around 14%. Readers that still have their jobs are looking for a little more bang for their buck. Why shop in an open bookstore when they can save gas and time by ordering online, whether it be e-books or print?

And that's assuming readers aren't out protesting in the wake of a series of brutal murders of black civilians by white police officers. Reading seems frivolous after watching George Floyd being slowly suffocated by an officer's knee on his neck.

The weird thing is the usual sniping and arguments within the industry have been at an all time low. Not even publishers, agents, or scammers have the band-width to deal with bullshit in the midst of the pandemic and the civil unrest over police violence.

In a odd way, I'm glad for the silence. We don't need to be bitching at each other. I hope any creators our there are still creating. If you're a creator who feels stuck in the morass of the craziness, that's okay, too.

Be gentle with yourselves and each other during this time.