Marking the release of The Digested Read, a collection of satire on the publishing industry, the Guardian‘s John Crace explains the rationale behind Digested Reading, a practice whereby “a book [is rewritten] in the style of the author in just 500 or so words.”

Crace writes a weekly column in the online edition of the Guardian, in which he lampoons the most talked-about book that week. The column’s aim is to shine a spotlight on the key flaw of the “very, very small” world of literary publishing, one that sees big-name authors “sell[ing] more, even though their books often fail to match their reputations.” He claims that, in publishing, everyone knows everyone else, and that, because of this, conventional reviewers in large publications will rarely give a balanced assessment of a hyped-up book, fearful of possible repercussions. According to Crace, the glut of positive reviews written for hyped-up books drives the engines of the publishing industry and impoverishes readers, the only ones “kept out of the [book biz] loop.”

Related links:
Click here for John Crace’s article in the Guardian