Unknown literary writers will never be recognized without an expensive PR campaign.
Celebrated writers tend to be mediocre talents with ample bank accounts and connections.
Writers who sell well lose all credibility. Literary types cannot maintain artistic control over their product. The answer appears to be false, judging by the progress of several literary mags in New York, including McSweeney's , Open City , Fence , Tin House , and Bookforum , which publishes reviews. Over the last few years, editors at these pubs have developed their critical eye while schooling themselves in such pedestrian subjects as production, distribution, and promotion. In the age of capitalist publishing, these people deserve credit for preserving New York as a nesting ground for a handful of new writers.