In the vast and maze-like landscape of publishing, the term “Black Swan” carries a positively quizzical connotation. While the rest of the business world trembles at the thought of these elusive creatures, bookworms and literary aficionados choose to be blissfully unaware, do not even care for the confusion they’d stir up if black swans were mentioned at a business meeting. Ah, the joy of living in a world where a black swan isn’t a prophet of economic doom but rather an explosion of joyous excitement!
You see, in the publishing world, a Black Swan isn’t a feathered prophet of gloom, but rather a wizard of literary serendipity. They’re the books that come out of nowhere and take the world by storm, leaving readers and critics alike awestruck. These are the books that defy genre conventions, redefine storytelling, and make the whole industry sit up and take notice. Publishers live for the moment when a Black Swan manuscript lands on their desks, its pages containing the magical combination of originality and widespread appeal.
The publishing industry has seen its fair share of Black Swans. J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, which introduced us to the world of wizards and Muggles, will long be remembered by publishers as the most magnificent Black Swan up to date, “with 600 million copies sold since 1997. On average this amounts to 23.08 million copies of the Harry Potter series sold per year since its initial publication,” as per wordsrated.com. The Potter books were unpredictably successful, altering the publishing landscape forever. In this context, Black Swans are the unicorns of the industry, and finding one is like discovering a nest of golden eggs.
While in other industries, a Black Swan typically spell financial disaster, in publishing, it’s the stuff dreams are made of. Can you imagine a publisher’s reaction when they realize they’ve just unleashed a Black Swan upon the world. Their gasp of surprise, then a frenzied flurry of phone calls and emails to speedily increase printing and distribution. Authors, agents and editors dancing in their offices. Bookstores set up over the top displays, excited readers line up outside, eager to get their hands on a copy. All of publishing and media is suddenly swept up in a whirlwind of excitement.
But perhaps the most endearing aspect of Black Swans in the publishing world is that they emerge what seems to be thin air. The aspiring author who submitted their manuscript on a whim; the person who wrote their book in secret, never having published a word, the unknown indie publisher who took a chance on a peculiar story – any one of these literary midwives can release a Black Swan into the world.
In a world where the other industries brace for Black Swans with dread, publishing welcomes them with open arms.
While the rest of the world trembles at the mention of Black Swans, publishers and book lovers celebrate them with glee. The next time you hear the term “Black Swan” used in describing an author and/or their work, picture a fabulous surprisingly enchanting rollercoaster ride, whose end is a giant nest of golden eggs. Cheers to the hope of writing or discovering one of these whimsical Black Swans. May they be celebrated with open arms and open hearts!