New Books in Literary Studies Claire Parnell, "Inequalities of Platform Publishing: The Promise and Peril of Self-Publishing in the Digital Book Era" (U Massachusetts Press, 2025
Dec 7, 2025
Claire Parnell, a digital publishing lecturer at the University of Melbourne, explores the dual nature of self-publishing platforms like Amazon and Wattpad. She reveals how these platforms, intended to democratize publishing, often replicate deep-rooted biases against authors of color and queer voices through algorithms and category systems. Parnell discusses the implications of these inequalities, touching on topics such as AI biases, the impact of censorship on sexuality, and strategies authors use to overcome gatekeeping barriers.
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Categorization Reinforces Default Norms
- Platform categorization inherits traditional systems like BISAC that position whiteness and heterosexuality as defaults.
- Parnell shows these classification systems make marginal identities less discoverable on Amazon.
Algorithms Layer New Biases On Old Rules
- Platforms layer algorithmic logics onto inherited publishing rules, using bios and photos as data for sorting.
- These combined systems reproduce old biases and introduce new algorithmic ones.
Self-Publishing Caught Editors' Attention
- Early self-published success on Amazon helped traditional editors scout new authors.
- Authors noted self-publishing proved markets for BIPOC and queer books, shifting industry attention.
