Resistance to Publishing Controversial Books

The podcast episode discusses the challenges faced by authors trying to get their controversial books published. The guest, Alex Byrne, shares his experience of having his book rejected by Oxford University Press (OUP) due to a lack of seriousness and respect in addressing the subject. He also mentions another author, Holly Lawford-Smith, whose book was similarly cancelled by OUP. The discussion highlights the reluctance of academic publishing houses to publish books with potentially contentious viewpoints, even though controversial books often attract more attention and sales.