A Qualitative Analysis of Authorship, Accessibility and Inclusivity in the Digital Self-Publishing Era

Abstract

The long tradition of writing and preservation of those writings has allowed human history to survive. This paper offers a structured exploration of how publishing came into being and has evolved within today's digital landscape. The advent of digital self-publishing has democratised what we call the publishing industry to a great extent and this paper aims to examine how access, authorship and inclusion are hashed out through the study of paratext theories, the emergent narrative space and the shifting roles of readers and writers shaping contemporary self-published works. The very definition of literature is changing owing to the multimodal contents which flood the electronic literary space, solidifying new canons in literature. The purview of democratised publishing is an enticing one that needs to be studied in order to comprehend whether real democratisation has taken place or it only appears to do so. Inferences drawn from careful examination of related books and digitally published content suggest authors find unprecedented creative autonomy without the hassle of traditional publishers; however, the mediation or the algorithm set by these platforms often hints at subtle forms of gatekeeping that decide which written novel or poem goes viral and which ones do not, pointing towards the question of inclusivity in current publishing trends. This study raises pertinent questions about how digital literary space has moulded itself into a cultural site and how authors build their artistic identity and legitimacy through the use of paratextual elements and digital literacy.