The last generation of great American novelists is sadly fading. Authors like Toni Morrison, Cormac McCarthy, Marilynne Robinson, and other literary giants in recent history are leaving the scene and slowing their creative output. One enigmatic writer still living, though, Thomas Pynchon, author of National Book Award winner Gravity’s Rainbow (1973), is coming out with a new novel on October 7, according to Penguin Press. The book is called Shadow Ticket.

While we may lament how AI generators like ChatGPT threaten to erode human exceptionalism and creativity, we can still celebrate the masters of the craft. Pynchon, who has rarely been photographed or even seen since his writing career began, is a relic from a golden-aged literary milieu, and this new title could be the last one we see.

The book is reportedly about a private eye during the Great Depression from Milwaukee who eventually gets caught up in the pre-World War II chaos and intrigue of 1930s Europe. Pynchon has written noir-type work before, including his novel Inherent Vice.

Pynchon is one of the few literary stars out there who has managed to evade the public eye over the years. In the age of the internet, when authors are called to “brand themselves” and constantly market their work, it’s remarkable how Pynchon has managed to enjoy this kind of limelight without ever actually exposing himself.

A Different World

However, Pynchon emerged in a very different kind of literary and publishing world than the one we inhabit today. His first book came out in the 1960s, when literary houses were still hungrily competing for new talent. The fact that such a monumental figure rose to the heights of cultural fame without social media shows just how drastically the creative ecosystem has shifted. Back then, publishing houses were also PR firms. They marketed author work, scheduled book tours, and made sure the titles were featured heavily in bookstores. Many publishing houses still offer this to the cream of the crop, but increasingly, the burden of marketing one’s books has fallen heavily on the author. You may publish a book, but if you don’t market it or share it yourself, chances are it won’t sell.

Today, the onus is on young writers to hustle and grind to get their work “out there.” Besides changes in the publishing world, which focuses less on literary talent and more on celebrity memoirs and sure-to-sell inspirational titles, less people in general are reading literary fiction. Betting on this kind of genre is too risky for a lot of big publishers, so most budding authors will opt for independent publishers and micro presses. Percival Everett, author of the novel James, spent decades publishing through Graywolf Press, an independent publisher, before getting picked up by one of the “Big 5.”

It raises a vital question for young artists and writers who are truly intentional about sharpening their skills. What should they do when they’re just starting out? Should a beginning novelist look to someone like Thomas Pynchon for inspiration?

Yes and no. Apprentices in any craft, from carpentry to creative writing, need to learn from the greats. But most likely, according to researcher and author Rob Henderson, beginners need to stop trying to imitate the habits and appearances those at the pinnacles of success and pay closer to attention to the people who are just a little bit ahead of them. Why? Often people at the top of their fields can afford certain luxuries, given that they’re already well established. Copying the habits of such figures could end up hurting the beginner. Henderson writes at Substack,

If you are an extremely successful author, you don’t have to self-promote your writing anymore. You can wait for others to share it and simply retweet or re-post their endorsements. Some don’t even do that. Some writers are so well known that, despite having millions of followers, they literally don’t promote anything they write on social media. That is some strong countersignaling.

So, it’s paradoxically not always a great idea for an artist in her twenties to copy the lifestyle habits of someone at the top. Instead, Henderson recommends finding the people in your field who are a few steps ahead of you and study what they’re doing very closely. How are they sharing their work? Who are they trying to connect with and how? Pynchon, both because his genius was recognized and because he rose to fame in a pre-internet era, does not have to worry about publicity. The New York Times and Rolling Stone have already done that for him. However, in the digital age of content creation, writers going independent on Substack, and the fragmentation of the publishing industry, beginners will have to work hard to get a foothold in the industry. It will be difficult, but not impossible. It takes grit, perseverance, and a dedication to craft and creating value for an audience.

The challenge for today’s creatives will be finding the quietude apart from the online world needed to create valuable work while also leveraging this new digital ecosystem to their benefit. Maybe at some point in the future, they’ll be able to go into hiding like Thomas Pynchon and write, draw, and compose in peace. At the end of the day, however, it’s good and valuable work that attracts people and enriches the culture. The question is, though, how are people going to find it?