Institutional Influence in the Traditional Author/Writer World

Unfortunately, most authors do not have the means, and perhaps the desire, to create, edit, format, publish, distribute, and promote their own works. Therefore, they are dependent upon publishing and marketing institutions to author in a sense. This raises a few poignant questions or thoughts. First of all, the act of authorship should at least minimally exist with the creator without having to have these other institutions to make him/her an author, which interesting enough is seldom the case. Secondly, the institution is essentially a particular group of readers. When editors, publicists, and such read manuscripts, they become readers. Now, the role of readers in shaping a story has received great attention because some question if the reader is not in fact a partial author. Theory aside, it is often times difficult to separate a social consciousness and psychological impact of text upon a reader. The story changes when it enters the mind of a reader; and, aspects of a story or characters resonate differently with different people. Therefore, the reader has become an author of sorts. Thirdly, just as the reader exists in a world of a certain social climate, so does the text. The institution can mold a text. The clearest example of this is theater and film, a medium which can dictate what types of work will be or need to be produced, influencing the writer, playwright, or screenwriter accordingly. Through all of these possibilities and perspectives, the institution is a key element of authorship.