Publishers, like all private businesses, have always been concerned ab

Question

Publishers, like all private businesses, have always been concerned about profitability. But, while it used to be at least possible to get a book published that was unlikely to be popular, and hence unlikely to be a moneymaker, profitability is now the sole criterion. Thus, no matter how much literary merit a book possesses, it will not be published in today’s market if it looks like it will not be popular.

Which one of the following sentences most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

(A) Books of literary merit cannot be published in today’s market.

(B) Publishers used to select books for publicationnbased on literary merit.

(C) Good books are published now only if they are
also likely to be popular.

(D) It is harder to get a book published today than it once was.

(E) Unpopular books are not likely to make money for the publisher.

SwagatamGhosh · Answer

Please explain why choose c over d

moosemayer · Answer

The question asks "Which one of the following sentences most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?. Since the argument had to do a lot with popularity as a factor of publication, we look to the answer that addresses this specifically (C)

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AndrewN · Answer

I agree with the simple approach outlined by  moosemayer . Look at the  exact  phrasing in the conclusion of the argument, since that is what the question asks us about:

There is not a comparison between  the difficulty  of getting a book published now versus in the past, as answer choice (D) would have us believe, but a statement on how a book needs to look like it will be popular to be  published in today's market . If  profitability is now the sole criterion  for publication, and the quoted conclusion above follows, then we can only get behind an answer choice that relates this view. Look at answer choice (C) again:

To be honest,  good  could be dropped, and the statement would be just as fitting.

Watch out for associative reasoning, or you will start to chase many answers that sound reasonable but miss out on the straight-arrow logic of the passage. Good luck with your studies.

- Andrew

nikitathegreat · Answer

Can someone explain why option E is incorrect?

unraveled · Answer

Publishers, like all private businesses, have always been concerned about profitability. But, while it used to be at least possible to get a book published that was unlikely to be popular, and hence unlikely to be a moneymaker, profitability is now the sole criterion. Thus, no matter how much literary merit a book possesses, it will not be published in today’s market if it looks like it will not be popular.

Which one of the following sentences most accurately expresses the main conclusion of the argument?

(A) Books of literary merit  cannot be published  in today’s market. - WRONG. An absolute statement may not be true in this case. Exception can be there.

(B) Publishers used to  select books  for publication  based on literary merit . - WRONG. Totally goes offtrack.

(C) Good books are published now  only if  they are also likely to be popular. - CORRECT. True. "Good" can be subjective and can be eliminated.

(D) It is harder to get a book published today than it once was. - WRONG. Altogether irrelevant.

(E) Unpopular books are not likely to make money for the publisher. - WRONG. First, being unpopular is a likelihood prior to publishing. But if anyhow an unpopular book is published it can either make money or may not. Hence a reverse case can't be the main conclusion.

C and E are only contenders.

Answer C.

Himank123 · Answer

Can you please tell why option E is incorrect

RonTargetTestPrep · Answer

The passage includes the following:
 ...unlikely to be popular, and hence unlikely to be a moneymaker...

"Hence" confirms that this is a cause/effect relationship:  If a book is unlikely to be popular, then it will be unlikely to make the publisher any money. 
This is  one premise in the existing argument —in other words, one of the statements with which the reasoning BEGINS. So, it certainly cannot be the conclusion of the passage.

Publishers, like all private businesses, have always been concerned ab

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Publishers, like all private businesses, have always been concerned ab

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