Shitstorm Management
Coping with Crises in Turbulent Times
Public outrage spreads fast – especially in the digital world. Learn why the book industry is particularly affected, and how to face a shitstorm with calm, clarity, and confidence.
Digital outrage is shaping how we communicate
We are living in times of great social upheaval and conflict. How do we want to live in the future? What is important to us? And how do we want to treat each other?
These big questions are reflected in current discourses shaping our public sphere, such as growing polarisation, heated debates about identity, and a culture of outrage that often passes judgement faster than it understands.
My professional and academic journey into the storm
This framework also changes the playbook for brands and product launches – in short, it changes how we do marketing. This development is also fuelling a phenomenon that embodies the dynamics of our digital world more than anything else, and which has been a part of my professional journey for many years: Shitstorms. I have not only been in the eye of a shitstorm myself many times, but have also thoroughly researched its dynamics and published the first scientific paper ten years ago in cooperation with Carnegie Mellon University.
Why the book industry is especially vulnerable
The book industry seems to be hit by shitstorms more often than other sectors. The reasons for this are complex. Today, authors, publishers and bookshops all operate in a public space that reacts more quickly, makes more radical judgements and is less forgiving.
Books are not just commodities. They represent ideas, values and worldviews; they are projection surfaces; and sometimes they are even sparks of social conflict. In my view, there are three main reasons why the industry is particularly vulnerable to storms of criticism.
1. High symbolic value:
Books are never just stories or information; they are always statements. Every topic, character and expression can be interpreted as an attitude. In an increasingly polarised culture of debate, books quickly become focal points for questions of representation, discrimination, diversity and interpretative sovereignty. Criticism is levelled not only at the text itself, but also at what it symbolises.
2. Visibility of authors and their publishers
Authors are public figures, not invisible voices. They give interviews, post on social media, and sometimes make political statements. This is beneficial, but also risky. When a statement polarises, the spotlight immediately falls on the publisher. On the book. On the decision to publish it. In this case, visibility also means vulnerability.
3. Value-sensitive community
Finally, the book industry has a strong cultural resonance. Readers, booksellers and bookfluencers, for example, see themselves not just as consumers, but as part of a value-based cultural space. Anyone who doesn’t feel comfortable there voices their criticism. They do so publicly, quickly and frequently. This culture of resonance is a treasure, but it also has a dark side: anyone who offends will feel the consequences immediately.
How to staying calm in the storm
Experience has taught me that if you face a crisis with calmness, a clear strategy and the right attitude, you can not only avert damage, but also emerge stronger. That’s why my guiding principle, inspired by Arthur Dent from The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, who managed to do quite well by this motto, is quite simple: ‚Don’t panic‘! Over the years that I have been dealing with this topic, I have developed a guideline that provides guidance in acute cases and shows ways to prevent them effectively.
If you would like to find out more, whether you work in publishing or another industry, please get in touch or attend the workshop, ‚Crisis Management Digital: Dealing Confidently with Shitstorms in Polarised Times‘, which I will be presenting on 6 June 2025 as part of the ‚Neue Kapitel‘ congress organised by the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels.
