The Sequel is a satirical novel that interrogates the book publishing industry. In the contemporary book world, publishing is dominated by the culturally dubbed Big Five: Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan Publishers. These are the top five highest grossing publishing houses and are perceived in the literary world as gateways to authorial success. These houses require writers to work with an agent in order to query their desired publisher. Finding an agent is dependent upon literary prowess and financial means.

When Penguin merged with Random House in 2013, Gerald Howard, a retired book editor for the companies, experienced “this period of flux, and he saw before him a brutal, profit- and growth-obsessed landscape, inimical to his work,” as detailed in a New York Times article on the evolution of the industry (Lozano, Kevin. “How Has Publishing Changed American Fiction?” The New Yorker, 1 Nov. 2023). Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel hyperbolizes the industry’s obsession with financial gain and history of gatekeeping. Within this context, Anna Williams-Bonner’s story highlights the “relentless quest for profits above quality” that the industry promotes and subjects aspiring writers to (Lozano). A character like Anna is able to find artistic success because she has direct connections to the publishing world and the top agents and editors.