This is one area the digital age hasn't come up with an analogue (other than DMCA). Authors in some ways had less control over distribution (aside from self publishing, you had to go through a publishing house) but had more control over what got published.

Now, with digital distribution, once released, you can't put things back in the bottle (with a few exceptions like when Amazon or Apple do "recalls"), but for the most part, you can't undo things and that means authors have less control over what they produce. Maybe authors aren't allowed capriciousness anymore ("burn all my writings upon death").