In which we see authors retail imagined and true shapes (10)
I believe the answer is:
literature
'in which we see authors' is the definition.
(literary authors)
'retail imagined and true shapes' is the wordplay.
'imagined' indicates an anagram (a re-imagining of the letters).
'and' is a charade indicator (letters next to each other).
'shapes' indicates an anagram (shape can mean to mould or transform).
'retail' with letters rearranged gives 'litera'.
'true' with letters rearranged gives 'ture'.
'litera'+'ture'='LITERATURE'
(Other definitions for literature that I've seen before include "Written works of artistic merit" , "Written material" , "What author writes" , "fliers" , "writer's work" .)