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February 2008
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I took part in several conversations at the Expo about the future of book culture in general and book review sections in general. Everything, everywhere seems to be in upheaval. Some people think it's a problem with book publishers who are more interested in quantity than quality. Some think it's the lack of independent stores, and the passionate owners who used to run them. Some think an alleged rivalry between the mainstream press and literary blogs has something to do with it. Some even blame newspaper publishers. (Not me, of course. I enjoy being employed!) Lots of fingers were pointed. But when it came to books coverage, I don't think enough was asked about what readers of newspapers and book reviews might want. That question is at the very heart of why this blog exists. So tell me -- what do you think the books pages should be doing at The Dallas Morning News? What works for you? What doesn't? Lines are open. |
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Comments
Posted by Mary E. DeMuth @ 7:19 PM Mon, Jun 04, 2007
I attended Book Expo. And heard some of the angst buzz about reviews. Having received some good reviews from Publisher's Weekly and the Midwest Book Review, I value honest, carefully thought out reviews. I do think the decline of book reviewing sections of newspapers has something to do with the commercialization of literary work.
Our words, as authors, are commodities, sold in big box stores. Only the "big" books sell there. The independent spirit of single booksellers is tamped down by a very real bottom line.
Maybe the answer is to praise the independents. Or to let our local papers know how much we appreciate reviews.
Posted by L.A. Starks @ 1:36 PM Tue, Jun 05, 2007
Blaming reviewers, newspapers, or publishers is short-sighted. The overwhelming factor is that books face much more inter-media competition for leisure time than before. Inter-media: television (House, 24), online and off-line video games, IM and e-mail conversations, iPods, blogs, websites, YouTube, MySpace, et cetera.
Intra-media: I understand the new number is nearly 300,000 books published/year.
As an author, reviews are important to me to get the word out to potential readers.
As a reader, amid all these books I rely on reviews to guide me to which new and old books are worth my time. Reviewers who share my taste are real finds: they led me to both Eric Hoffer's The True Believer and to Walter Tevis' The Queen's Gambit, superb books about which I would not otherwise have known.