Oh me, oh my. Things have been feeling apocalyptic of late, haven’t they? Flash mobs burn down London. Flash traders melt down the stock market. And then there’s the book biz–which, as everyone knows, is having its own problems.
In the wake of last week’s news about Borders going under, the LA Times announced that it is laying off a large percentage of its book review staff, including all of its freelancers.
Book reviews will continue to be done by in-house staff, but the trend is clear: In the Old Media world, book sections are becoming a thing of the past.
But what about the New Media? Is it picking up the slack? Over at the Huffington Post, under “Culture,” I did find a book section. It looks very un-LA Times-ish.
Here are some of the recent posts:
“Sexy Book” Editor Offers Her Top Picks (along with, I might add, some very sexy pictures),
Was Albert Camus Killed By The KGB?
Burning Books: The Hottest Scenes in Literature
Gay ‘Archie Comics’ Character Scores Monthly Spin-off
Writers We Loved in the ’90s: Where Are They Now?
Yuppie Lit: Books About The Filthy Rich
And here was one by our buddy Jason Pinter: You Should Date an Illiterate Guy
I’m sure there are serious book reviews tucked in here and there, but the tone of most of the posts is breezy and gossipy. They read a bit like Us Magazine for books.
Do I mind? Hell no, I love this stuff! Who needs stuffy, “serious” book sections? Trust me, authors and publishers need every bit of glitz and glamor we can get. Go to any writer’s conference, and you will be surrounded by MVPs (Middle-aged, Very Pleasant people). Few of us are ever confused with models for the cover of the next “Sexy Book.”
Maybe this new type of media coverage will change our image. Maybe someday we’ll have to duck behind palm trees to hide from paparazzi, or “wear someone” on the red carpet.
Heck, I’m ready. So are my Jacki-O sunglasses.
How about you? Do you like HuffPo’s book section? Do you lament the decline of book sections in mainstream newspapers?
To be honest, I never read newspaper reviews. And if I ever happened to click on that page on Huffington Post, I’d roll my eyes and click away within a second.
I don’t know what value these things have to other people’s buying habits, but it’s completely irrelevant to mine.
When I am looking for input on some book release, it’s through reviews on blogs or Amazon.
BK Jackson
http://www.bkjackson.blogspot.com
Kathryn, our local paper, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel, still runs a book review page in the Sunday edition. There’s usually one or two reviews and the NYT fiction and non-fiction listing. It used to be more, but at least we get one page, which is better than nothing.
Sadly, the newspaper book sections are dwindling. But I’ll be okay as long as there’s NPR!
I get my book sneak peeks from twitter, online review bloggers, but mostly off my subscription of Publishers Weekly. My local papers only seem to review the same old big names, over & over. They also have either an uber conservative take on books or they write about safe topics of local, historical, or social interests. Very predictable. I usually skim, hoping they surprise me…but SURPRISE…they never do.
Because author (& former editor) Jason Pinter writes for Huff Books, I see a twitter link from time to time. Like TV news, they push for entertainment mostly, but that can be fun. Bottom line is that popular bloggers & online sources do influence readers way more than stodgy “old school” newspapers these days. And the shift toward digital will influence the way we buy as that trend grows.
I agree, Jordan! People are following people these days, more than media venues. Entertaining and insightful analysts will draw their readers wherever they go.
Kathryn – – – I’m thinking more about “wearing someone” on the red carpet. I’m thinking . . . maybe . . . Ryan Reynolds? Brad Pitt??
PS: Haven’t paid attention to book reviews. Word of mouth always wins my vote.