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Do not think that we are opposed to reading — if we could not read, we would likely go mad. And, yes, we’ve already heard that joke. It wasn’t funny the first million times. Yet we do enjoy these regularly timed “Why Kids Won’t Read” stories, if only because they reinforce the idea that making […]

Far be it for us to name names (Jill), but there are people out there who don’t take the serial comma seriously (Jill). They see it, at best, as something redundant (Jill). They see its omission as a way to raise the blood pressure of perfectly nice people (BS). Some people see its absence as […]

We encountered a bit of radical and bit of paranoid this morning. Naturally, that intrigued us. A theory that not all books need to be put into book form coupled with the worry that digitizing content might lead to controlling access. How much fun is that? Publishers, someday, you are going to look back at […]

It is probably safe to say that if you haven’t yet heard the word “podcast”, you are not paying attention. If you are not paying attention, do not worry. You’re missing out on lots of other things, too. If you are paying attention, you might be getting antsy, worrying as you did during the blog […]

Sometimes we look beyond the world of publishing. It’s a surprisingly big planet, all things considered. Yet in all corners of the globe, we find people just like us: An instant later, Mr Flynn’s 6ft, 13st frame was hurtling towards the first of the vases, all of which were displayed on a windowsill. “Although [I […]

In other Time Warner Books news (yes, we know, we didn’t mention the sale, but not because we don’t care; we are engaged in a new process for such news), MediaBistro interviews Kristen Weber editor at Mysterious Press and Warner Books. We’re going to end the suspense now: Mysterious Press, for those who aren’t reading […]

For our thoughts on HarperCollins’ recent decision to try an advertiser-supported program, look no further. Or rather look no further after you click the link. Yes, we heard you, one person who thinks our obsession with the future of publishing is bizarre. We have attempted to address your concerns, but strongly suspect it’s not going […]

And here is publishing world round-up for this week: James Freyed by agent who sez ‘trust broken’ – Kassie Evashevski of Brillstein-Grey dumped James Frey. Turns out he lied to her, too. Kate Rogers moves to Mountaineers Books as editor-in-chief. National Lampoon Plans to Yuk it Up in Print – National Lampoon, not satisfied with […]

We’re going to say straight up that we don’t believe a new mission statement makes for a new mission, but we are always pleased when the publishing industry looks forward. The New England Booksellers Association has set forth an ambitious plan and created some interesting goals to achieve them: The committee also calls on NEBA […]

Bookseller Chick, who is somewhere on the West Coast, but probably not Pasadena as she never speaks of her home in terms that imply sheer perfection, answered reader questions this week. She deigned to address the issue of authors who turn their books cover out (or their friends who help do this), drive-by signings, and […]