Notes from the Small Press Book Fair

Notes from the Small Press Book Fair

I stopped by the Small Press Book fair in Midtown today. The place was packed. So packed, in fact, that the line to get into the debate between The Onion and Daily Show writers was nearly impossible to get into. The line stretched up the stairwell -- up to the sixth floor, in fact. How do I know? I didn't get in, but got a lovely view of the line as it snaked along for several floors below me. The good news is that the Small Press Center filmed it and it should be up on their website next week.

The even better news is that I did get a seat for the presentation by Sam Tanehaus, who has been the editor at the NY Times Book Review for about six months -- making him a new member of a circle that's "probably like belonging to a cult or member of royalty in a very tiny principality somewhere."

He dispensed plenty of good info, and was kind enough to circulate two copies of next week's book review. In it is the list of the Times' 10 best books of the year: Gilead, The Master, Plot Against America, Runaway, Snow, War Trash, Alexander Hamilton, Chronicles, Vol. 1 (Bob Dylan,) Washington Crossing and Will in the World.

Tanehaus spoke very conversationally and spent most of the time fielding questions. Seemed like a really nice guy, approachable -- someone you'd want to have drinks with. I don't know, I was expecting a lot more stuffiness. He seemed eager for feedback on the changes he's making at the book review ("we're very easy to get in touch with via e-mail,") and noted that he's meeting with publishers all the time, including small presses.

From my notes: The NYT book review section covers more books than anyone else, and the section is getting bigger; as opposed to the Washington Post and LA Times, whose sections "seem to be getting smaller."

The Times receives hundreds of book galley copies each week. Tanehaus and two managers sort through them and decide which ones to send to the previewers. They now have six or seven previewers on staff. "We're the only book section in the world who pays people to read books full time." They each read 20 to 25 books a week, either in full or close to that. "They've been doing it for years ... the depth and range of their reading is frightening ... all these eccentrics who are among the most knowledgeable... " (Yeah, sorry my notes peter out here, but I left it in anyhow because I know you want to know more about these people. I'm hoping I can find a story about them somewhere. You figure there should be a great feature, if not an Orhan Pamuk "My Name is Red,"-type drama set into their ranks, or at least a sit-com. I digress.)

The book review goes out early to bookstores across America, and it's read by about 1.5 million people -- "and a lot of them are in the heartland."

"A slam hurts a book less than a bland review," he said, noting one book that was recently slammed and immediately moved to the No.1 spot on Amazon's sales ranking.
He's happy that's he's made their fiction reviews livelier, though now he wants to do the same for the non-fiction reviews.

His mission: "try to make ourselves essential reading" for people who have a general interest in where culture is going.

Web -- contributor page already has more links; a recent debate with Cornel West and Henry Louis appeared in an edited version print but the online package "got a lot of traffic." It has audio, video and a transcript of the entire discussion. "Obviously we want to do more of that."

They wanted to do a reader's poll but so far have found it's "impossible to do with any sort of integrity."
- posted by Amy @ 12/05/2004 06:29:00 PM