Three Guys One Book wonders why publishers aren’t more aggressive about drumming up pre-publication hype, instead admonishing media outlets to hold their coverage until after the books are published.
Recalibrating the Hype Game
Why Book Critics Matter
Let us now praise professional book reviewers, like them or not. And speaking of reviews, Niall Ferguson threatens the L.R.B. with legal action over a negative review of his new book, Civilization (via).
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Prank Fodder
With April Fool’s Day approaching, it’s a good time to wonder: what kinds of horrible things will you do to the people you love? At the OUP's blog, a list of great pranks for inspiration.
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Fact and Fiction
"if I am going to set a novel in a real place, in a real time, I must get all the details right. I should not put a wall around Washington Square, start the Iraq War in 2005, or claim that maple trees bear acorns. This matters because it has to do with keeping faith with your readers. If you get something verifiable wrong, why should they believe you when you really are making things up?" Helen Benedict for Amazon Author Insights on finding the balance between research and imagination when writing fiction. (Full disclosure, Amazon helps us pay the bills around here!)
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“Afro Picks” Image & Pun Draws Criticism
The cover image of this week's Publisher's Weekly, which centers around an annual feature on African American book publishing, is drawing a lot of attention, mostly negative. Read PW senior news editor Calvin Reid's explanation/mea culpa.
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