Amidst all the sad tales of great bookstores going under, the Strand remains a fixture of the New York lit scene. At Vulture, Chris Bonanos explores the many reasons why the Strand is still afloat, among them the store’s increasing sales of new books. You could also read our own Janet Potter on her lifelong infatuation with bookstores.
Staying Alive
The Tumblr Times
A while back, we noted that Tumblr had begun hiring editors and reporters to cover and curate the site’s social stories and original content. Recently, that (vaguely Soviet sounding) Department of Editorial launched the first iteration of its work: Storyboard. Details on participation can be read here.
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The Kindle Will Disappear Your Old Magazines
Gizmodo discovers that when you cancel a Kindle magazine subscription all the back issues that you’ve accumulated disappear.
Kavita Das and the Empathetic Copy Editor
Kavita Das examines the copy editor's role in today's literary and political landscape, noting how one's approach must change with the times.
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The Rooster Culminates
If you haven’t been following The Morning News Tournament of Books, now is the time to catch up. There’s been ample drama and the always insightful commentary from the booth. The finalists are set – Wolf Hall and The Lacuna – and the champion will be revealed on Monday.
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Too Many Nevers
A new study out of Stony Brook University employs a complex statistical model to figure out what makes a book successful. Judging books on the basis of Amazon sales, awards won and Project Gutenberg downloads, the scientists determined that successful books have a higher-than-average ratio of self-references, prepositions and coordinating conjunctions. Unsuccessful books, on the other hand? A high ratio of adverbs and location markers.
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Jennifer Baker on Representation in Mystery Novels
In these books, the protagonists bring an extra layer of complexity to their search for the truth.
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