- The Rejectionist blog interviews Paul Constant, books editor for The Stranger, Seattle’s alternative newspaper.
- The New York Times reports that conservative television and radio personality Glenn Beck is rivaling Oprah Winfrey when it comes to influencing the sales of novels in the thriller category.
- In a guest post at Bookgasm.com, Fauzia Burke of FSB Associates argues that readers are looking for more from publishers than just books, they want a sense of community.
- The Rumpus reports that the American Book Association is moving forward with a request to the Justice Department to look into the “predatory pricing” practices of retail giants like Target and Walmart.
- Publishers Weekly reports that Simon & Schuster has launched a new e-galley service for reviewers called Galley Grab, a sign of the e-reader’s growing acceptance among the book industry.
- Publishers Lunch is reporting that Borders will be closing another 200 mall-based outlets in January.
- Tomorrow marks National Bookstore Day. Independent retailers around the United States will mark the event with raffles, signings and more.
- Eleven top authors share their tips With the Wall Street Journal on writing a great novel.
- Printers Row suggests websites for book lovers.
- Magazine and newspaper publisher PGA announces plans to “sell beyond the page” by extending branding efforts to multimedia platforms, including television and digital formats.
Matt Staggs is a literary publicist and the proprietor of Deep Eight LLC, a boutique publicity agency utilizing the best publicity practices from the worlds of traditional media and evolving social technologies. He has worked in the fields of public relations and journalism for almost a decade. In addition to his work as a publicist, Matt is a book reviewer and writer whose work appears in both print and web publications.
