Interesting. I only just today saw this Editor and Publisher article:
AP to Discontinue Book Review Package
By Dave Astor
Published: February 02, 2007
NEW YORK — The Associated Press is ending its book review package.
“This is a sad turn of events for book reviews. AP reviews, even small, ran far and wide, and always helped sales,” said a book-company publicist who alerted E&P to AP’s decision. The publicist requested anonymity.
When E&P asked AP about the decision, Linda M. Wagner, the wire service’s director of media relations and public affairs, said in a statement today: “AP is revamping its Lifestyles coverage to focus more resources on topics like food and parenting, and as a result we are discontinuing the book-review package that had moved through that department.”
She added that AP “remains as committed as ever” to covering books — via reviews, features about authors, etc. — through its Arts and Entertainment Department.
“In addition, there is a full-time reporter on AP’s national staff, Hillel Italie, whose beat is publishing and books,” Wagner said. “[And] we’ve written a healthy number of spot-news stories related to books, including the announcements of the final Harry Potter installment and the next book pick by both Oprah Winfrey and Starbucks, the National Book Critics Circle finalists, the Newbery-Caldecott prize winners, an obituary of author Tillie Olsen, and a piece about George McGovern’s plans to write a biography of Abraham Lincoln.”
Dave Astor (dastor @ editorandpublisher.com) is a senior editor at E&P.
I remember, long ago, enjoying flipping through the Book World supplement in the Sunday Washington Post. It was the second thing I picked up after the comics. I’ve long since moved on to the information provided in genre magazines and online resources, but I wonder how many people still rely on print outlets for their book news and reviews, and most of them don’t have access to WP’s Book World magazine.
Will this seriously affect them, or are there print alternatives to use? Or am I speculating on something that’s not really as big a deal as I may think? For the record, I think that this may squeeze out coverage for those books that aren’t the blockbuster or superstar novels, which, ironically, are already getting a lot of press coverage because of their celebrity “status” anyway.
I agree Summer, high profile titles will end up getting more coverage in the traditional outlets. The lowest common denominator will apply here as well. Everyone else will be scrambling for visibility on the web via blogs or personal sites or podcasts etc.