Events: BookExpo and BookCon 2015

Every year, thousands of people in the book business gather at the premier industry trade show, BookExpo.

This year’s event, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, was expanded for two days afterward by the consumer-friendly BookCon.

 The BookExpo experience is all-books-all-the-time for three days or so. There are ticketed breakfasts and lunches where hundreds gather for a meal, free books and a chance to come face-to-face with authors.

Mostly, though, there are publishers. Hundreds of them. Their booths fill the Javits Center from one end to the other, and each is there to do one thing: showcase their newest, most exciting books to the mostly independent booksellers who come from near and far, far and wide, to see what they’ll be selling in the months to come.

The publishers who want to grab some real attention make advance copies available. Stacked up by the hundreds, or handed out at autographing sessions, these advance readers’ copies (ARCs if you’re into the lingo) can be like gold. And they go fast. It’s not uncommon to see people filling tote bags (also given away by publishers) with every kind of book: fiction, non-fiction, travel, romance, mystery, memoir, you name it.

In the aisles things move fast, so there’s little time for getting a sense of what a book is truly like before you take it. Often it’s the title or the author or the cover that compels you, and only when you get home do you know if you grabbed a diamond or a dud.

Every year, there’s at least one Big Book. This year, it seemed like there were two: City on Fire and Illuminae (both coming from Knopf in October). ARCs of these were readily available -- the piles were mountainous -- and I doubt one was left when BookExpo closed up shop.

There were authors galore this year, from names you don’t know (yet) to bestsellers to movie stars. Garth Risk Hallberg, author of City on Fire, signed copies. Mindy Kaling signed copies of her upcoming book. So did Julianne Moore. So did John Grisham. So did Brad Meltzer. Jonathan Franzen was there to talk about his upcoming novel, Purity. Lee Child, James Patterson, Nathan Lane, Judy Blume, Al Roker, Bernadette Peters, Jesse Eisenberg, Gregory Maguire, Brian Selznick, David Baldacci -- all were there, all with books coming out soon, along with hundreds of other authors, along with publicists, marketing people, editors, agents, and booksellers.

This year, BookExpo was held on a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday and the next two days were filled with BookCon. While attendance at BookExpo is limited to people in the book trade, BookCon is open to the public. By 8:00 am on Saturday morning, there was an enormous line outside Javits, and the doors didn’t open until 10. I was blown away by the size of the crowd, which only grew as the opening bell ticked closer. BookExpo usually pulls in around 25,000 people, but that crowd is made up of every sort of person: author, editor, publicist, etcetera, with, in the end, probably a few thousand bookshop owners, librarians, bloggers and press, a good cross-section of the industry.

BookCon’s numbers, it seemed to me, were far greater -- and this was just people who attended. The massive crowd swarmed Javits, ducking in and out of booths, attending author events, schmoozing with fellow fans, and standing in line for autographs. I was impressed by the sheer number of people, as well as by the fact that these people love reading enough to buy BookCon tickets, fly or drive or train to New York, get up at dawn, weather the lines, and show up for their favorite authors while screaming like fans at a rock concert. They are true fans, and no matter what kind of books they love, they love them big-time. Anyone who doubts that people love to read just need to spend a few hours at BookCon -- and surely the people who make it to BookCon represent so very many more who couldn’t. These are the people writers write for, the people publishers publish for. In other words, for the people who trek to BookExpo, the BookCon crowd is pure gold. Together, these two events have become the center of the publishing universe. Next year, BookExpo will be in Chicago. No idea yet about BookCon -- but if you like books, get there. I’ll see you in the aisles.

Falling in Love With Books All Over Again

An elegant Tokyo bookstore helps readers fall back in love with the written word. From Medium:

… I was more than a little surprised when I recently entered the flagship Tokyo store of a multimedia chain called Tsutaya, and saw throngs of people eagerly crowding the magazine section. The store, in the Daikanyama district, felt like a testament to the continued power and relevance of the written word — a place where browsing, reading, and buying books and magazines was a popular and pleasurable experience.

It’s not just that Tsutaya feels more upscale than other bookstores. It’s that it celebrates words and books, and the people who read and write them, in a thoughtful, seductive, and ultra-contemporary way. 

Don’t get me wrong: This is a business, not a cultural institution. It sells books from 7:00 am till 2:00 am every day of the week, closing only to clean and restock. And it’s always packed. This first location has proved such a hit that another site has already opened in the Kanagawa area outside Tokyo, with a third outpost soon to debut in nearby Futakotamagawa district.

Read the full piece here.

Books for Kids Up, Celeb Memoirs Down

A recent article in The Guardian reports that, in the UK, there has been a “decline in biography and cookbook sales, while children’s literature in print” has risen by 10 per cent.

As the piece points out, there was a time when publishers knew all they had to do was sign up a big name and get the book out by Christmas. Recent data indicates those days are gone.

Overall in the UK, non-fiction was down, but books for kids were up across all categories:

Sales of children’s books in print were up 10% to £328m, defying expectations that under-18s would abandon paper books for screen reading.

Children’s fiction provided the industry’s biggest-selling book, John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars. The love story narrated by a 16-year-old cancer patient was turned into a Hollywood film and sold 900,000 paperbacks in 2014 – outselling the latest offerings from Lee Child, Kate Atkinson and Donna Tartt.

The full piece is here.

Zuckerberg’s Book Club

What do Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and media maven Orpah Winfrey have in common? Well, probably more than a little, but what we’re looking at today is Zuckerberg’s newest venture: a book club.

Zuckerberg started out his Facebook year by announcing that his “challenge for 2015 is to read a new book every other week -- with an emphasis on learning about different cultures, beliefs, histories and technologies.”

The first book mentioned on Zuckerberg’s newly created Facebook page A Year of Books is The End of Power by Moisés Naím (Basic Books, 2013). Subtitled From Boardrooms to Battlefields and Churches to States, Why Being In Charge Isn’t What It Used to Be, “It’s a book that explores how the world is shifting to give individual people more power that was traditionally only held by large governments, militaries and other organizations,” Zuck writes. “The trend towards giving people more power is one I believe in deeply, and I’m looking forward to reading this book and exploring this in more detail.”

Since The End of Power was in Amazon’s number 86 position at time of writing, it would seem likely that Zuckerberg’s literary pronouncements might pack the same wallop Oprah’s did at the height of her powers in the 1990s.

Goose Lane at Sixty

In 2015, the distinguished all-Canadian publisher, martime-based Goose Lane Editions turns 60.

Last fall, to mark the anniversary, the house published a fantastic collection, tiny but splendid collection. Goose Lane selected six “tiny perfect stories” and published them in six, well… tiny perfect books. Each story is individually bound, though offered as part of a set under a specially designed sleeve.

The resulting package is… well, truly special, representing, in a way, Goose Lane’s glorious past, as well as it’s shining future.

Included is Alden Nowlan’s “A Boy’s Life With Napolean,” published posthumously in 1988. Also included are titles by Lynn Coady, Douglas Glover, Shauna Singh Baldwin, Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer and Mark Anthony Jarman. The collection is precious, in the best possible way, and memorable. A sliver of the best Canadian writing of all time: which, when you think about it, sums illustrious sexagenarian Goose Lane up pretty well.

More Seven Figure Advances Part of the “New Normal”

Seven figure advances on novels are becoming more common, according to Publishers Weekly, who reports that a number of factors are responsible.

During the run-up to this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair in early October, three seven-figure deals for debut works were closed by Big Five houses. Shortly after the fair, the New York Times ran an article about a waitress who landed a high six-figure advance. The streak continued with news that St. Martin’s Press had paid seven figures for a debut novel by New York Times reporter Stephanie Clifford. And, two weeks ago, word broke that indie author Blake Crouch landed seven figures at Crown for Dark Matter, his science fiction novel. For some in the industry, the flurry of big advances is simply business as usual. Others, however, attribute the run to a dearth of great material, along with the ever-pressing need on the part of the big houses to publish major bestsellers.

George Gibson, an industry veteran who is now publishing director at Bloomsbury USA, warned against reading too much into the latest round of big deals, noting that they happen “fairly regularly during the year.” Nonetheless, Gibson acknowledged that the business has changed. For the Big Five, especially, the highly sought-after projects have become essential. “The game plan to make your budget, or exceed it, relies on having bestsellers. That’s always been the case, but it’s the case now more so than ever.” Because both midlist and backlist titles aren’t selling as well as they once did, Gibson explained, the big books, “are more important.”

The full piece is here.

Seven Sequels: Publishers Getting Creative

With the business of selling books getting more demanding by the minute, it behooves publishers to get on board with doing things differently. While everyone in the business knows this, not everyone truly gets it.

Orca Books is one outfit that has been understanding that message since the outset. The medium-sized Canadian publisher based in Victoria, British Columbia has developed several series intended to inspire readers who’ve liked one book to latch on and select further from an ever-deepening pool of similar books.

One of these is the thriller series Orca calls Seven. Aimed at 10 to 15-year-old readers, the series launched in 2012 with seven linked books from seven different highly regarded authors. Orca explains the premise of the series:

When David McLean, beloved grandfather and avid adventurer, dies at the age of ninety-two, he leaves behind a very unusual will that outlines the seven tasks he has set for his seven grandsons. Eric Walters and six other well -- known authors -- John Wilson, Ted Staunton, Richard Scrimger, Norah McClintock, Sigmund Brouwer and Shane Peacock -- bring their signature styles to a series of adventures that take readers from the top of Kilimanjaro to the bottom of the Mediterranean.

Great idea, right? And it seems to be working, inviting readers to indulge in the literary equivalent of binge-watching a television series. Over 100,000 copies of the original seven have been sold (a good number in Canada) and the house has just followed up with sequels from each author, labeling the project “The Seven Sequels” and anchoring it with its own web site. All 14 books now in the series are linked, but can be read out of sequence or even on their own.

HarperCollins Romancing Harlequin

Though regulatory approval is still pending, it looks like Toronto’s Torstar will sell the Harlequin division it has owned for 39 years to HarperCollins for $455 million. From the Victoria Times Colonist:

After nearly four decades of romance, Torstar Corp. and book publisher Harlequin are breaking up.

The owner of the Toronto Star newspaper and other publications announced Friday that it is selling its romance novel division, Harlequin Enterprises Ltd., to global media company News Corp. for $455 million in cash. 

"We think we did the right thing in exiting," David Holland, president and CEO of Torstar, said during a conference call to discuss the sale. 

Torstar (TSX:TS.B) said the deal will see Harlequin stay headquartered in Toronto and run as a division of HarperCollins Publishers, also owned by media mogul Rupert Murdoch. 

"While making the decision to sell was difficult, we are confident that this transaction represents excellent value for Torstar shareholders and importantly further strengthens Torstar's financial position and capital base as we continue in our evolution as a company," Holland told financial analysts. 

Shareholders welcomed the news, as Torstar's stock shot up 22 per cent, or $1.47, to close at $8.15 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Its previous 52-week high was $6.95.

See the full piece here while Quill & Quire chimes in here while the Globe & Mail adds their voice here.

Chinese Put Push on Books and Literacy

While retailers know that some book markets are shrinking, there’s growth out there, as well. In fact, in China, book sales are booming. In 2013 alone, online sales exceeded 16 billion yuan ($2.56 billion), a 30 percent year-on-year increase, according to a report published by the People’s Daily on Thursday, this from ecns.cn, the English-language web site of China News Service (CNS), a state-level news agency.

And though Chinese readers are buying a lot of books, what they’re reading may be quite different than their North American counterparts:

According to figures provided by baidu.com, China's largest Web search company, people between the ages of 20 and 39 search for books on the search engine more than any other age group. Men mainly search for books on the arts, textbooks, science and literature, while women search for social science books the most.

There are many recent book and literacy-related items at ecns.cn. So much so that, with the distinctive voice of a state-run agency, the news items often take on the patina of propaganda. But if it’s for a good cause -- literacy and reading awareness -- is it still propaganda?

Recently covered stories include news of the fourth annual “Reading Season,” which began earlier in April and will continue for three months; a story about an unidentified chauffeur who borrowed 2,846 books from a Shanghai library last year. (“The chauffeur said he reads fast and had time to read the books because he is required to wait in the car for his boss for a long time. He usually visits two library branches a day.”) A story about a group of Chinese publishers successfully starting to sell books using WeChat, the Chinese social media site and coverage of Beijing’s first 24-hour bookstore:

Sanlian Taofen Bookstore (STB) in Dongcheng District expanded its operating hours round the clock on April 8, with staff members' undoubted fatigue rewarded with plaudits and boosted revenue. 

Yuan Yue is one happy customer. The 28-year-old from Hebei Province welcomed having an alternative venue in which to read. "It provides a better place to spend the long night than at home," said Yuan.

Fighting Censorship: Off With Their Clothes!

A group of French booksellers and publishers have gotten together to protest censorship in an entirely new and different way.

When Tous à Poil, (Everyone Naked), was attacked by a politician, these publishing professionals took their best shot in a campaign entitled “everyone naked against censorship.” Wearing nothing but carefully placed books the group said they were naked to show their “support for authors and books which have been unjustly attacked.” From The Guardian:

After a French children's book which set out to remove stigma around nudity by featuring drawings of everyday people getting undressed drew the ire of France’s UMP party, a group of publishers and booksellers decided to register their displeasure -- by posing naked.

Jean-François Copé appeared on television earlier this month to denounce Tous à Poil, a children's picture book in which characters including a policeman and a school teacher are shown getting undressed, and naked, before plunging into the sea. The authors, Claire Franek and Marc Daniau, wrote it to take the shame out of being naked. "If you think about it, whether you're a baby, a doctor or a baker … we all have buttocks, a tummy button, genitals and even moles," they have said. "With this book, we therefore decided to take an uninhibited look at nudity."

Predictably -- even for France -- the book didn’t sit well with everyone. Copé, who is the head of France’s Union pour un Mouvement Populaire party, said that he was outraged when he saw the book:

"My heart missed a beat," he said in an interview. "A naked teacher … isn't that great for teachers' authority! We don't know whether or not to smile, but as it is for our children, we don't feel like smiling. A naked baby, a naked babysitter, naked neighbours, a naked granny, a naked dog …" he went on.

His comments backfired, sending the book racing to the top of bestseller lists in France, according to Le Monde, and drawing widespread condemnation, with minister for education Vincent Peillon calling Copé a "spokesperson for extremist groups", the French press reported.

“World’s Biggest Bookstore” Will Close in February

The Toronto retail space at 20 Edward Street, just north of Toronto Eaton Centre, that has billed itself as “the world’s biggest bookstore” since the early 1980s has been sold to developers. The bookstore currently there will close early next year.

Though the space has housed an Indigo Books for the last several years, the space was initially purchased by Jack Cole, founder of Coles Books, back in 1979. Coles Books was an important Canadian retailer. And if “Coles Notes” are familiar to you, Jack Cole was one of the reasons why. But according to Jack’s son, David, the sale doesn’t go against dad’s wishes. From the Toronto Star:

Property owner David Cole, son of Cole Books founder Jack Cole, who died in 1997, said the sale is pending. He said the story that his father was adamant that the site would always house a bookstore is an urban legend.

“I was with my dad the day he bought it in 1979. My dad would have wanted what was best for his family,” said Cole.

The store at 20 Edward St., a short block from the Eaton Centre, opened in 1980 and was a tourist attraction for many years. A former bowling alley, the space is a somewhat awkward 64,000 square feet over three levels, including an alcove on the second floor.

It’s not actually the world’s biggest bookstore. There is a Barnes & Noble in New York City that is more than twice as large. But it still houses a vast number of books, including a wall of Shakespeare, a wall of poetry and another dedicated to Manga. It has long rows of fiction, including a Star Wars section.

And, like Sam the Record Man, which closed in 2007, and Honest Ed’s, which has been sold to a Vancouver developer, the World’s Biggest Bookstore was a brash, quirky retailer that for a long time anchored Toronto’s retail landscape.

The new owners say they have “no finalized plans or intentions for the property” at the moment, but anticipate adding it to their portfolio.

Oh Beautiful Book

In the digital era, books aren’t so much being threatened as they are being forced to reinvent themselves. This is something we’ve been saying for quite some time. In the Irish Times, Danielle Ryan says it again and says it differently and with emphasis:

Books now need to be well produced, beautiful, covetable and visual, and with an attention to detail; they must be possessions the consumer will want to display proudly. Although we cannot divorce the book entirely from the act of reading, we can acknowledge that it is an object and a product and remains separate from its digital cousins.

Ryan is putting her money where her mouth is and has recently launched Roads Publishing in Dublin with a line of high end, luxurious classics because, “advances in technology mean that readers, quite rightly, will turn their noses up at poorly produced books, with sloppy editing, cheap paper and cliched covers, when they compare the price tag with that of the digital version.”

10 Million Dollar Cornwell Move Will Bring Scarpetta to the Screen

Patricia Cornwell’s upcoming move from Penguin to HarperCollins might have as much to do with getting fictional medical examiner Dr. Kay Scarpetta to the screen as it does with the reported $10 million the author will see for signing up for a two-book deal. From The Hollywood Reporter:

The deal is part of a renewed effort to finally get a Scarpetta movie into theaters. Elizabeth Gabler, president of Fox 2000, which is developing the film, played an influential role in the move to sister company HarperCollins, according to all parties involved.   In the statement announcing the publishing deal, Gabler said, "One of our greatest priorities is to begin production on the film as soon as possible." She hopes to have a movie in theaters in 2015.  Michael Morrison, the president and publisher of the General Books Group at HarperCollins, said his imprint had "good synergy" with Fox 2000, pointing to their work together on 2008's Marley & Me. "Knowing that Elizabeth and her team were high on [a Scarpetta film] definitely influenced our acquiring the books."

There is no mystery as to who will play the woman who has been the heroine of 21 of the popular novelist’s books:

Angelina Jolie has been attached to play Scarpetta since 2009 and as recently as December 2011 Cornwell reaffirmed Jolie's role. "If all the other pieces … fit together to make sure everyone’s happy with it," she said, the actress will play her popular character, adding, "It's looking hopeful."

Which Authors Will Take Home the Biggest Check in 2013?

What do the top earning authors in the world have in common? If the research Forbes magazine has done is any indication, not very much. Forbes’ recently published list of the top ten earning authors for 2013 illustrates this very plainly.

Fifty Shades of Grey author E.L. James tops the list at $95 million. As almost everyone knows, this upstart author started out writing the bit of Twilight fanfic that became 50 Shades. How did she accomplish this? Forbes answers: “Simply by selling more copies faster than any other author in history -- more than 70 million in the first eight months they were on sale in the U.S.” (Hey, wait: why didn’t I think of that?)

In stark contrast, the number two spot on the list is owned by thriller author James Patterson. Patterson’s Alex Cross series of books make him as traditional an author to be on this list as possible. Number three, Hunger Games author Suzanne Collins, and number five, popular conservative pundit Bill O'Reilly, show the varied nature of this list. But even within this disparity, there is some connection. From Forbes:

While the big books are bigger than ever thanks to the dynamics of book retailing and the frictionless e-book purchasing environment, the most important ingredients of a blockbuster never change, says Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group. “I think it’s the surprise and originality that lead to the giant scale,” says Pietsch, whose roster of writers includes Patterson. “That’s why there are all these delicious stories of the book that was rejected by 96 publishers – because people are looking at what worked in the past.”

Here’s the list:

#1: E.L. James $95 million
#2: James Patterson $91 million
#3: Suzanne Collins $55 million
#4: Bill O'Reilly: $28 million
#5: Danielle Steel: $26 million
#6: Jeff Kinney: $24 million
#7: Janet Evanovich $24 million
#8: Nora Roberts: $23 million
#9: Dan Brown $22 million
#10: Stephen King: $20 million

Libraries Get Grassroots Treatment

Though books and reading have never been more popular, in a difficult world economy, traditional libraries are constantly under threat. Not only is funding an increasing challenge, the very concept of a community library is  being questioned in some areas. In an age of e-books and an ever-present Internet, is there even really a need for an institution that makes books available to the community?

A grassroots movement has the answer to all of these questions. Ask anyone involved with the Little Free Library if people still want books and it seems likely you’ll get a resounding “Yes!”

Over the last few years, free and pop up libraries have been appearing with increasing frequency around the world. For example, 40 countries have registered 5000 Little Free Libraries, such as the one shown at left. Basically the size of a large birdhouse or an ample dollhouse, patrons may come an take a book… or leave one, with the idea being a sharp focus on literacy and an effort to get and keep people reading.

If you’d like to see if there’s a Little Free Library in your community, visit the world map here. Meanwhile, there’s a message here for library administrators and anyone who would wonder about the health of books and reading: despite extreme technological advances, at their core, libraries still really need to be about books.

Planet a Little Lonelier

At a time when record heat waves around the world have many people concerned for the future, layoffs at a certain publishing company have observers worried about a different kind of Planet. From The Guardian:

As news emerged that iconic Melbourne travel publisher Lonely Planet was to shed its editorial staff as part of an overhaul following its sale by the BBC, writers, travelers and daydreamers took to Twitter with the hashtag #lpmemories to share their sense of loss. The stream reads like an obituary to the heyday of travel writing, an honest ode of affection for the largest travel guide publisher in the world.

You can read the full piece here.

Self-Published Books “Terrible”

How could this headline in Good E-Reader not catch your eye?

“The Overwhelming Majority of Self-Published eBooks Are Terrible”

In a piece about the lack of gatekeepers in the current self-publishing model, Michael Kozlowski writes:

At the Writing in a Digital Conference in London, Andrew Franklin, founder and managing director of Profile Books, blasted authors who self-publish. “The overwhelming majority of self-published books are terrible—unutterable rubbish, they don’t enhance anything in the world.”

Franklin went on a verbal tirade against the vast majority of self-published authors saying, “These books come out and are met with a deathly silence, so the principle experience of self-publishing is one of disappointment.” He went on to voice his increasingly disparaging remarks by saying “I was very shocked to learn you can buy Facebook friends and likes on social media. That is what passes for affirmation in what I think is the deeply corrupt world of self-publishing.”

You can read the full piece here.

On the Floor: Book Expo 2013

This year’s annual convention of all things publishing was held at the Javits Center in New York City from May 31st through June 1st. A few things set it apart from other years’ events. The show seemed a bit smaller this year, more compact, with booths, meeting rooms, even shipping condensed into the center’s massive main-floor rooms.

There were plenty of authors and books around, of course. There’s a new Scott Turow legal thriller coming. A new Jacqueline Mitchard in the YA space. A new seven-novel series from a British woman who’s just 20 and already is making global buzz. And about 27 new James Patterson novels (a slight exaggeration, perhaps).

Advance copies were everywhere, and so were authors. I spotted a few: Turow, Mo Willems, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Chelsea Handler and Lemony Snicket. I heard Donna Tartt was there; her third novel is coming soon. Wally Lamb, too, and Diana Gabaldon. Amy Tan, who has a new novel coming this fall. Jim Carrey, in a mode I can only call manic but gracious, greeted a mob of thousands on day two, then another, smaller mob on day three. Even his smaller group was pretty massive, and he had more bodyguards and crowd control than anyone in recent memory. Jessica Lange was there, radiant as ever. Jim Gaffigan spoke for a bit, then signed copies of his book.

I attended a breakfast (along with a thousand other people, including fellow January contributing editor Ian Buchsbaum) where Octavia Spencer, Oscar-winning actress from The Help, spoke about how books were her first love; she’s written one for young readers. Fellow panelists included Mary Pope Osborne, who shared letters she’s received from kids who have loved her Magic Tree House series and spoke about how important it is to get young people to read. Rick Riordan was hilarious, speaking about the road from school teacher to novelist. And Veronica Roth spoke brilliantly about the importance of reading with the right attitude: to learn.

Day three of this year’s event was open to the public, which is a new wrinkle for this trade-only trade show. There was something kind of wonderful about sharing this usually closed space with people off the street. They came from near and far, each there to feed their desire for books. I saw packs of friends, whole families, and many wandering singles, all with bags of books in hand, all marveling at this world where books happen. In the end, I think, they weren’t that different from everyone else at Book Expo every year: they’re curious, they love the written word, and they crave a new adventure.

The Ethical Book Reviewer

Are book critics due for a code of ethics? According to a panel held at Book Expo America, running now through June 1 in New York City, whether one is needed or not, getting critics to agree on what’s missing is no easy task. Lily Rothman reports for TIME:

It was a topic that, because of one obvious reason, provoked lots of spirited debate, As of now, book reviewers have no set of guiding principles. Sure, publications and individual writers have vague ideas about what’s okay, but the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) has not adopted a set of ethical guidelines. Yet. After conducting a survey of members of the industry—the data from which will be available in the fall—and holding events like the BEA panel, the NBCC will issue its ethical best practices.

It’s difficult for anyone to even agree on some of the basics. For example, what does the word “objective” really mean?

For one thing, even the words that might be used need definitions. In the world of criticism, where opinion is key, what does it mean to be objective? Maureen Corrigan, a participant and the book critic for NPR’s Fresh Air, clarified that objectivity, impartiality and fairness are three very different things: a critic can be honest and up-front about her biases without abandoning her personal taste. The survey (a few tidbits of which were revealed at the panel) also revealed that different people have different ideas about which part of a reviewer’s background would cause him to be automatically biased.

You can see the full piece here. Meanwhile, BEA continues at the Javits Center until Saturday.

Small Bookstores Fight Back

Though you don’t have to go far to find news from the book industry that is filled with doom and gloom, a bright thread can be seen gleaming through recent stories focusing on independent bookstores. From the Christian Science Monitor:

"2012 was the year of the bookstore," says Wendy Welch, co-owner of Tales of the Lonesome Pine in Virginia and author of the 2012 memoir "The Little Bookstore of Big Stone Gap." In her memoir, she recounts how she and her husband, Jack Beck, created – sometimes despite themselves – a successful used-book store in a town that, by any business measure, is too small to support one.

"Jack and I will never be rich. But we found a place where people said there wasn't a market and we said 'yes there was,' " says Ms. Welch. "We feel like it's important for bookslingers to hang together – we'll hang together or we'll hang separately.... And we're holding the line."

Sales at independent bookstores rose about 8 percent in 2012 over 2011, according to a survey by the American Booksellers Association (ABA). This growth was all the more remarkable since the sales of the national chain Barnes & Noble were so tepid. "I think the worst days of the independents are behind them," says Jim Milliot, coeditorial director for Publishers Weekly magazine. "The demise of traditional print books has been a bit overblown. Everybody is a little anxious, but they are starting to think they've figured it out for the time being."

The balance of this lengthy and interesting piece is here.