The Book Supplement Cometh!
Book reviews, not too long, delivered (somewhat) monthly.
Salutations from the wreckage of our current moment!
In a recent post, I expressed my fervent desire to begin publishing a monthly books supplement. I did the math and realized that in order to do it properly, by paying an assigning editor and securing payment for top reviewers at the bare minimum going rate for the next year, I would need around 750 new paid subscribers (lol). Suffice it to say, that has not yet happened, not even close, but even so, I am determined. I look at the destruction of the book-supporting industry around me and am tempted to despair, but I feel that I must do something. Never give up, never surrender!
I have started to reach out to some writers I know and trust, to see who might be available to write some reviews for a small fee. Ideally, I’d like to pay at least 50 cents per word, but for now it will have to be a little less than that. Unable to do much writing myself at the moment, I’ve been perusing publisher catalogues for the coming months, and am beginning to request advance review copies (ARCs) for some of the books I find interesting. I’d like to play book matchmaker, pairing upcoming titles with reviewers whose tastes align. A debut novel called Queen Mab, you say? Why, that one shall go to the NYU Shakespeare scholar who recently enjoyed Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries. A lyrical memoir about owls from Milkweed Editions? A perfect match for my old friend the birdwatching poet, etc.
This is, after all, what the world of book reviews should do, in my opinion: connect a book to its rightfully intended audience. I can set the books up on a date with someone I think might enjoy them, and then share the results with the relatively large platform I’ve been lucky enough to assemble here.
As the interim editor of this project (until I can afford to pay a real one) I am aiming to pay homage to the book reviews of my youth, found in the “pink pages” of the 1990s San Francisco Chronicle. The reviews will be short, around 200-400 words apiece, fairly light in tone, and shall strive to serve the book’s potential reader above all.
As I said, I don’t yet have the means to do this how I’d like, but I’m going to try to get things rolling nonetheless. I’m planning for a maiden voyage of a beta version of this supplement sometime in early March.
If you’re a free reader who already enjoys this newsletter and would like to see a monthly book review supplement, consider becoming a paid subscriber today. Together we can help bring the neglected and lonely books of this world in from the cold and find warm homes for them.
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Please note: While I appreciate the offers to write reviews for free, or the lovely people who have reached out to suggest their own professional services, I don’t yet have the ability to go through a hiring process at this time. For the moment, review spots are invitation only. This will change if resources for the project expand. Thank you for your understanding.
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Looking forward to this. That Queen Mab book--wow. Can't wait.
Loving it