New York was a vast improvement over Chicago; despite some wide aisles there was energy in the hall and lines for autographing were as long as ever, though hard to say exactly who was doing the waiting. But what struck me most was the standing room-only attendance at the Adult Editors’ Book Buzz, which has continued to grow in importance with each year. Booksellers attend in droves and the correlation between the titles that are previewed and the ultimate success of these books in the marketplace has become bankable.
This year’s entries were very impressive, with some of the hottest editors in the business presenting books that have already received astoundingly strong endorsements from a wide range of authors and booksellers. Some commented on the fact that all the books were fiction this year, but, as fiction has always dominated, that did not seem too significant. But it was disappointing to note that all 6 of the entries came from “big 5” houses. There is strong publishing being done at Norton, Grove, HMH, not to mention the hundreds of smaller literary presses such as Melville House, Other Press, and Bellevue and the Buzz Panel offers a unique opportunity to showcase some of those publishers’ books. I do not know the process for selection but think it is incumbent upon the organizers to offer a broader assortment of publishers in the future. It’s worth noting that the Library Buzz panel featured publishing colleagues from a far wider range.
