I believe that the more you know about publishers and how they choose which books to publish, the better buyer and readers advisor you are. That’s why I am excited to introduce a series of podcasts from the publishers at Perseus Book Group, made specifically for Early Word readers, about titles they are bringing out in late Spring. Click here, or on the banner ad above, to hear what they have to say. In addition to listening to the podcasts on the site, you can download them to your iPod or MP3 player.

The podcasts represent a wide range of publishers who are well-represented in libraries (links are to the individual publisher’s podcast pages). 

• Avalon Travel, Bill Newlin, Publisher

“Publishers of Rick Steves, Moon, and many other series and travel guides.”

• Basic Books, John Sherer, Publisher

“Renowned publisher of serious nonfiction by leading intellectuals, scholars and journalists.”

• Da Capo Press, John Radziewicz, Publisher

“Entertaining and Informative Books for the Way You Live.”

• PublicAffairs, Susan Weinberg, Publisher

“Good Books about Things That Matter”

• Running Press, Jon Anderson, Publisher

“Creative…Engaging…and Lots of Fun”

• Seal Press, Krista Lyons, Publisher

“Groundbreaking Books. By Women. For Women”

• Vanguard Press, Roger Cooper, Publisher

“Bringing you the best in general trade fiction and nonfiction books”

• Westview Press, Cathleen Tetro

“Distinguished publisher of academic and college books in the social sciences, humanities, and sciences”

Give them a listen and let us know what you think.

Barack Obama’s writing skills get appreciation from two sources:

New York Times:

From Books, New President Found Voice, by Michiko Kakutani 

Barack Obama’s love of language and reading has helped him to communicate and shaped his sense of the world.

The Wall Street Journal:

All the Presidents’ Literature 

Rare is the leader who can actually write well, but those who do offer a window into their governing style. Jonathan Raban on the best presidential writers, and what Barack Obama’s memoirs say about how he’ll lead.

Barry Unsworth’s new novel, Land of Marvels, was featured on Saturday’s All Things Considered and in the NYT Book Review. It rose in Amazon’s sales rankings to 319 from 1,075.

The book is owned in small quantities in large libraries (one each for the largest branches). Reserves are heavy where NPR is influential.

Land of Marvels

Unsworth, Barry

• Hardcover: $26; 304 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese (January 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0385520077
• ISBN-13: 978-0385520072

Today marks the 200th anniversary of Edgar Allan Poe’s birth. The New York Times presents a slide shows about the author, based on images from the New York Public Library:

New York Times, Edgar Allan Poe at 200

and the Wall Street Journal offers an assessment of his influence:

Wall Street Journal, Poe at 200 — Eerie After All These Years

Sarah Weinman writes in the L.A. Times about the five cities who claim him:

Los Angeles Times, Who owns Edgar Allan Poe?

and  about the books that have just been published to honor Poe:

Poe: A Life Cut Short

Ackroyd, Peter

• Paperback: $14.99; 416 pages
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks (January 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0061690422
• ISBN-13: 978-0061690426

In the Shadow of the Master: Classic Tales by Edgar Allan Poe and Essays by Jeffery Deaver, Nelson DeMille, Tess Gerritsen, Sue Grafton, Stephen King, Laura Lippman, Lisa Scottoline, and Thirteen Others

Edited by Michael Connelly

• Hardcover: $25; 416 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (January 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0061690392
• ISBN-13: 978-0061690396

On a Raven’s Wing

Stuart M. Kaminsky (Editor) , James W. Hall, Thomas H. Cook, Mary Higgins Clark, Don Winslow

• Hardcover: $21.95; 224 pages
• Publisher: Nan A. Talese (January 20, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 038550800X
• ISBN-13: 978-0385508001

Talk about blurbing a book. Patricia Cornwell likes forthcoming debut novel American Rust by Philipp Meyer so much, that she put it in her latest book, Scarpetta (p 33). The NY Times explores why in their “Media & Advertising” section, Endorsement at a Crime Scene – A Book Plugged in ‘Scarpetta“.

Will the plug boost sales? Hard to tell, but library reserves are not heavy yet. The book got strong reviews in both PW (“Fans of Cormac McCarthy or Dennis Lehane will find in Meyer an author worth watching”) and Library Journal. It is on order by most libraries.

American Rust 
Meyer, Philipp

• Hardcover: $24.95; 384 pages
• Publisher: Spiegel & Grau (February 24, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0385527519
• ISBN-13: 978-0385527514

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Cathleen Tetro

Publisher, Westview

Westview publishes academic titles in core disciplines, which also appeal to those who want to understand current events, such as the U.S. role in the Middle East, the future of U.S. foreign policy, the role of race in the response to Hurricane Katrina, ethnoviolence and the use of popular culture by Christian leaders to expand their congregations, dubbed “Christotainment.”

Download the Catalog Westview Press — Spring ‘09

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Roger Cooper

Publisher, Vanguard Press

Vanguard was established two years ago by publishing veteran, Roger Cooper. Its “mission is to have a selective publishing list, and to look at every book as an event. We craft substantial, focused, and energetic marketing campaigns that will reach the widest possible audience.”

Vanguard is “very proud to be publishing quality commercial fiction in all genres by such bestselling authors as David Morrell, Greg Bear, Eileen Goudge, Kyle Mills, Mark Gimenez, Tom Grace, and others, as well as selected commercial nonfiction, such as the 30th Anniversary Edition of Roots by Alex Haley or Be a Real Estate Millionaire by Dean Graziosi.”

Download the Catalog Vanguard Press — Spring ‘09

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Krista Lyons

Publisher, Seal Press

Seal Press’s motto is “Groundbreaking Books. By Women. For Women.” Their titles aim to offer “edgy, über-honest takes on all sorts of topics.” They are proud to have “scored some firsts and broken a few barriers, publishing the first book on African American women’s health, critical guidebooks on lesbian relationships and parenting, key writings of the third wave feminist movement, and essential, deeply personal stories by transgender men and women.”

See the Website www.sealpress.com

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Jon Anderson

Publisher, Running Press

Running Press’s tag line is “Creative…Engaging…and Lots of Fun.” Their list lives up to this goal, with titles like the “Skinny Bitch” series and the bestselling Cathy Trilogy for young adults.

Download the Catalog Running Press — Fall ‘08

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Susan Weinberg

Publisher, PublicAffairs

Public Affairs motto is “good book about things that matter.” Specializing in nonfiction, particularly politics and books by journalists, they made a major splash in the fall with the instant bestseller, What Happened by Scott McClelland.

Download the Catalog Public Affairs — Spring ‘09

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

John Radziewicz

Publisher, Da Capo Press

Da Capo Press, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, has been publishing for four decades. In addition to their long-standing focus on history and the performing arts, they have become known lately for popularly orient nonfiction. Their eclectic list includes Buzz Bisinger, Christopher Hitchens, T. Berry Brazelton, Mary Oliver and Jenny McCarthy. Da Capo prides itself on publishing “intelligent entertainment and informational books for the way people really live.”

Download the Catalog Da Capo Press — Spring ‘09

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

John Sherer

Publisher, Basic Books, Basic Civitas, and Nation Books

Basic Books has been an important publisher of scholarly books since 1957, known for accessible books on serious subjects. Civitas is their African American imprint. The Nation Books focuses on serious investigative journalism, particularly books that cover subjects that others are afraid to touch.

Download the Catalog Basic Books — Spring ‘09

Among the titles presented are:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Bill Newlin

Publisher, Avalon Travel

Avalon Travel was formed in 1999 with the merger of three independent travel publishers—Moon Publications (established 1973), John Muir Publications (established 1973), and Foghorn Press (established 1982)—creating the largest independent travel publisher based in the United States. Avalon Travel is the home of Rick Steves and the popular RoadTrip USA series.

See the website avalontravelbooks.com

Among the titles presented are:

Ann Patchett is a “dutiful member” of the Nashville Public Library Foundation Board, as she admits in the opening line of her Wall Street Journal piece on Saturday, The Triumph of the Readers. After presenting a “dismal report” on the state of the library’s endowment, Director Donna Nicely announces that the library’s new customer survey shows that the #1 reason people come to the library is not for the computers, not to check out videos, but for books.

She goes on to point out that, in the recent NEA study, the biggest increase in reading of fiction is among 18 to 24 year olds,

But doesn’t it make sense? This is the first crop of newly minted adults who were raised up on Harry Potter novels. They came of age attending midnight release parties at their local bookstores [EarlyWord Ed. Note; and libraries!] and then faking mysterious illnesses the next day for the absolute necessity of staying in bed to read.

As part of a litany about what to do to encourage reading, Patchett says, “ If you’ve got a little extra money you might think of giving it to your public library as most of their operating budgets have been trimmed beyond recognition.”

It broke my heart when I heard there would be no more Princess Diary books, that Forever Princess was the last one.

“Say it isn’t so,” I wailed.

There, there, its okay, because Forever Princess is a perfect novel to curl up with on a bitter-cold winter day; this final book in the series is most satisfying.

Heads-up

In Forever Princess, Princess Mia writes a romance novel as her senior thesis. Avon, a division of HarperCollins has published it for real.

Should this be shelved in adult or in YA with the final chapter in Mia Thermopolis’s life? From checking online catalogs, it appears that about a third of you are putting it in YA.

Ransom My Heart
Meg Cabot and Mia Thermopolis

• Paperback: $14.99; 432 pages
• Publisher: Avon/HarperCollins (January 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 006170007X
• ISBN-13: 978-0061700071

Princess Diaries, Volume X: Forever Princess
Meg Cabot

• Reading level: Young Adult
• Hardcover: $16.99; 400 pages
• Publisher: HarperTeen (January 6, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0061232920
• ISBN-13: 978-0061232923