PEOPLE Reviews Disappearing?
Books now subsumed into “People Picks”
When opening the new issue of People magazine, you may wonder where the Books section is.
Unfortunately, along with the other reviews sections, it is gone. Books, movies, TV and music will now be combined in an upfront section, “People Picks,” where they will also have new competition from apps, games, viral video and other entertainment.
In the inaugural “Picks” section, books appear towards the end (ahead of the DVD of the HBO series, True Detective and the streaming musical, Side Effects), with just three new hardcovers, all of them by well-known authors — Stephen King’s Mr. Mercedes, Diana Gabaldon’s Written in My Own Heart’s Blood, and Lisa See’s China Dolls — as well as three paperback reprints, also from big names.
The last issue with a Book section
This is the first major change to the magazine under the new Editorial Director, Jess Cagle who took over in January. It seems his predecessor, Larry Hackett, had considered making changes to the sections, but kept them to support upfront fractional advertising pages.
The book business has had to suffer the diminishing, or closing, of many book review sections. Given People magazine’s extensive reach, this may be the worst blow of them all.
June 6th, 2014 at 2:26 pm
My lame excuse for browsing People magazine is now completely gone: http://t.co/DK1Yxt5SAB
June 6th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
What??? This is the main reason I read People. That’s really too bad.
June 6th, 2014 at 11:15 pm
I agree it is bad news and I’m totally bummed. When I open People, the book section is the first place I check. It’s always been a great way for relatively unknown authors to get exposure and I often based my fiction orders on what was given a positive review, and many times the book would turn out be a bestseller, e.g. HUSBAND’S SECRET, GONE GIRL. I have a couple of homebound patrons who use the magazine to determine what they want in their deliveries. Let’s just hope Entertainment Weekly doesn’t follow suit and get rid of their book section.
June 7th, 2014 at 3:57 pm
Well, there goes my weekly browsing of People magazine. Agree with Robin that patrons use book reviews in popular magazines like People to find books that appeal to them. Another blow.
June 8th, 2014 at 6:51 pm
My main problem is I will no longer have an excuse to peruse People during work time. ;-)
June 9th, 2014 at 8:35 am
I hope that Library Reads (Coming Soon) will still be there. Sorely disappointed in People’s decision to eliminate their Book Picks. I loved that category.