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Book Nook provides readers with insights into the world of books. Vick Mickunas takes you into the center of the publishing world with the latest book buzz, book reviews, and exclusive chats with authors..Home > Blogs > Book Nook > Archives > 2007 > August > 15 > Entry
confessions of a galley slave (vol. VI)
Over the last dozen years I have obtained an intimate glimpse of the publishing industry. So, I have learned a few things. Here are some nuggets of wisdom I’ve gained:
Never call a publicist on a Friday afternoon between Memorial Day and Labor Day. They will already be gone for the weekend. The publishing industry putters along languidly during the summer.
When a publicist sends an e-mail with the phone number of an author that you need to interview one should always double check that number. Half the time a digit is transposed and you will waste a lot of time calling that wrong number.
Never commit to reviewing a book based on an advance galley. Reviewers are not allowed to take quotations from these uncorrected versions of the book. On those rare occasions when I agree to cover a book based on a galley I sometimes find that the publicist considers it a done deal already and they never bother to send along a finished version. So, I don’t review it. An unpleasant circumstance all around.
Speaking of galleys, they are a bit thin on the ground this week. The middle of August is the absolute doldrums in publishing. Any publicist actually working this week is either a workaholic or not popular enough to cadge an invitation to Fire Island.
Here are some galleys that straggled across my desk this week:
THE JEWISH AMERICANS—Three Centuries of Jewish Voices in America (Doubleday) by Beth S. Wenger. This is a companion to the PBS series that will air in January. This lovely, coffee table-sized volume will be released in late October. Profusely illustrated, it will make a lovely gift item this holiday season.
T is FOR TRESPASS(Putnam) by Sue Grafton (December 4). It’s a franchise. Sue Grafton continues her lucrative run through the alphabet. Sure, it’s formulaic. Yes, Kinsey Millhone is stuck in a 1980’s time warp. Gosh, it’s a fine line of mind candy, isn’t it? Whenever I interview Sue Grafton she mentions that her dad was a frustrated novelist and that she was inspired by another writer who was also a denizen of Santa Barbara, Ross McDonald. If you ever meet Sue Grafton you will be impressed. She is one of the nicest, most down to earth people, that you will ever meet.
WHAT WE SAY GOES—Conversations On U.S. Power in a Changing World —Noam Chomsky interviewed by David Barsamian. (Metropolitan Books)-October -Fans of Barsamian’s radio program Alternative Radio will recognize Chomsky as his most voluble guest. Chomsky is a linguist and a left wing firebrand. You might recall that when the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez was seen brandishing one of Chomsky’s recent books during an inflammatory speech at the United Nations that the book then experienced a huge spike in sales. Americans are easily influenced, aren’t we? (example 2—Posh Spice, a proud non-reader, clutched a copy of SKINNY BITCH and sales went through the roof).
Speaking of Hugo Chavez; next week Random House is publishing what is being described as his “definitive biography.” I find Venezuela fascinating. By an odd coincidence, a guy who went to high school with me, Bill Brownfield, is currently serving as U.S. Ambassador there. I hear that Bill and Hugo don’t get along very well.
It’s a small world after all.
Vick Mickunas
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