The author of a novel, who recommended it, how the cover is designed, and what awards it has won often sway readers into buying literature, but it’s not often that readers select books on the basis of who’s published them. “Branding, the Future of Publishing?”, an article on Vroman’s Bookstore blog, examines the effect a publisher has on an author and his work.
While publishers may often be accused of stripping novels of their literary juice in favor of what sells, Vroman’s blogger Patrick makes a case for the importance of the publisher. He then goes on to propose that bookstores shelve by publisher rather than author-McSweeney’s and Featherproof earning their own shelves, as well as The New York Review Books Classics. While it may not be revolutionary, it’s certainly fascinating to think about.
