Getting angsty about books

One of the things I’ve often hoped would happen in this nascent litblogging world is that more industry types–editors, agents, publicists, and the like–would get blogging and add their own unique insights. With BookAngst, “Max Perkins,” an executive editor with a major publisher, has done just that, and invites us all to share in the conversation:

Writers, agents, publishers and booksellers all agree that the business of selling books has become heartbreakingly hard. So what can we do? I’m a senior publishing executive, and I’d like to hear your thoughts. Bitch & moan as necessary–I’m very much in the mood for that myself these days–but ultimately I’m hoping we can take for granted that the books we write, agent, publish, and sell actually matter to us, and that the people involved in every phase of the process care, deeply, about those books succeeding. (Obviously “success” in this regard is a relative thing, measured according to a sliding scale; but that’s a topic for another post.)

My hope is that this will provide a constructive forum for venting, yes–for extending, perhaps, what constitutes the publishing “community”–but also for throwing out ideas that might prove useful to someone else, to discuss what’s working & what’s not… Above all, for both neophyte and grizzled pro to share their insights, frustrations and predictions, and maybe, along the way, be reminded of why we didn’t all become accountants in the first place.

Welcome to the fold, Max–and here’s hoping that your aims are met, one bit at a time.