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Bookselling Staff -- 8/21/00
A Coming-Out Party For InsightOut BooksThe first online book club created specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) readers, InsightOut Books (www.insightoutbooks.com), was launched the second week in August. The Web book club's co-editors, David Rosen and Retha
The site includes such areas as "Everyone's Talking," about "big buzz books." "Speaking Out" includes articles on issues of concern to InsightOut Books audiences--partnership laws, gay pride marches, politics. "The Buzz" introduces members to staff picks, along with staff biographies, photos and e-mail addresses, to encourage members to make contact. In "Publishing Gaydar," members learn about the state of LGBT publishing-- this month, it focuses on the problem of LGBT books being assimilated into general collections in mainstream stores. "We want to emulate the hand-selling experience of independent bookstores," said Rosen, also v-p, QPB. "We are implementing the model for future Bookspan book clubs in terms of crafting a rich, compelling, guided book club experience that features editorial selection, an interactive community and unique content." QPB's parent, Bookspan, is a joint venture of Bertelsmann's Doubleday Direct and Time Warner's Book-of-the-Month Club. As part of its community outreach efforts, the site has a calendar of events, highlighting LGBT author readings at bookstores around the country. Each month will highlight a new venue for community outreach; members are invited to nominate their favorite organizations, libraries, etc.
InsightOut Books has also made a commitment to form partnerships with LGBT organizations such as Lambda Literary Foundation and Web sites like Planetout.com, GFN.com and Gay.com. Rosen d s not believe that bookstores pose a competitive threat to InsightOut, nor InsightOut to the LGBT stores, explaining that Bookspan research shows that a large percentage of book sales in bricks-and-mortar bookstores are due to the hand-selling work done by book clubs. "We know that book addicts buy through every channel. The more the merrier. We are all in this together and want to link arms with publishers and bookstores to get the word out on the variety and quality of LGBT books today," he added. QPB's positive experiences with LGBT audiences helped inspire the development of InsightOut Books. "QPB has supported gay/lesbian literature for a while. Our editors and marketing staff have been plugged into this market for more than 10 years," said Rosen. Recent targeted mailings on gay/lesbian literature to 70,000 QPB members elicited response rates exceeding many of the responses for the general interest selections offered in the same mailings to QPB's total membership of more than 600,000 members. With this level of interest among QPB members, Bookspan management felt confident to proceed with InsightOut Books. InsightOut Books also conducted market research to test the book club concept, using both online contacts and in-person focus groups. According to Rosen, researchers sought qualitative responses to the club concept, lists of possible subject categories for books, prototypes of Web site design, sample content, community elements and the club's name. "Top line findings indicated that there was overwhelming support and appreciation--one might even go far as to say gratitude--from the LGBT community," Rosen told PW. "The club received high marks for the intelligence and inclusiveness of its proposed book selection and community elements." Launched with a selection of 200 current and classic books, the book club plans to introduce 20 to 25 new titles a month in more than 30 categories, including fiction, politics, entertainment, health and self-help. The initial offering of books was chosen by an InsightOut Books committee, with advice from the Lambda Literary Foundation and interested staff members in all departments of QPB and Bookspan. In the future, a rotating editorial board will include four club members. "We will not be solely brand-name author-based. We want to showcase new authors, new to the scene," Rosen told PW. "We're trying to reach a sophisticated market with an extremely well-developed community structure." --Karen Kawaguchi Bigger and BetterBook festivals continue to expand into new states, drawing more people than ever The notion that the book is dying seems premature considering the flocks of book lovers attending book festivals across the nation. During the past several years, attendance has risen dramatically, and so has the number of new festivals each year. This year, the venerable Bumbershoot Literary Arts Festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and New York Is Book Country has added stages with organizers expecting more than 250,000 attendees. Los Angeles's Latino Book and Family Festival has become a franchise, hosting gatherings in Chicago, San Diego and San Bernardino--with plans to add shows in New York and Texas in 2001. Note: The Rocky Mountain Book Festival (303-839-8320) has moved its eighth annual fair from mid-November to March of next year because "the volume of other fall festivals was simply too high," coordinator Michelle Balwin told PW. The 11th annual San Francisco Book Fest has also been postponed this year--so that "we can re-engineer and reinvent ourselves," program director Brenda Knight said. The Latino Book and Family FestivalLos Angeles, August 26-27 Chicago, November 11-12 San Bernardino, Calif., December 2-3 www.latinobookfestival.com (323) 255-9206 The largest Latino book and cultural festival in the United States continues to expand; in four short years, it has begun to sweep the nation. Last year's show in L.A.--the organizers' flagship fest--saw attendance rocket to 48,500 (18,000 more than the previous year) with 704 booths. This year's L.A. authors include Art Rodriguez, Gracie la Limon and Yolanda Nava as well as panel discussions on Latino literature--along with music and children's activities at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year's Chicago show will be held at Sportsman's Park. "We expect to build on the 12,000 in attendance last year," said organizer Katharine A. Diaz. San Bernardino will host its first show at the National Orange Show. "It is the eighth-largest Latino market in the nation, and though often grouped with Los Angeles, in reality, it's a separate market and needs to be marketed directly," Diaz told PW. San Diego was added in April of this year--and had about 12,000 in attendance. Bumbershoot Literary Arts FestivalSeattle, September 1-4 www.bumbershoot.org (206) 281-7788 More than 2,000 individual performers will converge at Bumbershoot this Labor Day weekend to celebrate the festival's 30th anniversary. This year's showcase is the largest and most comprehensive in its history, and organizers are expecting more than 200,000 celebrants.
Featured writers and performers include Jim Carroll, Janine Pommy Vega, Tracy Chapman and Eric Bogosian. The weekend's events will spill out of the 74-acre Seattle Center park and into the city to feature spoken-word performances and the small press book fair. Log Cabin BookFestBoise, Idaho, September 15-16 (208) 331-8000 This second annual festival is the state's largest literary event and its only book festival. Anticipating attendance of roughly 2,000, festival director David Proctor expects to "fill the Log Cabin Literary Center, the Boise Library and the Idaho State Historical Museum" with writers and audience members participating in panel discussions on p try, adult and children's fiction, 21st-century science fiction, screenwriting, "the literature of tolerance" and the growing market for Christian literature. Among authors/presenters are Pulitzer Prize-winning p t Henry Taylor, Patrick McManus, Robin Lee Hatcher and Utah p t laureate David Lee. Manuscript consultations will also be provided on Saturday for writers of p try, nonfiction, fiction and screenplays who sign up and submit material in advance. New York Is Book CountryNew York, September 20-24 www.bookreporter.com/nyisbookcountry.asp (212) 207-7242 The theme for NYIBC 2000 is "A book, e-book, any book!" Now in its 22nd year, the fair has become one of the nation's largest and most elaborate. For the first time, a New Technology pavilion will feature the latest innovations in the book business. The renowned chef/TV food guru and author, Emeril Lagasse, will serve as the fair's grand marshal. In addition to the children's stage sponsored by Borders, the fair will have a "For Kids Only" booth for aspiring young writers, special kids' games as well as a program of readings. Arthur and his creator, Marc Brown, will appear as well. In collaboration with the New York Public Library branches, the organizers have created a bookmark recommending one children's book for each year of NYIBC's 22 years. An expected 250,000 attendees will descend on the 150 events, culminating in the annual street fair on Fifth Ave between 48th and 57th Streets on the last day. It's a citywide celebration, and such authors as Arthur Miller, Liz Smith, Tony Kushner, Cynthia Ozick and Candace Bushnell will be part of the act. Great Salt Lake Book FestivalSalt Lake City, September 22-23 www.utahhumanities.org (801) 359-9670 In its third year, this festival continues to grow and hone themes of the region. Last year, it drew more than 2,000 attendees, and Marisa Black, the fest's assistant coordinator, told PW that organizers are looking for at least 5,000 this year. The keynote address will be delivered by Nobel Prize p t Derek Walcott, and more than 50 writers will participate in readings and panel discussions. A central topic this year will be women artists in the West. "We're also focusing a lot of attention on children's literature, with a goal of promoting children's literacy," said Black. Native American children from the Confederated Tribes of the Goshute, who collaborated in illustrating Pia Toya: A Goshute Indian Legend (University of Utah) with local editor Don Marano, will be on hand to talk about their experience. The fair emphasizes book arts and offers ongoing performances and exhibits on papermaking, letterpress printing, bookbinding, illuminated manuscripts and rare books. Baltimore Book FestivalBaltimore, September 22-24 www.bop.org/Book Festival/index.html (410) 837-4636 More than 60,000 (organizers expected half that number) attended the five-year-old festival last year, and public relations assistant Cheryl Giannattasio told PW that organizers expect the number of participants to increase this year. The fair takes place in historic Mount Vernon Place and features eight stages, including a new Home and Garden Stage. More than 175 exhibitors and booksellers will participate. Planned are p try readings, cookbook demonstrations, live music and the Antiquarian Festival (dealers and appraisers on hand). This year festivalg rs can bring their own literary works and participate in open readings and a p try slam--or come for readings by such writers as Venise Berry, Ann Martin, Sylvia Woods and Marcel Desaulniers. There will be a storybook parade with youngsters dressing up as their favorite characters and strolling through the festival on Saturday. High Plains Book FestivalAmarillo, Tex., September 28-29 www.bookfestival.arn.net (806) 378-3051 In its third year, this modest fair continues to grow by focusing on the locale, its people and the local authors of Amarillo. It's a family affair with picnics, local p ts, and "high school athletes on hand to sign autographs for the kids," said organizer Cherry Young. This year's festival will have a sports theme. There will be the traditional skits for children, a day of cowboy p try, a small book fair and a p try corner for up-and-coming word-spinners. About 1,000 Amarillons are expected to attend. Great Basin Book FestivalReno, Nev., September 29-30 www.unr.edu/nhc/bookfest/2000 (775) 784-6587 Nobel Prize-winning writer Wole Soyinka will give the keynote address for this festival, which is in its fourth year. Organizers are looking to double last year's attendance of 4,000. Special themes for panel discussions include "Experiences of the WWII Generation," "Native American Literature" and "Women Writing in the West." Other writers on hand will include Gary Soto, Joy Harjo, Michael A. Thomas, Elizabeth Norman and Gerald W. Haslam. The two-day fair culminates after a week of local readings and school activities throughout downtown Reno, according to Steve Davis, assistant director of the Nevada Humanities Committee. The book fair in Wingfield Park will feature a booksellers' marketplace. Sacramento ReadsSacramento, Calif., September 30 (916) 443-6223 Now in its 11th year, this year's fair will take place at the Cesar Chavez Park. There will be only one day of events, instead of the two last year, to "give us a chance to focus and make a stronger and fuller program for our audience," said consultant Laurie Hensly. There will be two stages for authors and one for entertainment, children's stories and panel discussions. "Our main goal is to promote literacy and the access of literature for everyone," Hensly told PW. In addition to book vendors and sellers of both new and used books, members of local literacy programs will have space to work with the public. Organizers expect attendance to reach 20,000. Santa Fe Festival of the BookSanta Fe, N.Mex., October 12-14 www.ci.santa-fe.nm.us/sfpl/festival.html (505) 955-4866 In its third year, the festival is expanding rapidly--and expecting to feature more than 35 vendors with nearly 50 authors reading. "We're hoping to have close to 5,000 in attendance," said festival coordinator Susie Sonflieth, which would be double last year's attendance. The festival features workshops, lectures, entertainment and readings by authors Patricia MacLachlan, Ana Castillo and p t Quincy Troupe. More than 50 other writers will be on hand to sign. Workshop themes range from "Writing & Book Arts for Young Authors" to "Today's Techniques for Tomorrow's Best Sellers." At Living Literati, some Santa Fe actors portray greats of Southwest literary history. Southern Festival of BooksNashville, October 13-15 www.tn-humanities.org/sfbmain.htm (615) 320-7001, ext. 15 Organizers of the 12th annual festival have extended the length of this year's events by a day. More than 30,000 visitors attended last year to hear 250 authors read; this year, William Styron will deliver the third annual Robert Penn Warren Lecture on Southern Letters. More than 100 exhibit booths will occupy the War Memorial Plaza downtown, where writers Peter Matthiessen, Bobbie Ann Mason, Jules Feiffer and Josephine Humphreys, among more than 200 authors expected, will appear. The festival includes the Hugh Walker Antiquarian Book Fair. Novello Festival of ReadingCharlotte, N.C., October 13-27 www.novellofestival.net (704) 336-2801 Organizers have added another three days to make this 10th annual festival one of the longest anywhere and North Carolina's largest book gathering. The Novello Festival opens with the book fair and is followed by a series of readings and lectures throughout the city. This year's lineup of writers includes Tom Clancy, Pat Conroy, Bob Woodward, Mary Higgins Clark and Reynolds Price. Boston Globe Book FestivalBoston, October 14-20 (617) 929-2641 Started in 1967, the festival kicks off this year at the Fairmont Copley Plaza with the Book & Author Luncheon featuring Malachy McCourt and Bonnie Angelo. Attendance is expected to reach 1,200. According to coordinator Aisha Saunders, efforts continue to "grow the festival and make it more of a citywide event--eventually into a full two-week series of literary engagements." Highlights include a p try slam, free author appearances at the Boston Public Library and special ticketed events that in the past have featured such writers as James Baldwin, Anne Rice and Alice Walker. This year, these include a tribute to Sylvia Plath and panels on "How to Start Your Own Book Club." Concord Festival of AuthorsConcord, Mass., October 19-26 (978) 371-3167 This eighth annual festival includes four Pulitzer Prize winners in the schedule--David Levering Lewis, Maxine Kumin, Jorie Graham and Ellen Goodman--as well as Booker Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro and National Book Award winner Joseph Ellis. According to coordinator Rob Mitchell, the program will also have a "Breakfast with the Authors," a special "Mystery Night" program and "New Literary Voices," with first novelists Kate Wheeler and Sena Jeter Naslund. Northwest BookfestSeattle, October 21-22 www.speakeasy.org/nwbookfest (206) 378-1883 Three weeks earlier than usual and at a new location (Stadium Exhibition Center), this year's sixth annual festival will feature more than 200 authors, including Andrew Vachss, Amy Ephron, Judd Winick and Jane Hamilton. Live demonstrations by chef/authors on a fully equipped cooking stage, two stages offering programs for kids, and a hands-on publishing center are among the attractions for an expected crowd of 30,000. There will be more than 200 booksellers and publishers booths. Among this year's diverse panel themes will be an examination of the relationship between writers and their mentors. Buckeye Book FairWooster, Ohio, November 4 www.the-daily-record.com/past_issues/bookfair/bookfair_about.html (330) 264-1125 More than 70 authors and illustrators will sign books at bargain prices for this 14th annual festival. Headline authors include talk-show host Mike Douglas, Bob Greene, D.G. Fulford and former Ohio State football coach Earle Bruce. At least 20 children's authors will be signing as well. Crowds are expected to reach 7,000. More than $140,000 has been raised and awarded in grants to Ohio libraries and literacy programs through the festival's discounted book sales. Texas Book FestivalAustin, Tex., November 10-12 www.austin360.com/entertainment/books/features/bookfest (512) 477-4055 In its fifth year, this elaborate festival will reach the $1 million mark in proceeds raised for the state's public libraries. According to PR coordinator Jennifer Hill, organizers are also looking for attendance to surpass the 25,000 visitors of last year. Texas First Lady Laura Bush will again be on hand to meet authors and serve as honorary chair. The First Edition Literary Gala, a black tie dinner and reading, will feature Stephen E. Ambrose, Liz Smith and Joan Lowery Nixon. More than 100 authors will participate in the festival. There will also be a silent auction for rare literary memorabilia, and cookbook authors, including Reed Hearon and Diana Kennedy, will cook and sign books at Saturday night's Bon Appetit, Y'all. John Graves will be honored with the Bookend Lifetime Achievement Award for his contribution to Texas literature. St. Petersburg Times Festival of ReadingSt. Petersburg, Fla., November 11-12 www.festivalofreading.com (727) 445-4142 The popular Dead Authors are coming back for this eighth annual fair, with actors portraying Gertrude Stein, Mary Shelley, Jack London, Virginia Woolf, George Sand, Langston Hughes and Ernest Hemingway. The festival attracts more than 20,000 visitors and takes place at Eckerd College. More than 50 living authors will be reading, among them James Patterson, Joyce Maynard, Robert Morgan and bell hooks. Director Marti Galloway told PW that book appraisers from Christie's will again be on hand--last year a visitor was happily surprised to find the book she brought was worth $10,000. Music, p try and theater will be presented on three open-air stages. Miami Book Fair InternationalMiami, November 12-19 www.mdcc.edu/bookfair (305) 237-3258 With an estimated half-million in attendance last year, this international gathering now ranks as the largest book festival in the nation. Eight days of literary events include a three-day outdoor book fair. Children's authors and illustrators visit local schools for readings and workshops, and panels address international themes throughout the week. Mario Vargas Llosa is scheduled as a pre-fair speaker on Sept. 15. More than 200 authors, including E. L. Doctorow, Mary Karr, Michael Ondaatje and Ted Koppel are set to appear. Three hundred exhibitors are expected to be on the Miami-Dade Community College campus for the event. Kentucky Book FairFrankfort, Ky., November 18 (606) 873-8989 Moving into its 19th year, Kentucky's primary literary gathering will feature more than 150 authors. Manager Ellen Hellard told PW that among the most important aspects of the festival is the fund-raising "proceeds for our public libraries--over $200,000--not bad for a low-key operation." Last year, organizers doubled their expected attendance--more than 13,000 book lovers were on hand. "We're looking to have that many, and probably more, again," said Hellard. The festival features readings, panel discussions and seminars on writing. Hampton Roads African Heritage Book ExpoNorfolk, Va., November 25 www.melanet.com/eca (757) 547-5542 This 13th annual expo continues this year at the Waterside Marriott Hotel. Coordinator Dr. E. Curtis Alexander told PW that notable among the fair's display of books will be "the largest selection of African heritage children's literature anywhere"--more than 1,500 titles. Organizers are expecting to break the 2,000 mark as they continue to grow--more than 1,700 attended last year. Among the more than 20 authors who will be on hand are Don Roberts, Kwani Alexander and Dr. Fasheem Ashanti. The daylong event will include readings and workshops in publishing, storytelling and p try writing. --John High
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Bookselling
Aug 21, 2000
A version of this article appeared in the 08/21/2000 issue of Publishers Weekly under the headline:
