Print newspapers continue to cut back their book review sections. Anyone surprised? You shouldn’t be. Waaaaay, way back in 2001, dwindling book review sections were cause for alarmist headlines about the war on culture.

Today, the print space dedicated to books continues to decline. And yet book buzz is greater than it ever was. It’s just moved to a Web 2.0 space.

Even while print publications cut down their book space, many of those same publications have recently launched new book blogs. Check out Paper Cuts from the New York Times or Jacket Copy from the Los Angeles Times as just two examples.

Then there are the countless blogs run by readers and other “amateur” reviewers, and the thriving social networks built around books. Look at Shelfari, a social network where members swap book info, or LibraryThing, where users can build a virtual bookshelf and delve into discussions with other members.

As in many industries, the power of buzz has moved away from a small number of credentialed cultural arbiters to online communities and social networks. There are countless opportunities to get the word out about your book, without having to worry about a big print review.

Tags: book blogs, book reviews, Jacket Copy, Knowledge Product Marketing, LA Times, LibraryThing, New York Times, Paper Cuts, Shelfari, Social Media, social networks, web 2.0

This entry was posted on Monday, June 30th, 2008 at 3:50 pm and is filed under Knowledge Product Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.