Disappearing Book Sections in Newspapers

It’s been clear for some time now that the book section in newspapers has been getting smaller and smaller. The disappearance of book talk in papers has now become epidemic – not just smaller but gone. You’ve probably noticed it in your paper.

Publishers Lunch on July 22nd noted:

… with deep staff and coverage cuts at newspapers all across the country, the people who cover books and the slim pages that carried their work are all but marked for extinction.

Newspapers as a whole seem to be trying to trim expenses and cut their pages down in order to survive in this Internet, instant access to news, age. Almost everything that doesn’t bring in advertising or readers is being cut.

On one hand, you can’t blame them. If they’re not fiscally responsible they could cease to exist at all. On the other hand, as a reader, you miss those sections that were the main reason you subscribed in the first place.

If the book section or book review section of your paper is shrinking or disappearing, consider letting your paper know you miss it. It can’t hurt for them to know that there are people out there who value that part of the paper.