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book weblogs in the news
"Book blogs' buzz grows louder" from The Christian Science Monitor. Here's what strikes me as the pivotal bit:
In years past, literary discussions were largely limited to academia and the occasional book club, says Sarvas of The Elegant Variation. "What the blogs have really done is encourage inclusion, encourage people from all walks of life to join the conversation...."I've said it before and I'll say it again: those of us who are comfortable on the internet tend to forget that we're a fairly small universe. Pick ten names out of your past and see how many of them show up if you run them through google (and I'm not talking about address listings, either). In fact, I'll do it myself, publically. When I have time.But is anyone listening? Many book bloggers seem to be talking only to themselves, judging by the dearth of postings by outsiders on their sites. And it's hard to tell if bloggers' mash notes translate into sales at Barnes & Noble.
The point I'm trying to make is that few people will ever make a name for themselves -- in the real world -- on the basis of a weblog. Me included.
Edited to add: C Max Magee has some interesting thoughts on this, and comes pretty much to the same conclusion.
September 7, 2005 02:59 PM
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Comments
So what's the definition of "literary discussions"? I am sure I would flounder in academia and am limited in what contribution I could make to matters literary, but I do enjoy your blog (and others) and it has introduced me to other authors I may otherwise not have come across so readily on my own.
How anyone would tell whether book sales have increased since blogging came into being I don't know.
Posted by: Alison at September 7, 2005 05:36 PM