Instead, people seem genuinely interested in seeking the guidance of distinguished journalists, historians and scholars in many fields. Pop culture is in an interesting phase when Germs, a study of biological weapons by three New York Times journalists, has just gone through its eighth printing; when backlist books by cultural commentators like Edward Said and Thomas Friedman are headed for re-prints; and when scholar Larry P. Goodson, whose Afghanistan’s Endless War is just out of the University of Washington Press, is being flown around the country like the Nick Hornby of wizened academia.
Given the range of quality information currently available and accessible, no wonder that few “instant books” appear anywhere in the market. Such books appear to be limited to a couple of productions by online operations, such as Booksurge.com. There are also some visual books currently in the works, the most ambitious being New York September 11, a documentation of the tragedy by 11 photographers, featuring an introduction by David Halberstam. A substantial visual product, of course, can be turned out in relatively short time. Even in going about their “quick response,” publishers seem to have quality in mind.
Racing Against Attention Spans
As publishers feel increasing pressure to keep signing up current events-related books, however, some are expressing concerns over how long interest will last. After all, a book about jihad that is pushed into production now may not be on bookstores for a year or more. Will readers still be interested, or will sales peter off in a matter of months, after all the educated info-junkies have satisfactorily filled their shelves?
Among publishers, opinions are split. Some are seeking books on currently-popular themes that carry a bonus, like a popular name. For example, novelist Caleb Carr (author of The Alienist) will produce a book on the history of terrorism for Random House. Others are banking on books that personalize the events, hoping that tales from firefighters or Afghan-Americans will have more long-term appeal. Still others are forecasting a retreat from “serious” subject matter and a surge in the popularity of entertainment and sports-themed books. “I think the events of Sept. 11 have created a new mood in America; people are yearning for decency, values and spirituality,” Rolf Zettersen, publisher of Warner Faith, recently told Publishers Weekly. “I think athletes known for leading honorable lives will be [increasingly] appealing to readers.”
Over the coming months, the bestseller list will evolve in unforeseeable directions, as changes in current affairs sway the readership’s interests. What is clear is that Americans have become more particular about the caliber of information they expect—even if they’re not sure what subject matter they crave. The reasons for the public’s new demand for thoughtful, considered analyses and subsequent aversion to the phoned-in paperbacks they so recently tolerated might make the current industry climate bittersweet. Nonetheless, who could really view the shift as anything but positive? Sept. 11 was certainly a cruel awakening. For literature’s sake, let’s hope we stay awake.