Bloggasm

Jessica Stockton is the Book Nerd behind the blog The Written Nerd. She worked in coffee houses, publishing houses, literary agencies, and as a freelance writer before discovering her true calling as an independent bookseller. A native of California, she graduated from New York University with an English degree in 2001 and now lives happily with her fiance in Brooklyn. Jessica currently works on store publicity and design at McNally Robinson Booksellers in SoHo and writes reviews for Publishers Weekly, and she will join the board of the New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association this fall. Her goal is to open a fabulous independent bookstore and performance space in Brooklyn within the next few years, with its very own store blog.

Simon Owens: Do you think that working in a bookstore adds a unique perspective to your lit blogging?

Jessica Stockton efinitely! I think every lit blogger comes from a unique perspective, and mine is that of a bookseller. I’ve written a bit about how bloggers and indie booksellers come from a similar place, in that they build trust in their readership (or customer base) by being honest about the books they love, and in that their success is totally dependent on building relationships. Independent bookstores are an alternative to corporate chain bookstores, as blogs are alternatives to mainstream online media — the showcasing of individual voices.

I want to blog as an independent bookseller as much as a reader or writer — to talk about the issues we face, our strengths and enthusiasms, and the imporance of the independent bookstore in the book world. I’ve found that a lot of the readers of my blog are people in the book industry, and some of them may be people who don’t read litblogs regularly — they’re just curious about what one of their own has to say. This is kind of inspiring, as I’m hoping to inspire new collaborations between the blogging world and the book world, and foster the kinds of conversations that the internet is uniquely capable of creating.

Simon Owens: How did you become a freelance writer for Publisher’s Weekly? Do you ever grow frustrated that they don’t use bylines when they publish your reviews?

Jessica Stockton: I happened to mention to a customer that I was looking for freelance work, and they passed my name along to someone in the PW editorial department. I’ve been doing it for about three years now — longer than many of their reviewers last, I think! I appreciate the writing practice and the access to new books that the job gives me, but it’s not one that offers a lot of money or prestige, and that’s okay. I have gotten my name on a couple of author interviews I did for PW, which is always exciting. I thought for a while the PW gig would be a first step into a glamorous reviewing career, but since my career focus is much more on bookselling now, I’m pretty content to review anonymously as long as I get good stuff to read. (Not that I’d object if anyone wanted to offer me a reviewer gig…)

Simon Owens: Have you nominated anything to the Lit-Blog Co-op yet?

Jessica Stockton : Everyone gets to take a turn nominating, and since I just joined this summer (and won’t be posting until the fall round of books), my name hasn’t come up yet as a nominator. But don’t worry, I will….

Simon Owens: If you had to pick any small presses that you wish the big publishers would emulate, which would you choose?

Jessica Stockton : Small Beer Press, run by writer Kelly Link and her husband, is one that I greatly admire. They’re willing to take risks and aren’t afraid of the convergence of electronic and print media — they post some of their stories online in hopes of creating word of mouth, and have found that it increases, rather than decreases book sales. They also only publish a small list of really good stuff, which they can choose to do as they don’t have to answre to shareholders.

New York Review of Books’ beautiful reissues of lost classics are one of the most valuable things to happen to publishing in the last few years. I wish larger publishers would take a look at their backlist and bring some of their older titles back into print, not in a cheap print-on-demand format but with the care NYRB lavishes on those little-known old books. They’ve grasped the Long Tail theory: sell less of more (lots of titles that only sell a few copies each), rather than focusing every bit of time and money on the few big bestsellers (that get returned half the time anyway). There are a number of small presses that are doing that, and I hope big publishers will start to see the light.

Simon Owens: What upcoming book publications are you looking forward to the most?

Jessica Stockton: Richard Powers has a new book coming out in the fall — I haven’t seen it yet, but he’s one of my favorite authors and I’m really excited about it. Susanna Clarke, who wrote the fabulous Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, is working on a new massive fantasy novel that I’m sure will be awesome, but in the meantime she’s publishing a collection of stories set in the same world, also this fall.

Simon Owens: What are the five blogs you’d recommend to supplement the reading of your own?

Jessica Stockton: If you’re interested in blogs from booksellers (and others in the book industry), these can’t be beat — they’re my first clicks when I have time to read blogs!

Fresh Eyes — Robert Gray, formerly of Northshire Bookstore, currently running Fresh Eyes Now

Bookseller Chick — an anonymous bookseller at a chain store in California, who’s taught me that yes, chain bookstores have smart readers too

Book Dwarf — Megan Sullivan of Harvard Bookstore, great bookseller and linker

Episode Soldier — Aubrey of Arches Book Company in Moab, Utah, a newbie blogger but a great writer and reader

Publishing Insider — Carl Lennertz of HarperCollins, former American Booksellers Association employee, wide-ranging and clever links