Video: NBCC Secrets of Book Publishing

by David Varno | Jun-24-2011

Are e-books taking over the publishing landscape? Is it still possible to make a living selling, writing or reviewing books? Can a novice break into the field? Is it easier to publish a novel, memoir, biography or young adult book these days? Do I have to write the whole manuscript or a proposal? How do I meet the right editors & agents who will give me a chance? Is reviewing books a good way to break in?

These questions and others were discussed by a panel of distinguished editors, agents authors and critics sponsored by the National Book Critics Circle and moderated by NBCC Board Member Susan Shapiro at NYU Bookstore on June 22, 2011.

Video includes welcome from Yael Yisraeli, NYU Bookstore, with introduction by NBCC President Eric Banks and the following panelists, seated from right to left:

Paul Whitlatch, Associate Editor of both fiction and nonfiction at Scribner's Books (and formerly Norton)

Sam Tanenhaus, Editor of the New York Times Book Review and author of six books including The Death of Conservatism and Whittaker Chambers: A Biography (A Pulitzer Prize finalist)

Susan Shapiro (moderator), NBCC board member, New School journalism professor and author of eight books including Lighting Up, Five Men Who Broke My Heart and Overexposed.

John Reed, NBCC Board member, Literary Editor of the Brooklyn Rail and author of 5 books including the novel All the World's A Grave and the nonfiction book Tales of Woe.

Sara Nelson, Books Editor of O, The Oprah Magazine, former editor in chief of Publishers Weekly and author of the bestseller So Many Books, So Little Time.

Betsy Lerner is an Agent and partner at Dunow, Carlson and Lerner, a former book editor, award winning poet & author of Food and Loathing and The Forest for the Trees.

Julie Just is an agent at Janklow & Nesbit Associates, a former children's book columnist and editor at the New York Times Book Review, as well as The New York Times Magazine, the New Yorker and several other publications with "New York" in the title.

David Goodwillie is a Daily Beast book critic and author of the memoir Seemed Like a Good Idea At the Time and the novel American Subversive, as well as a former professional baseball player and private investigator.