Literary(ish)

The Literary(ish) Mission, or, The What and Why

As with many endeavors, this free, subscription-based Readers Club arose as a response to a problem. I'll explain:

Every season, a handful of novels get anointed by the book gods and become THE books that “everyone is reading.” This is wonderful for those books and their authors and their publishers. This is not wonderful for a) all the other authors with new books out, who labored for months or years and whose books may be just as good but whose luck was not, and b) readers whose tastes generally don’t align with what “everyone” is reading, except perhaps when such a book is literaryish—i.e., a novel that emphasizes story as much or more so than plot.

If we define plot as the basic vehicle that drives the reader from start to finish, story is every element the vehicle is made up of. The more the author invests in story over plot—that is, goes beyond the basics of prose, characterization, description, theme, conventional structure etc.—the more the work appeals to those readers who prefer that investment.

To be clear: I am not disparaging commercial, plot-driven fiction or its authors, some of whom are the hardest working, most intelligent and skillful fiction writers to walk the earth. Different readers have different preferences, or want to read different sorts of books at different times—and that’s exactly as it should be!

What is not “as it should be” is how discovery of non-anointed fiction has become nearly impossible. This is due in part to the collapse of traditional media book coverage, as well as to the fact that social media, which was once a place where real communities could form and operate and spread the word about such books, has become a wasteland of ads and “suggested for you” posts and AI slop and algorithm control over who sees what. We have massive fragmentation of information sources. And while ebook apps attempt to make book selection easy, interaction with electronic devices can be maddeningly inefficient. Or just maddening.

Even a visit to one’s local bookstore or library (which I highly recommend!) can feel daunting when one is amid so much bounty. The staff do all they can to match readers to books, but we can't rely on them to carry all the weight of responsibility.

Why is this mission worthwhile? The publishing world, being profit driven, is in danger of persuading itself that literaryish fiction isn't worth the investment because (the thinking goes) no one buys it. But "no one buys it" because they don't know about it! And they don't know about it because publishers haven't solved the discovery problem. Which means authors of such books are finding it ever more difficult to get publishing contracts. And if that persists, most will stop writing––and we readers will be the poorer for it. You might say, "They can still self-publish," but trust me when I tell you that indie publishing is becoming a soul-crushing hellscape where all but the most prolific authors of romance or fantasy fare poorly.

So, as a person who has been known to sometimes rage against the machine, I have set myself on a bookish mission to create THE place where literaryish books will get discovered. To be the solution for publishers and authors and readers alike. (Picture me clad in armor and posing valiantly.)

The Literary(ish) Readers Club seeks to:

·      Be a prime resource, wherein I and the occasional guest-host bring to your attention new books, upcoming releases, and older books you may never have heard about, across genres.

·      Grow a diverse community of readers who are enthusiastic about literaryish fiction (and nonfiction, and some poetry, too).

·      Introduce you to many of the wonderful people and fascinating processes inside the book scene.

·      Bring extra attention to one or two monthly Club selections and encourage you to read along with your own local book club, if you are a member of one.

·      Expand your knowledge about the given selection(s) through unique interviews and features.

·      Highlight intriguing facts from literary history, as well as trivia and gossip from the book world today.

·      Participate in, arrange, and/or sponsor events.

·      Engender knowledge, thoughtfulness, cooperation, literacy, and maybe even happiness through partnerships with others working in these spaces locally as well as nationally and even internationally, should the occasion arise.

The How:

The Literary(ish) Dispatch will arrive in your email box twice a month. For those who like the notion of a book-centered, no-ads, social resource, there will also be a Literary(ish) Readers Club interactive website. I'll update you on that progress as we go. Also to come: Literary(ish) swag! 

I hope that not only will you want to be part of this grassroots mission to connect thoughtful readers with thoughtful books, but also that you’ll invite your fellow literaryish booklovers to join. Sign up here.