Sara Nelson

Sara Nelson
Residence New York City, U.S.
Nationality American
Education Yale University,, Phillips Academy (Andover)
Occupation Editor, book reviewer
consultant,
author
Years active 1980–present
Employer Amazon.com
Notable work Book So Many Books,
So Little Time (2003)

Sara Nelson is an American publishing industry figure who is an editor and book reviewer and consultant[1] and columnist,[2] and is currently the editorial director at Amazon.com.[3] Nelson is notable for having been editor in chief at the book industry's chief trade publication Publishers Weekly from 2005–2009 during a time of wrenching restructuring and industry downsizing. After that, she was book editor at Oprah's O Magazine. Her book So Many Books, So Little Time was published in 2003.[4] Her views have been widely reported in numerous publications such as The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and she has appeared on television broadcasts including CBS's The Early Show. She has written for the Wall Street Journal and the Huffington Post[5] about publishing industry trends and has been described as a "lively presence within the book publishing industry."[2] She is an extensive reader[6] and has been described as a "lover of books."[7]

Beginnings

Nelson graduated from Yale in 1978 and Phillips Academy in Andover in 1974.[8] She wrote about books and publishing at the New York Post, the New York Observer, Glamour magazine, and held editorial positions at Self, Inside.com, and Book Publishing Report.[2] Nelson married and had a child and is a fierce advocate for respect for working mothers.[9] Women struggled with ways to juggle careers and families, and stay-at-home moms and working mothers jostled over women's roles in the home, sometimes termed in the media as the Mommy Wars. Nelson wrote:

“ One morning one of the stay-at-home mothers referred to herself, quite pointedly, as a full-time mom. Those three words made my blood boil. I’ve been a mother every second of every day for the past ten and a half years. -- Sara Nelson in 2006[9] ”

Nelson, based on a New Year's plan, embarked on an ambitious project to read one book each week and write about it, and the effort morphed into a book entitled So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading which was published by Putnam in 2003.[10] While her initial book–a–week plan fell apart almost immediately, according to New York Times book reviewer Ihsan Taylor, the effort was fruitful since the book was seen as a commentary on the "nature of reading itself."[11] Nelson's future employer, Publishers Weekly, reported that her book revealed her "infectious enthusiasm for literature in general."[12] Writer Augusten Burroughs said Nelson's book was a "smart, witty, utterly original memoir about how every book becomes a part of us."[13]

Nelson has been a consistent heavy reader throughout her life, and at one point, in a YouTube interview, said that she typically reads about 50 books cover–to–cover per year regardless of her self-imposed commitment. She will only write about a book after she's read it completely, according to Nelson in the interview. Further, she reads portions of many books which are sent to her or recommended by others, sometimes only the first ten pages. She favors fiction over non-fiction generally, occasionally reading classics overlooked during her college years, and some non-fiction works such as David McCullough's treatment of American president John Adams.[12]

Publishers Weekly

Editor-in-chief

Nelson became editor–in–chief of the trade magazine Publishers Weekly in January 2005.[7] It was a powerful position since the magazine is traditionally regarded as a standard bearer for mainstream critical opinion regarding books. A positive review from Publishers Weekly can bring a big sales boost to an unknown title, and the editor–in–chief's opinion about new books has considerable weight in the publishing industry. New York Times reporter Edward Wyatt suggested that the top job at Publishers Weekly in 2005 involved facing "many challenges".[7]

In her new position, Nelson added a new assessment for books called a signature review.[14] She permitted greater variety in the length of reviews (typically 200 to 500 words long), considered bylines to reviews, and changes to the magazine's cover format.[7] She hired graphic designer Jean-Claude Suares, added color using so-called drop down shadows behind color book covers, and wrote an editorial each week. She switched the magazine's logo to use the two letters PW since the abbreviation was well understood within the publishing world. She developed a nominating board of several thousand booksellers and librarians to nominate books for prizes in nineteen different categories; readers voted for books within stores or online, and the awards were termed the Quill awards. There was increased use of a foldout advertisement on the front cover, with the theme repeated inside the table of contents page.

The first decade of the new century was marked by turbulence within the industry as well as a continuing trend away from serious writing and towards pop culture. Publishers Weekly had enjoyed a "near monopoly" over the past decades but was getting vigorous competition from Internet sites, e-mail newsletters and daily newspapers.[7] The industry was consolidating. Many independent booksellers—a mainstay of Publishers Weekly clientele—were going out of business.[7] Paid circulation dropped by 3,000 to 25,000 in the mid 2000s.[7] Nelson pushed for significant changes towards modernization, greater use of the Web, and more focus on analytical reporting.[7]

Nelson commented in an interview about how she saw PW evolving:

“ The distinction between a trade publication and a general-interest or consumer magazine is becoming ever more blurred ... The magazine might not be for everybody who buys books ... But I do think there is a good size civilian population that is fascinated by books and the book business. Find a group of three people, and two of them want to be writers or have a book idea. Everyone I know belongs to a book group. There is a crossover population that we should be able to add to the mix without sacrificing our appeal to people in the book business.-- Sara Nelson, 2005[7] ”

Nelson, looking at business practices within the book publishing industry, saw problems. She speculated that the industry practice of printing too many books to "kind of create a buzz" and then having to ship books back from bookstores was inefficient.[15] She saw a trend favoring so-called big books at the expense of lesser known writers:

“ ... increasingly ... the book business is not about finding and nurturing authors or building audiences and careers. It's about opening big and making a splash. Bring me a big book, more than one editor has told more than one agent more than once in the past 20 years. ... Everybody knows that the book business is hurting, that money is tight, that layoffs are rampant. A risky time to be throwing money around. Still, publishers keep looking for the big score. Mere weeks after hundreds of editors, publicists, marketers and the like were cut from the rolls of publishing houses across the country, a group of editors from the major houses boarded a plane to Los Angeles to woo their next potential big author: Britney Spears. The opening bid: a reported $5 million. We don't know yet which of them won this compelling project, but I know that somebody will.--Sara Nelson.[16] ”

Television's impact on publishing

Picture of a woman in a suit clapping.
Nelson noticed Oprah's impact on the book publishing industry, not knowing that the popular celebrity talk show host would one day be her employer.

In 2008, Nelson commented on the intersection of political candidates, books, and television celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, not knowing that the talk show celebrity would be her employer within a year. There were several dozen books about then-candidate Obama.[17] Nelson was interviewed on National Public Radio on Winfrey's influence,[18] similar to that of radio personality Imus,[19] in the publishing arena.[20] She described Oprah:

“ The television star is the most influential -- not to mention the wealthiest -- African American woman in the country. Consider the millions who watch her show, read her magazine and follow her advice. Winfrey is more than just a powerful influence. She is practically the nation's life coach. So, if she tells people to vote for the candidate, people will vote for that candidate, right? After all, many political analysts are saying, she has done something far more difficult: On dozens of occasions, she has turned middling successful books into huge bestsellers. (Think Cormac McCarthy's The Road and James Frey's A Million Little Pieces, to name just two.) But using this bestseller-yardstick to gauge Oprah's influence on politics is a bit misguided. The thing is you don't have to sell nearly as many books as get votes in order to crown a winner. -- Sara Nelson, 2008.[5] ”


After a profound economic downturn beginning in 2007 and lasting for the next few years, the publishing industry slumped significantly. Nelson commented in 2008 how layoffs and salary freezes were "sobering".[21]

Industry trends, digital books, self-publishing

Picture of a tablet with words.
Amazon's Kindle is one of many new technologies affecting the publishing industry. Nelson owns one as well as a Sony Reader.

Nelson wrote about such industry topics as Twitter writers signing book deals,[22] Jonathan Littell's controversial 1,000 page Holocaust novel,[16] and realignments of publishing firms.[23] Nelson was quoted about sleeper hit books such as Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen[24] as well as an expansion of what's considered to be chick lit which has grown to be more accomplished and "grown up," according to Nelson.[25] She commented on trends in changing technology, such as the coming of digital books such as Amazon's Kindle.[1] She owns a Kindle[6] and a Sony Reader and sees both as a "statement to the world that you like to read."[26] She said:

“ Publishers are going to be confronted with the idea that either the words on the page have to be completely compelling on their own, or they have to figure out a way to create new sorts of subliminal draws in the new medium ... If you are going to put video in a book, it has to flow so naturally into the story that readers don’t even realize they are switching mediums.--Sara Nelson in 2009.[1] ”

Nelson identified other trends. Fewer places review books now, unfortunately, but there is more information available to consumers who may not want in-depth literary reviews of a book; rather, they want to know whether it's worth plunking down $25, and that's it.[6] In some respects, according to Nelson, smaller publishers are better off than large houses which have huge budgets devoted to overhead; for example, Nelson said a small "mom and pop" publisher can do five books a year and be profitable.[6] She still thinks it's tough times for people employed within the industry; she said "You can do all the right things and still lose your job."[6] She thinks business-to-business magazines will become available mostly online, and soon.[6] In the past, self publishing was seen as the "exclusive realm of egomaniacs, eccentrics, and failures," according to a reporter in the Los Angeles Times, but over the past decade or so it's become more popular and somewhat better accepted.[27] Nelson commented in 2010 that there were more instances of publishers picking up a self-published book, although such success stories are still rare.[27] "Publishers are taking self-published books more seriously," she said.[27]

Dismissal from Publishers Weekly

Then, in 2009, Nelson was dismissed from Publishers Weekly. She said:

“ I feel like it was a great run and I am very proud of the changes that my staff and I have made. I am sorry that the magazine and I are parting ways.--Sara Nelson[2] ”

The action sent shockwaves through the industry and was widely covered in prominent newspapers.[28] There was considerable reaction by readers as well. One reader wrote: "Sara Nelson turned Publishers Weekly around!"[2] Another wrote that "Sara Nelson pulled Publishers Weekly into the 21st century with grace, verve, and panache. And I’ve never met such a loud cheerleader for books and for the book publishing industry."[2]

O Magazine

In September 2009, Nelson was appointed book editor at Oprah's O Magazine.[29][30][31] She continued to comment in the media about new forces in publishing such as the new quarterly literary magazine called Electric Literature which allows readers to read in a variety of media, including e-book, iPhone, and audiobook.[32] Nelson applauded the effort saying that "anything that takes the starch out" was good.[32] Generally, Nelson's outlook for the publishing industry is bright and thinks that "in the end readers will win."[33] Sara Nelson appeared with Harry Smith of CBS News on The Early Show.[34] She's also served as moderator for events sponsored by the LA Times Festival of Books.[35]

Publications

References

  1. 1 2 3 BRAD STONE (April 4, 2009). "Is This the Future of the Digital Book?". The New York Times: Business. Retrieved 2010-10-05. “Publishers are going to be confronted with the idea that either the words on the page have to be completely compelling on their own, or they have to figure out a way to create new sorts of subliminal draws in the new medium,” said Sara Nelson,
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 MOTOKO RICH (January 26, 2009). "Top Editor at Publishers Weekly Is Laid Off". The New York Times: Arts. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  3. ↑ "Sara Nelson Heading to Amazon". Publishers Weekly. May 9, 2012. Retrieved November 23, 2012. ...Sara Nelson, book editor for O, The Oprah Magazine, is moving to Amazon where she will be editorial director, Amazon.com Books....
  4. ↑ SARA NELSON (March 4, 2009). "Will Controversial Holocaust Novel Find an Audience?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Sara Nelson is the former editor in chief of Publishers Weekly and the author of "So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading."
  5. 1 2 Sara Nelson (September 10, 2007). "What Makes a Best-seller Does Not Make a Winning Candidate". Huffington Post. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Sara Nelson in Publishing Point video (November 2009). "Sara Nelson - Publishing Point Perspectives (interviewed by Susan Danziger) - November 2009". YouTube. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 EDWARD WYATT (January 5, 2005). "The Winds of Change Are Felt at Publishers Weekly". The New York Times: Arts. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Executives at Publishers Weekly, the 131-year-old trade journal, say that the appointment of a new editor on Monday had been in the works for weeks...
  8. ↑ Jack Gray (1999). "Reminiscences from Reunion 1999: year (G+25), courtesy of Jack Gray.". Andover's BlueLink. Retrieved 2010-10-05. New Yorkers Sara Nelson and Margaret Downs rushed back to campus to enjoy the Abbot tea with restaurateur Priscilla Martel.
  9. 1 2 Sandra Tsing Loh (May 2006). "Rhymes With Rich". The Atlantic. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  10. 1 2 Sara Nelson (2003). "So Many Books, So Little Time: A Year of Passionate Reading". Google Books. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  11. ↑ Ihsan Taylor (January 2, 2005). "January 2, 2005". The New York Times: Arts. Retrieved 2010-10-05. SO MANY BOOKS, SO LITTLE TIME: A Year of Passionate Reading, by Sara Nelson. (Berkley, $13.) Nelson, the publishing columnist for The New York Post, recounts how a simple plan -- to read 52 books in 52 weeks -- fell apart almost immediately, and comments on the nature of reading itself. Ihsan Taylor # ISBN 0-399-15083-8 Putnam Adult; Fourth Edition (October 9, 2003) ISBN 978-0-399-15083-8
  12. 1 2 "Review of "So Many Book, So Little Time"". Publishers Weekly. 2003. Retrieved 2010-10-05. "I have a New Year's plan," Nelson writes in the prologue to this charming diary of an unapologetic "readaholic." ...
  13. ↑ "Booksigning - Sara Nelson". eventful. Jun 11, 2005. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Augusten Burroughs remarks, "A smart, witty, utterly original memoir about how every book becomes a part of us".
  14. ↑ DWIGHT GARNER (July 31, 2007). "Signed, Sealed, Delivered". The New York Times: Books. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  15. ↑ Lev Grossman (Jan 21, 2009). "Books Gone Wild: The Digital Age Reshapes Literature". Time Magazine. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  16. 1 2 SARA NELSON (March 4, 2009). "Will Controversial Holocaust Novel Find an Audience?". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  17. ↑ Martha T. Moore (2008-08-14). "Presidential race one for the books". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-10-05. "There seem to be a particularly large crop of books about Obama," says Sara Nelson, editor of Publishers Weekly.
  18. ↑ Ulrich, Carmen Wong (October 24, 2006). "The Oprah Effect: THE $1.4 BILLION WOMAN INFLUENCES POP CULTURE, CREATES STARS, AND DRIVES ENTIRE INDUSTRIES. HERE'S HOW SHE DOES IT". Essence. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Says Sara Nelson, editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly, "Oprah is getting people who were not particularly reading, to read."
  19. ↑ Sridhar Pappu (April 11, 2007). "No One to Talk To?". Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Beyond personal loyalty, there are sound business reasons to "do" Imus.
  20. ↑ Liane Hansen (host),Lynn Neary (reporter) (December 9, 2007). "What Oprah's Endorsement Means for Obama". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  21. ↑ Lynn Neary (December 5, 2008). "Book Industry Enters Shaky Chapter". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-10-05. But when the fallout from the Random House reorganization was announced on the same day that Simon & Schuster and the Christian publishing company Thomas Nelson announced layoffs, it stunned the book world, says Sara Nelson, editor-in-chief of Publishers Weekly.
  22. ↑ SARA NELSON (April 10, 2009). "Twitter's "Garyvee" Vaynerchuk Gets A Book Deal". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  23. ↑ SARA NELSON (March 14, 2009). "Reganomics, or How to Publish Like a Porn Star". The Wall Street Journal: Life & Culture. Retrieved 2010-10-05.
  24. ↑ MOTOKO RICH (July 11, 2007). "Big Time for a Novel Set Under the Big Top". The New York Times: Books. Retrieved 2010-10-05. In Publishers Weekly, Sara Nelson, the editor in chief, wrote that “this overspending is worrisome,” and noted that “best-seller lists are loaded with books that even the most optimistic publisher could never have predicted would become the blockbusters they did — think ‘Marley and Me’ or ‘The Lovely Bones’ or, for that matter, ‘Water for Elephants.’ ”
  25. ↑ Olivia Barker (May 29, 2008). "'Prada' nips at author Lauren Weisberger's heels". USA TODAY. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Nelson says. "The definition of chick lit has expanded to include some things that are a little more accomplished and grown-up and literary than what that term used to mean.
  26. ↑ JOANNE KAUFMAN (April 24, 2009). "With Kindle, Can You Tell It's Proust?". The New York Times: Fashion & Style. Retrieved 2010-10-05. SARA NELSON, the former editor of Publishers Weekly, was at a dinner party recently...
  27. 1 2 3 Joanna Smith Rakoff (June 6, 2010). "Books & Ideas: An author's adventures in 'Anthropology'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2010-10-05. "Publishers are taking self-published books more seriously," said Sara Nelson, books editor for O,...
  28. ↑ Staci D. Kramer (January 27, 2009). "paidContent.org - Reed Tightens The Belt Again: Layoffs Hit Variety, Multichannel, PW; Wage Freeze; B&C Shrinking". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2010-10-05. At Publisher's Weekly, the layoffs include Sara Nelson, editor-in-chief for four years...
  29. ↑ Keith J. Kelly (September 11, 2009). "Casey's at the bat at O, The Oprah Magazine". New York Post. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Although Hearst earlier this week announced Pat Towers was retiring as features editor, with many of her old duties now being assumed by Sara Nelson, the mag's new book director,
  30. ↑ KEITH J. KELLY (September 10, 2009). "Oprah's O in overhaul". New York Post. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Sara Nelson was named books editor;
  31. ↑ Lynn Neary (September 10, 2010). "How To Sell A Book? Good Old Word Of Mouth". National Public Radio. Retrieved 2010-10-05. O book editor Sara Nelson attended the same event ...
  32. 1 2 FELICIA R. LEE (October 27, 2009). "Serving Literature by the Tweet". The New York Times: Books. Retrieved 2010-10-05. As Sara Nelson, the books director of O, the Oprah Magazine, and former editor in chief of Publishers Weekly, said, “Anything that takes the starch out — go for it.”
  33. ↑ Bob Minzesheimer (Dec 30, 2009). "Decade in books: Writers work magic, delivery has transformed". USA Today. Retrieved 2010-10-05. Hard bargains will have to be struck," says Sara Nelson, books editor of O magazine, "but in the end, readers will win. Over time, the more readers you can create and nurture, the better ... no matter what the format.
  34. ↑ "Sara Nelson appears on CBS's The Early Show". CBS News The Early Show. December 9, 2009. Retrieved 2010-10-05. 'O' magazine's Sara Nelson showed off her holiday book picks for everyone on your gift list.. Sara Nelson appeared with CBS's Harry
  35. ↑ "Publishing: Editors Speak Out at the LA Times Festival of Books". BookFox: Publishing. April 25, 2010. Retrieved 2010-10-05. The panel is moderated by Sara Nelson, Books Director at Oprah magazine, ...
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