Palin Profile Pays Off

Epicenter Press is living the small press dream… they have stayed focused to their core material/genre and have turned out to be the only publisher with a book about the hottest topic in the US right now… McCain’s pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin for VP.

Epicenter, which publishes books on the Pacific Northwest, printed 13,000 Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska’s Political Establishment Upside Down, around last April.

Now, thanks to McCain’s nod, they have orders out for 40,000+ more. I bet it’s one big party over there! It’s great when things like this happen to smaller publishers. Here is a company that printed a book they believed there was a market for… a market so small that no big-house publisher would bother serving… and now they are reaping the rewards. Good for them! And it’s another example of why we’re all better off with small presses in the world!

Erase your Over-due Fines

If you are a card-carrying member of the JCLC system, you can have $1 erased from your over-due fines for every canned food item you bring in. The limit is $10 knocked-off your record. The deal runs until the end of September, when all donated goods will be given to local Birmingham-area food banks.

September is also the JCLC system’s annual card-swap month. Meaning… the library will replace (waiving the $3 charge) your ratty falling apart over-used library card… but we don’t know anyone who has one of those…

Philip Roth Live Simulcast

On September 16th, at 6:30pm, The Alabama Booksmith will play host to a live simulcast with author Philip Roth. The Booksmith is one of a handful of venues that will be dialed into the event, allowing visitors to watch Philip Roth and participate in a Q&A with the reclusive author.

According to their site, the Booksmith will have copies of all 29 Roth titles available and will be serving wine (to help fortify your courage to throw out questions to Roth, on this national stage).

Roth’s new title (with a ho-hum so-so cover) drops a couple of weeks from now and is titled Indignation.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham