After reading Colleen Lindsay‘s show of support for USA Today, Algonquin Books publicity director Michael Taeckens offered some additional perspective from the book promotion frontlines:
“USA Today consistently showcases new literary talent, and they cover books from a wide array of publishing houses—large, medium, and small. The books editors there are some of the smartest and most passionate readers around, and they are always open to discovering new writers and books. I think perhaps this specific author just isn’t as aware of USA Today‘s book coverage as publicists and daily readers are. But there’s a kind of elitism in assuming that because a publication covers bestselling pop culture, they don’t cover anything else. I think it might surprise this author to know that People and Entertainment Weekly showcase many debut authors as well.”