I’m scratching my head this morning, trying to figure out the Litblog Co-op, a new webthing from “the leading literary weblogs* [with] the purpose of drawing attention to the best of contemporary fiction, authors and presses.” Phrased another way, the Co-op “is about … uniting with one voice to assure you that a given title is worth your time and energy.”
But, I wonder, perhaps unfairly: will the Co-op be more than a running ad, ruling out discussions of a book’s problems for the sake of a guerilla marketing campaign? Other questions come to mind, too: Will the Co-op be presenting itself as a spokesman for the larger lit blog community?* Will co-op members who don’t like a selected title have a chance to post their thoughts? How will the voting process deal with differences in taste?
But, despite GC’s confusion and consequent reservations, we’re betting the MSM’s steady interest in lit blogs will spike with news of the Co-op’s formation. The Co-o’s poised to help sell books, and we’re sure many writers will be appreciating that.
*Though many of GC’s favorite lit blogs are participating, three of the lit-sphere’s most famous — Maud, Moby, and Bookslut — are conspicuously absent from the Co-Op’s blogroll/masthead.