Just One More Book!! isn’t just a podcast Andrea and I produce, it’s been a member of our family since we launched it over three years (and 610 episodes) ago. We’ve been introduced to many amazing books, made some amazing friends and been invited to participate in some amazing events. A lot of people have gone out of their way to encourage and promote us and help turn our passion into a valuable resource for book enthusiasts and a hub of information for industry insiders.
Like many endeavours, it has its dark side. We’ve had to deal with pushy and “entitled” members of the book industry. This has been happening with increasing frequency over the last few months. The approach of these people suggests they believe we are their paid subordinates. This takes a lot of fun out of our personal efforts to help the industry with its own financial gain at our expense.
When the dark forces start to overshadow the good, you start to batten down the hatches and rethink what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. All that to say, we’re considering what it would mean to us if Just One More Book!! was no longer a part of our family. Although, we have briefly talked about possible changes to the format including a gleeful suggestion for a “Book Industry Knob of the Week” segment.
For the time being, we’re going to honour our existing interview commitments and then take a break to rethink things.
Photo by Bob Goyetche (be sure to read his post My new book!).
[...] Read Mark’s post about Just One More Book!! as a member of our family: The baby, the bathwater, or both? [...]
Pingback by A Capital Lament: The End of an Era — September 11, 2009 @ 1:01 am
Say it isn’t so, Mark! Please don’t let the bad guys win by bailing JOMB! It’s the best thing out there for children’s books, authors & illustrators — a terrific resource with personality.
Comment by Alexis O'Neill — September 11, 2009 @ 10:31 am
Wait! What happened? JOMB is too awesome to be bullied out of business like that. Is there anything we (the loyal fans) can do to help? I’m sending my very best wishes your way.
Comment by Joanne Stanbridge — September 11, 2009 @ 10:45 am
Alexis, Joanne,
Thanks for the kind words re: JOMB. It means a lot to us and, again, we have had thousands of fabulous encounters with wonderfully decent and personable listeners and publishing folks. Mark is Mr. Teflon and would keep on forever just on the steam of passion and those very positive encounters but I’ve reached some critical point where I’m about to blow (er… actually have already started blowing)
To your point, Joanne, JOMB is not a business. Finances go only one way: from our pockets out. We don’t benefit at all from the sales of the books we so fervently promote. It’s the publishing industry folks, too many of who seem to think we work for them, that benefit from all our efforts. So getting pooped on by the bad eggs does, over time, take its toll.
Thanks again for listening and for sending good wishes our way.
As I said to Mark, most people break up with their husbands at their midlife crisis. I guess I’ll be lucky if breaking up with my podcast is the extent of mine.
Comment by Andrea Ross of JOMB — September 11, 2009 @ 11:19 am
Oh dear! I can’t imagine JOMB disappearing. Please reconsider. It’s such a wonderful resource and just so much fun.
Comment by Toni Buzzeo — September 11, 2009 @ 10:00 pm
Please don’t stop! You are helping countless kids find the best of this world. So sorry the baddies are leaning on you. There must be a way to shut them out. Thank you so much for all of your energy and love you have put into JOMB!
Comment by Brad — September 12, 2009 @ 1:56 pm
This is very sad news!! I just discovered your website about two weeks ago. I’m enrolled in a children’s literature class (working on a MLS in Texas) and your site was mentioned on a list of resources from which we were to choose and post a review for class. I chose yours, and spent the next few days discovering all the work ya’ll have done.
Your podcasts are great…they’re honest, energetic, and professional…and your discussions are insightful. I work for a county library system, and was planning to include your resources in my research on some collection development projects.
I am sorry to hear that children’s book publishing can have such a strong arm.
Comment by Elizabeth Fain — September 12, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
Thanks for your comment, Elizabeth. We hope you haven’t forgotten that we have 610 regular episodes of Just One More Book (roughly 250 of which are interviews) and the 21-part Rock Stars of Reading video and audio documentary series. That entire body of work remains online, as relevant as ever. JOMB is quite likely the largest body of free multimedia content that promotes literacy and children’s books on the Internet. That likely won’t change anytime soon. And, it’s possible we will continue after making many changes.
We hope you and your colleagues are able to take full advantage of the JOMB archive and that you may even participate in the online conversation our program is meant to inspire.
Comment by Mark — September 13, 2009 @ 8:18 am
No! No! No! There is already a suffocating-weight of bad news in the children’s book world — losing Reading Rainbow, a school library removing all of their books, and now this?
I am being selfish — can’t imagine the time and energy ya’ll put into JOMB (not even considering all of the added darkside junk). I want the final decision to be what is best for you and your family, but I AM selfish and my hope is that JOMB survives and thrives.
Comment by Beverly — September 13, 2009 @ 11:58 am
Good luck. Although you will be missed – your archives will help us until you, hopefully, can return. When it stops being fun it starts being work.
Comment by The Brain Lair — September 20, 2009 @ 5:33 pm
Thanks, Beverly and “The Brain Lair” for your feedback. I have to say that it’s motivating and invigorating to hear from everyone.
Comment by Mark — September 20, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
Heard about this over the weekend. Sad to see greed get in the way of a good thing. Another example of people not understanding social media.
Comment by Daniele Rossi — September 22, 2009 @ 4:30 pm
Thanks, Daniele. Lessons learned will be incorporated into the webcast I’m co-presenting this Thursday. Details and a registration link can be found in the following link:
http://www.markblevis.com/how-the-book-industry-can-harness-the-power-of-the-social-media-community/
Comment by Mark — September 22, 2009 @ 6:50 pm
I just caught up with this news a few weeks late and I am shocked and dismayed to hear it. It’s a dreadful thought that your own professionalism and its resultant success is what would do you in. Can’t you do something to make it clear to the publishing industry that this is a nonprofit voluntary venture? Can we in the blogosphere do something to help send them that message, the way blogger-power helped get the message across about the cover of LIAR? After all, if they’re doing this to you, they’re doing it to others, and maybe it’s time the bloggers fight back!
Comment by Heidi Estrin — September 24, 2009 @ 2:06 pm
Me too! I’ve been out of the loop and sorry to learn about this and other changes in your lives right now. Hope they are only temporary. Big hugs and thanks to you both.
Eden
Comment by Eden Spodek — October 6, 2009 @ 6:35 pm
Wait! What happened? JOMB is too awesome to be bullied out of business like that. Is there anything we (the loyal fans) can do to help? I'm sending my very best wishes your way.
Comment by Joanne Stanbridge — December 31, 2009 @ 3:06 am