Politico Bookshelf: how a website becomes a publisher
Even as we lose the in-person browsing possibilities at bricks-and-mortar sellers like Borders, a new bookstore is hitting the block: a place where you can browse, read, and buy 鈥� and it鈥檚 all online.
Political news site Politico announced the creation of Wednesday, an online bookstore curated by Politico鈥檚 editors and run by Random House. The virtual bookshelf will feature a trove of titles 鈥� paper and electronic 鈥� on current events, politics, history, business and economics, biography, and policy.
It鈥檚 a new model for the DC-based news publication: Shoppers browse or search for titles on the virtual bookshelf, then purchase them through a selection of online retailers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Politics and Prose, and Apple鈥檚 iBookstore.
鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to be working with Random House to develop this new marketplace,鈥� . 鈥淏y combining the great minds and writers in political journalism and publishing, we鈥檙e able to offer our readers a deeper read into the political subjects that interest them.鈥�
Among the coolest features is 鈥淲hat Politico is Reading,鈥� which highlights the staff鈥檚 current reads. (Politico White House correspondent Mike Allen, for instance, is reading Jeffrey Sachs鈥� 鈥淭he Price of Civilization鈥�).
Among the 2,743 books available for purchase thus far on Politico Bookshelf were Walter Isaacson鈥檚 biography, 鈥�Steve Jobs鈥�; Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain鈥檚 鈥淭his is Herman Cain!鈥�; as well as financial-crisis tales 鈥淕riftopia鈥� by Matt Taibbi, and 鈥淎ll the Devils are Here鈥� by Bethany McLean. Political fiction, an unexpected treat, also got top billing on the Bookshelf, including 鈥淗abibi鈥� by Craig Thompson, and 鈥淭he Submission鈥� by Amy Waldman.
The new virtual bookstore also prominently features a pre-order button for Politico鈥檚 other foray into book publishing: its e-book 鈥淧laybook 2012: The Right Fights Back,鈥� by Mike Allen and Evan Thomas, edited by Random House鈥檚 Jon Meacham. The book is due out Nov. 30.
The Politico Bookshelf is one more way the popular news site is testing the waters of publishing, and more importantly, boosting its brand, media watchers say.
鈥淭hroughout this year, the D.C.-focused publication has tried to use its growing readership and the upcoming election to boost its brand, whether by co-hosting a GOP candidates debate or furthering its events business,鈥� . 鈥淧olitico clearly sees this as another opportunity to establish itself as a heavyweight in political journalism.鈥�
As for us, we consider Politico Bookshelf a new kind of BYO-caf茅-drink and find-your-own-couch book-browsing opportunity.
Husna Haq is a Monitor correspondent.
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