Shelf Awareness
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}}
{{Short description|American e-zine publisher (2005-)}}
{{Infobox company
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| trade_name = Shelf Awareness
| former_name =
| type = Private
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| industry = publishing industry
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| predecessor =
| founded = {{Start date and age|2005}}
| founders = {{Unbulleted list|Jenn Risko|John Mutter}}
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| hq_location =
| hq_location_city = Seattle
| hq_location_country = United States
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| num_employees = 16
| num_employees_year = 2025
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{{Infobox magazine
| italic title = no
| title = Shelf Awareness Pro
| publisher = Matt Baldacci
| editor = John Mutter (editor-in-chief)
| category = Book reviews, trade publications
| frequency = Daily
| firstdate = {{Start date and age|2005|06|29}}
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| website = {{URL|shelf-awareness.com/booktrade.html}}
}}
{{Infobox magazine
| italic title = no
| title = Shelf Awareness
| publisher = Matt Baldacci
| editor = John Mutter (editor-in-chief)
| category = Book reviews, trade publications
| frequency = Weekly
| firstdate = {{Start date and age|2011|06|17}}
| country =
| website = {{URL|shelf-awareness.com/sar-issue.html}}
}}
Shelf Awareness is an American publishing company that produces two e-zines focused on bookselling, books, and book reviews: Shelf Awareness is aimed at general consumers, while Shelf Awareness Pro caters for industry professionals.
History
The company was co-founded by editor/journalist John Mutter (editor-in-chief){{cite web|url= http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/Booksellin |title=BookTV Panel Discussion on Independent Bookselling |publisher=C-SPAN BookTV | date=May 18, 2013|accessdate=June 17, 2013}} and Jenn Risko (publisher){{cite web|url= http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/YearinB |title=BookTV 2010 Year in Books |publisher=C-SPAN BookTV | date=December 29, 2010|accessdate=July 18, 2013}} in 2005 to produce a trade magazine for booksellers.{{cite web|last=Frank |first=Meagan |url= http://booksmakeadifference.com/shelfawareness/ |title=Risko & Mutter Key to Shelf Awareness |work=Books Make A Difference |date=September 24, 2012 |accessdate=June 17, 2013}}
In 2007, Shelf Awareness had 10,000 subscribers in the book industry subscribers. In partnership with Unshelved, which was read by 35,000 librarians and others, the company started running a new service for publishers to communicate with their readers, via a searchable online database of "drop-in" titles (also known as crash or add-in titles).[https://web.archive.org/web/20071014014620/http://www.shelf-awareness.com/about.html Drop in Titles / About] Shelf Awareness, archived October 14, 2007
In 2011, Shelf Awareness launched a consumer book review version called Shelf Awareness for Readers.{{cite web |last=Higgins |first=Jim |date=June 20, 2011 |title=Shelf Awareness for Readers a welcome addition to email inboxes |url=http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/entertainment/124167833.html |accessdate=June 17, 2013 |work=Journal Sentinel}}{{cite web |last=Schinsky |first=Rebecca Joines |date=June 17, 2011 |title=Want Book news? Meet Shelf Awareness |url=http://www.thebookladysblog.com/2011/06/17/want-book-news-meet-shelf-awareness |accessdate=June 17, 2013 |work=The Book Lady's Blog}} The company hired Marilyn Dahl as the review editor{{cite web |last=Easton |first=Valerie |date=February 21, 2013 |title=Book City: Why reading for a living is like herding cats |url=http://crosscut.com/2013/02/21/books/113085/book-city-marilyn-dahl/?page=single |accessdate=June 17, 2013 |work=Crosscut}} and Jennifer Brown as the children's literature editor.{{cite web |last=Kephart |first=Beth |date=February 22, 2012 |title=PP Appreciation: Jennifer Brown, Children's Book Crusader |url=http://publishingperspectives.com/2012/02/pp-appreciation-jennifer-brown-childrens-book-crusader/ |accessdate=June 17, 2013 |work=Publishing Perspectives}} In November of that year, Kristen Steenbeeke of Hugo House writing centre wrote in her "Weekly Reading Website" section that Shelf Awareness had "been getting lots of buzz in the literary world", and that it provided "straightforward, obvious descriptions [of books] that tell you exactly what you came to read: Should I or should I not read this book?".{{cite web |last=Steenbeeke |first=Kristen |date=12 November 2011 |title=Weekly Reading Website: Shelf Awareness |url=http://hugohouse.org/blog/2011/aug/weekly-reading-website-shelf-awareness |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111214010949/http://hugohouse.org/blog/2011/aug/weekly-reading-website-shelf-awareness |archive-date=14 December 2011 |access-date=22 April 2025 |website=Hugo Blog}}
In 2014, the circulation of Shelf Awareness Pro (also called Shelf Awareness for the Book Trade) was more than 39,000 industry professionals{{cite web|last=Stein |first=Garth |url= http://www.fastcompany.com/fast-cities/2009 |title=Fast Cities 2009 |work=Fast Company |date=May 1, 2009 |accessdate=June 17, 2013}}{{cite web|last=Rose |first=M.J. |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mj-rose/11-lessons-authors-should_b_3303683.html |title=11 Lessons Authors Should Learn |work=Huffington Post Books |date=May 22, 2013|accessdate=June 17, 2013}} (including booksellers, publishers, librarians, and literary agents) in 2014.{{cite web|url= http://www.shelf-awareness.com/booktrade.html/ |title=Shelf Awareness Pro|publisher=shelf-awareness.com |date= |accessdate=July 7, 2014}} The publication reports on independent bookstores, including openings, expansions, moves, staffing and closures; bookselling; publishing industry news, such as new titles, staffing, imprints, etc.; e-books and e-publication; authors; awards; media coverage of books and authors; and other features.{{cite web|url= http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/294891-1 |title=BookTV 2010 Fall Book Preview | publisher=C-SPAN BookTV |date=July 29, 2010|accessdate=July 17, 2013}}
In 2014, Shelf Awareness for Readers was published twice weekly (Tuesdays and Fridays), and had a circulation of 399,000,{{cite web|url= http://www.shelf-awareness.com/readers-issue.html |title=Shelf Awareness for Readers |publisher=shelf-awareness.com |date= |accessdate=July 7, 2014}} at which time around 130 independent bookstores were sending out a version of Shelf Awareness for Readers to their customers.{{cite web|url= http://www.shelf-awareness.com/bookstores.html |title=Shelf Awareness Bookstore Edition|publisher=shelf-awareness.com |date= |accessdate=July 7, 2014}}
Overview
With offices in Seattle, Washington, and Montclair, New Jersey, Shelf Awareness publishes an e-zine for the book industry and an e-zine for general readers, both free of charge. Shelf Awareness Pro is a daily trade magazine for booksellers, publishers, librarians, and literary agents. Shelf Awareness is a weekly ezine published on Fridays, and includes the "25 best books of the week, as chosen by booksellers, librarians and other industry experts".
{{as of|April 2025}}, John Mutter is editor-in-chief of Shelf Awareness, while Neil Strandberg, who joined in 2015, is CEO. Matt Baldacci is the publisher (Jenn Risko being publisher emerita, having left the company in 2024).{{cite web | title=About Shelf Awareness | website=Shelf Awareness | url=https://www.shelf-awareness.com/about.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250406015128/https://www.shelf-awareness.com/about.html | archive-date=6 April 2025 | url-status=live | access-date=22 April 2025}}
References
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External links
- {{Official website|https://www.shelf-awareness.com/}}
Category:Book review magazines published in the United States
Category:English-language magazines
Category:Magazines established in 2005
Category:Magazines published in New Jersey