Who Wants To Party?

Today Gail Gauthier happened to link to a recent New York Times article that declared the death of the book party.

"In the past few years, the book party as buzz-generator has been eclipsed by the elegant prepublication lunch, where publishers invite a few dozen editors and critics to a three-course meal at a swish restaurant to promote one or more titles they're pushing that season. Publishers may also organize small events nationwide to start the chattering classes chattering. "It's more helpful in getting attention city by city with influential people in the book world," said the literary agent Ira Silverberg. "You could take over Yankee Stadium for Salman Rushdie and I don't know if it's going to matter to an independent bookseller in Pasadena.""

The important part of this article? "...the elegant prepublication lunch, where publishers invite a few dozen editors and critics to a three-course meal at a swish restaurant to promote one or more titles they're pushing that season". Critics, eh? Join me then in letting publishers know that the rising critics in children's literature happen to be bloggers. I could rip off a couple blog names right off the top of my head (including myself) who wouldn't mind being wined and dined a little by the people who put out the books. *hint hint*