Like speed dating, but hard work for authors

By Miriam Bradman Abrahams

It’s an innovative annual opportunity offered by the Jewish Book Council for authors to present their newest books to Jewish cultural programmers. Each May the JBC hosts a three-day Jewish Book Network conference in Manhattan for JCC’s, libraries, Hillel groups, synagogue and other organizations’ program coordinators from every corner (and the middle) of the U.S., to discuss how to successfully run Jewish Book Month festivals and year-round author events. By networking and listening to experts they learn how to promote authors and sell books.

Carolyn Hessel invented the Jewish Book Network and has implemented it since 1999. The Network tours over 200 authors to hundreds of Jewish book programs. For economic reasons, today’s publishing world rarely sends authors out on tour, Hessel said. Most new authors probably wouldn’t make it across the Hudson without the JBC. It offers a unique venue for Jewish authors to widen their audience and organizes multi-city tours for requested authors. Network member organizations pay an annual fee and pay authors’ travel expenses. In return, the members choose interesting authors to showcase in appealing programs in order to bring in a paying audience and book sales at their events.

Hessel and her staff have helped launch or promote big name authors including Nathan Englander, Jonathan Safran Foer, Dara Horn, Nicole Krauss, Michael Oren, Dennis Ross, Joseph Telushkin and more. But the JBC’s mission is to equally promote new, unknown writers. Besides the Network, JBC provides other vehicles for new authors. The Sammy Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature is awarded each year to the author of the exceptional new book. Jewish Book World is a magazine published quarterly with reviews of new books and author interviews. Edited by Carol Kaufman, it has been called the “Jewish Publisher’s Weekly” and it reaches over 5000 librarians, academics, educators, booksellers, and other informed readers of books of Jewish interest. The website, www.jewishbookcouncil.org provides access to author websites and blogs, book reviews and much more.

The highlight at the end of each conference day is a two-hour slot for author speed dating (children’s book authors present middays). Topics are diverse, including Holocaust narratives, history, Israel, Torah, advice, spirituality, biography, health, economics, every type of fiction, cookbooks, comedy, graphic novels, and children’s books. Authors live in the U.S., Canada, Israel, England and France. Participating authors have exactly two minutes to get their message out to the audience. The emcee holds out signs reminding the author when there is one minute, 30 seconds or 10 seconds left, and “time’s up!” Audience members are eager to hear the presentations and furiously take notes or attach colored Post-It Notes to identify different types of presenters. The authors display many emotions. Some admit to being nervous, while others exude confidence, but most say this is a grueling exercise — two minutes being too short to fully explain their creations.

One author drew a cartoon for the audience during his final seconds; another began his time by singing. Joel Chasnoff, a standup comedian, made his allotted time sound like one of his routines. Yale Strom ended his two minutes by playing a quick Klezmer tune. Kenneth Wishnia, Long Island author of The Fifth Servant, spoke last on the first night, since the presenters are ordered alphabetically. That could be a good thing for him because the audience may remember him best, but by the end of the two hours each night, the listeners are tired, having been overloaded by a dizzying array of some 40 books and personalities. Immediately following the presentations, program coordinators schmooze with the authors over hors d’oevres to further help them decide which authors match up with their communities.

As Hadassah Nassau Region’s liaison to the Jewish Book Network, I have learned that not all great writers are dynamic presenters, so it’s crucial to hear their presentations. On the other hand, not all charming presenters have written engaging books, so it’s also critical to do your homework and read the books. We have already booked Daniel Levin for our author luncheon in October and are eager to book our next One Region One Book author. In order to wisely choose authors, I must bury myself in a pile of brand new books and read for a solid week ... What a pleasure!

Miriam B. Abrahams loves books. She is chair of Hadassah’s One Region One Book, liaison to the Jewish Book Council, and a reviewer for Jewish Book World.