Chronicle Book Review Stands Alone

by Steven Zeitchik, PW NewsLine -- Publishers Weekly, 10/1/2001

Champagne-worthy it's not, but the San Francisco Chronicle's decision to break out its book section once again might be a small reason to celebrate if you're in the business of publicizing books. The change will take effect this week.

Unlike the Review's former iteration, this one will take the form of a broadsheet. Its six pages will roughly translate into the twelve tabloid pages the section contained before it was absorbed into the paper last spring, an increase of about four tabloid pages over its current size.

Book Review editor Oscar Villalon said the decision had little to do with economics and a lot to do with readers. "Enough people complained that they [newspaper executives] felt they had to change it," he said. Indeed, it's hard to imagine new economic incentives.

So far, the Chronicle is the only book review section to follow contraction with expansion. But the news offers a reason for hope, not only because of the bulked-up coverage but because the Chronicle's direction has been watched closely by other book review editors.