Friedlander Brings Book Content to Air America

By Calvin Reid -- Publishers Weekly, 10/10/2008 8:35:00 AM

Veteran book publisher Beau Friedlander has landed a new job as editor-in-chief of the Air America Web site with a mandate to raise traffic on the politically liberal radio network by using his publishing experience and book contacts to bring new content and new personalities to the site. 

“Air America is out to create a standalone media presence,” Friedlander said, “a web-based, multimedia convergence of politics and culture; a place for people who love politics as entertainment.” Friedlander, former publisher and founder of Context Books and who has worked for Chelsea Green Publishing, Abrams and other houses, also said that in addition to politics, the Air America site is looking to expand its coverage of lifestyle areas such as food and even fashion. “What you wear can be political,” Friedlander said. “We’re reaching out to publishers for content.”

Friedlander has a content deal with Chelsea Green, a publisher known for politically liberal authors and books, to provide a broader online and radio platform for the content in the house’s blogs. In addition to deals with news sites AlterNet and Mother Jones magazine, he’s in negotiations with Collins president and publisher Steve Ross to use content from Collins’ forthcoming, Terminatrix: The Chronicles of Sarah Palin, a satirical book of manipulated photos of the Republican Vice Presidential nominee that Collins is rushing out this month. Friedlander has had author/filmmaker Michael Moore and journalist Danny Schecter as guest bloggers on the site and provides links to BookSense stores. And he’s looking to make more deals.