Olson D Day - Sara Nelson - Blog on Publishers Weekly

Home
PW in Print
Newsletters
Reviews
- Audio
- Children's
- Comics
- Fiction
- Nonfiction
- Religion
- Web Exclusives
- See All Reviews
Bookselling
- Indie News
- Retailing
Book News
Book Life
Bestseller Lists
- Audio
- Children's
- Comics
- Fiction
- Paperback
- Nonfiction
- Religion
Commentary
Job Zone
Tools

Sara Nelson

Blog

Sara Nelson

« Mama Always Said There Would B... | Main | Among Friends... »

Link This | Email this | Blog This | Comments (5)

Sara Nelson

Olson D Day
May 5, 2008

Olson D-Day

I can’t help thinking there’s something kind of poetic, even Biblical, about the way it was announced today that Random honcho Peter Olson was stepping down. While sources citing the poor performance of Random of late, the language was as strong as it was nearly a decade ago when Olson fired the revered (if feared) editor, Ann Godoff. He was a tough guy then, that Olson, and he apparently is falling on the same sword he used to cut a swath through the publishing house. Who can forget the New York Times piece by Lynn Hirschberg in which Olson showed himself to be just a tad on the heartless side when it came to protecting his bottom line.

It must also be said that PW had this story, a month ago, on tips we got at the LondonBook Fair. But everybody and their brother swore it wasn’t so, even though our inside sources said it was. We behaved honorably and carefully, and didn’t print it.

But it sure feels good to have been right, even if we couldn’t say so at the time.

Posted by Sara Nelson on May 5, 2008 | Comments (5)

May 5, 2008
In response to: Olson D Day
Veteran Bookseller commented:

It's nice to see the blade cuts both ways. Friends of mine were "economized" when RH didn't make its' numbers in years past. Sales would be higher if they weren't so intent on working everybody to death. Publishing is a people business too.

May 7, 2008
In response to: Olson D Day
yerffac commented:

Sara--PW was scooped. Don't draw attention to it.

May 7, 2008
In response to: Olson D Day
Sara commented:

I actually think we behaved honorably and while I wish we had the piece first, I was not willing to risk PW's reputation (and my own) on stories based on unattributed sources, however true they turned out to be. Had we published the story we had without a named source, you might have been the first in line to criticize that. Besides, "why call attention to that"? The whole point is to write the truth, whether it makes us look good or bad.

May 7, 2008
In response to: Olson D Day
Guterslug commented:

Uh, you still don't have any named/attributed sources, and the story is still not confirmed "truth." In fact, your blog lead is incorrect--it was not "announced" that Olson is stepping down. Some German guys leaked to the Times something that they say will happen soon but hasn't yet.

May 8, 2008
In response to: Olson D Day
Sara commented:

Dear Guterslug: You seem to know an awful lot about this. Why don't you come out from behind your email address (I get the reference, by the way) and tell me what you know, so I can have a named source.