I think I know why. Knopf is smart. Why don’t any of the other publishers do what they do? I’m a freelance reviewer for the Oregonian. Every month or two, Knopf emails me a list of upcoming titles and asks which ones I would be interested in reviewing. There’s a brief description and a note about where folks are touring. I only ask for the ones I want.
Contrast that to all the other publishers. Every day, UPS puts an big yellow envelope or two on my porch, most filled with books I don’t want and would never review. A few pique my interest. The rest don’t have a chance. Yet those publishers may have books I would be dying to review - but they never send them to me or ask me about them.
So is that the secret to Knopf’s success? Well, only partly. Knopf is also known for having some of the best books in the business.
