“Depending on Who You Ask, There Are Fewer than 10 Full-Time Book Review Critics Working Today”

Why It Matters

The erosion of full‑time book critics and review platforms limits exposure for academic and nonfiction titles, forcing publishers to reinvent publicity strategies around digital niches and author collaboration, reshaping how books reach readers and generate sales.

Summary

University of Chicago Press’s promotions director Carrie Olivia Adams says fewer than ten full‑time book‑review critics remain in the U.S., with only nine daily newspapers still maintaining dedicated review sections—The New York Times, Boston Globe, Minneapolis Star Tribune, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, and occasional coverage in the LA Times and NY Post. Print magazines face similar cutbacks, but outlets like The New Yorker, Atlantic, Harper’s, and New York Review of Books continue to publish reviews, especially nonfiction. The decline in review space has reduced the impact of traditional publicity, pushing authors and publicists toward niche media, newsletters, podcasts, and author‑driven networking to drive sales, as exemplified by recent successful campaigns at the University of Chicago Press.