Under the Cover

The Creation, Production, and Reception of a Novel

Nonfiction, Reference & Language, Language Arts, Writing & Publishing, Publishing, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Sociology
Cover of the book Under the Cover by Clayton Childress, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Clayton Childress ISBN: 9781400885275
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: June 20, 2017
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Clayton Childress
ISBN: 9781400885275
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: June 20, 2017
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Under the Cover follows the life trajectory of a single work of fiction from its initial inspiration to its reception by reviewers and readers. The subject is Jarrettsville, a historical novel by Cornelia Nixon, which was published in 2009 and based on an actual murder committed by an ancestor of Nixon's in the postbellum South.

Clayton Childress takes you behind the scenes to examine how Jarrettsville was shepherded across three interdependent fields—authoring, publishing, and reading—and how it was transformed by its journey. Along the way, he covers all aspects of the life of a book, including the author's creative process, the role of the literary agent, how editors decide which books to acquire, how publishers build lists and distinguish themselves from other publishers, how they sell a book to stores and publicize it, and how authors choose their next projects. Childress looks at how books get selected for the front tables in bookstores, why reviewers and readers can draw such different meanings from the same novel, and how book groups across the country make sense of a novel and what it means to them.

Drawing on original survey data, in-depth interviews, and groundbreaking ethnographic fieldwork, Under the Cover reveals how decisions are made, inequalities are reproduced, and novels are built to travel in the creation, production, and consumption of culture.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Under the Cover follows the life trajectory of a single work of fiction from its initial inspiration to its reception by reviewers and readers. The subject is Jarrettsville, a historical novel by Cornelia Nixon, which was published in 2009 and based on an actual murder committed by an ancestor of Nixon's in the postbellum South.

Clayton Childress takes you behind the scenes to examine how Jarrettsville was shepherded across three interdependent fields—authoring, publishing, and reading—and how it was transformed by its journey. Along the way, he covers all aspects of the life of a book, including the author's creative process, the role of the literary agent, how editors decide which books to acquire, how publishers build lists and distinguish themselves from other publishers, how they sell a book to stores and publicize it, and how authors choose their next projects. Childress looks at how books get selected for the front tables in bookstores, why reviewers and readers can draw such different meanings from the same novel, and how book groups across the country make sense of a novel and what it means to them.

Drawing on original survey data, in-depth interviews, and groundbreaking ethnographic fieldwork, Under the Cover reveals how decisions are made, inequalities are reproduced, and novels are built to travel in the creation, production, and consumption of culture.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Optimization by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Putting Liberalism in Its Place by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book The River Twice by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book 40 Years of Evolution by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Black Atlantic Religion by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Come Out Swinging by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Cold War Civil Rights by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Madness in Civilization by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book How to Build a Habitable Planet by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Troubling the Waters by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Governing America by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Success through Failure by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Science and Polity in France by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book On the Move by Clayton Childress
Cover of the book Krupp by Clayton Childress
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy