LITERARY INNOVATION
I was just doing some research for a client and stumbled upon something quite interesting that the Chicago Tribune started offering last year, as a premium addition to its
Sunday book section. It's called Printers Row Journal, and here's how editor Jennifer Day tells the story:
"It’s our first anniversary, and to thank our readers, we put
together this special digital issue to reflect on our favorite stories
of the year. When the Chicago Tribune launched Printers Row, the aim was
to capture the smart buzz from our annual Printers Row Lit Fest and to
find a way to keep it humming throughout the year. We launched Printers
Row Journal, a weekly, 24-page book section, to open up space for book
reviews, thought pieces, author interviews and literary news. Along with
the Journal, we offered a weekly short story in a Fiction booklet
featuring up-and-coming authors. We programmed author events, too,
aiming to build a true community around books and ideas. Our goal was to
build on Chicago’s deep literary traditions and to make Printers Row
something that truly reflects our city. It turns out, though, that
readers from across the nation were interested in Printers Row, and so
partway through the year, we began offering a digital subscription
option for those who live outside of our circulation area — or just
prefer to read Printers Row Journal on a digital device. We’ve compiled
an extended sample issue here, in case you missed some of the
highlights. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to another great
year. Here’s to the next chapter."
The journal's editorial focus as listed on Poets & Writers: "At the center of Printers Row Journal, our premium weekly supplement, is
a handsomely produced short story pamphlet. The Tribune showcases
winners of our Nelson Algren Short Story competition but aims to build
on that tradition by spotlighting even more top-quality new work. While
we love stories from the Midwest, our goal is to honor glorious stories
regardless of setting."
Writers' Wings will definitely be adding this journal to its database!
