Publisher Jonathan Karp uncorked a word that he once was told to never, ever — ever — invoke near an author: mulch. As in turning those unsold books into mulch, shredder fodder, to sleep with the leaves.

He now believes the term should be used, and implemented, often in this day of what he calls the “disposable book.” He’s writing about books that are put to press without the thorough research and editing that used to be the norm. Now, instead of two years or more between books, the norm for most active authors is a book a year, fiction or nonfiction, Karp laments.

And, he says, far too many books are published for the quick sale.
“I too have sinned. In weaker moments, I’ve been seduced by tales of celebrity, money, gossip and scandal. Among my crimes: I volunteered to edit a White House memoir by a self-serving egomaniac because I wanted to learn about presidential politics. (Hint: The author’s name was Dick Morris.) I worked on a book by Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega because we thought he might be able to provide an illuminating perspective on how the United States wields power in Latin America. And, in an effort to bolster the company’s bottom line, I acquired and edited an inspirational autobiography by the pop singer Clay Aiken, written and published in about four months. (For the record, Noriega was a lot more pleasant to deal with than Aiken.)”

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