One new book award is departing from others, offering the reading public a chance to weigh in. Martha Woodroof of member station WMRA reports that "The Quills" are as much about the commercial power of awards as it is about a good read.
RENEE MONTAGNE, host: And now the business of books.  Several prestigious book awards are given      out this week, and this year joining the list is a new award voted on by      the reading public.  Martha Woodroof of member station WMRA reports.</s>MARTHA WOODROOF reporting: There are plenty of book awards--the Pulitzer, the PEN/Faulkner, the      National Book Award--but these don't involve the reading public in their      voting process.  The Quill Awards project a more inclusive feel, but they      also have a strong marketing whiff about them.  Gerry Byrne is chair of      the Quill Literary Foundation.</s>Mr. GERRY BYRNE (Chair, Quill Literary Foundation): Really what we saw      as an opportunity was to create something unique that is a hybrid of      a--you know, call it a readers' choice award, but it's really      pre-qualified by people who are qualified in the industry.</s>WOODROOF: Six thousands book sellers and librarians nominated almost a      hundred books, but readers have the final vote.  With this populist      approach, Byrne has placed himself at the center of a literary flap.</s>Mr. GERRY BYRNE (Chair, Quill Literary Foundation): I probably even shouldn't bring this up, but the number of      people who have contacted me throughout the process this past couple of      years and saying to me, you know, `How dare you?'  And I'd say, `How dare      I what?'  And there are so many people who, when it comes to literature      and the written word, are snobs.</s>Mr. BENJAMIN SCHWARZ (Literary Editor, The Atlantic Monthly): I don't      think there's anything wrong with being a snob, if by being a snob you      mean you are holding something to a very high standard.</s>WOODROOF: Benjamin Schwarz, literary editor of The Atlantic Monthly, has      nothing against the Quills.  He worries about the impact of all book      awards.</s>Mr. BENJAMIN SCHWARZ (Literary Editor, The Atlantic Monthly): If you're a very busy person, and you think, `I don't know      what's out there.  I'm only going to make my selection based on what was      short-listed for the National Book Awards, say,' then those awards do      carry enormous commercial power, and they have a way of freezing out      other books.</s>WOODROOF: The Quills hope to spread that commercial power around.  Their      19 categories include sports, graphic novels, self-help and romance.  The      awards have corporate muscle behind them:  Read Business Information,      which owns Publishers Weekly and a couple of book publishing houses.  NBC      News anchor Brian Williams is hosting the red-carpet event.  The network      will broadcast it on October 22nd.</s>WOODROOF: With the other award announcements this week, the Quills face tough      competition for the public's notice.  But Sara Nelson, editor of      Publishers Weekly, says remember Oprah.</s>Ms. SARA NELSON (Editor, Publishers Weekly): If you had said, `Do you      think that an African-American talk-show host out of Chicago was going to      change the course of publishing?' you know, I think most people would      have said no.  But Oprah is Oprah.</s>WOODROOF: And the Quills will copy one of Oprah's more visible marketing      strategies.  Winning books will sport identifying stickers.  For NPR      News, I'm Martha Woodroof.</s>RENEE MONTAGNE, host: This is MORNING EDITION from NPR News.  I'm Renee Montagne.