About two months ago, The Millions joined the Tumblr community. So far, the going has been great. The platform is perfectly suited for dynamic storytelling, and as a direct result, it is home to some of the friendliest book lovers around. However, the site’s SEO (or lack thereof) is regrettably unkind to Tumblr outsiders, and this leads to two things. On the one hand, the insularity stokes the kind of kinship that makes its community so tightknit. On the other, the lack of easy searching reduces each blog’s chance of attracting new (or outside) viewers. I’d like to change that. By creating this list of my favorite “literary Tumblrs,” I hope to turn you on to some of the sites that make The Millions’ dashboard that much brighter.
For convenience, I’ve broken this list up among several categories, but I haven’t put these in any preferential order. “Single-Servings” are the most quintessentially Tumblr-like Tumblrs: blogs that fill one particular, ultra-specific niche. “Reviewers,” “Publishers,” “Magazines,” and “Booksellers/Libraries/Foundations” are exactly what they sound like. Sites classified as “Marginalia” are streams of miscellaneous book factoids, images, and, well, marginalia. I’ve tried to avoid listing personal Tumblrs except for a few here and there. Finally, I’ve included a “Wish List” of entities I’d like to see enter the world of likes and reblogs.
1. Single-Servings
- Awesome People Reading: Where to see what famous people read.
- Cover Spy: Where to see what MTA passengers read.
- Lisa Simpson Book Club: Where to see what Lisa Simpson reads.
- Bookshelf Porn: The SFW (despite its title) spot to ogle bookshelves.
- Slaughterhouse 90210: The middle of the television/literature Venn diagram.
- The Art of Google Books: Who’s scanning those books? Whose hand is that?
- The Final Sentence: An effort to spoil every book’s ending.
- Better Book Titles: Where spoilers and humor coexist.
- n+personals: As Malcolm Harris put it, the apex of The New Sincerity.
- Ransom Book Quotes: Title supposedly wasn’t meant to be “random.” Sure.
- Writers No One Reads: Neglected authors and philosophers.
- (un)justly (un)read: Same as above, but perhaps even more obscure.
- 50 Watts: Book design from around the world and across the ages.
- The Books They Gave Me: The intimate details of books gifted by exes.
- The Collected Blurbs of Gary Shteyngart: The man gets around, doesn’t he?
- Poor Yorick Entertainment: Now-defunct, but a must-see for all fantods.
- Lady Journos!: Highlights the best female journalists and their work.
2. Reviewers
- The Los Angeles Review of Books: Rapidly increasing L.A.’s literary cachet.
- The New Inquiry: The Times can look down its nose all it wants. Who cares?
- The Boston Review: Loose updates from the Boston non-profit.
3. Booksellers/Libraries/Foundations
- Housing Works Bookstore Café: Dispatches from a great cause.
- New York Public Library: The epicenter of literary Manhattan. (& its events)
- McNally Jackson: One of New York City’s favorite bookshops.
- WORD Brooklyn: One of New York City’s favorite bookshops across the river.
- 57th Street Books: One of Chicago’s favorite bookshops.
- Tattered Cover: One of Denver’s favorite bookshops.
- Powell’s: One of Portland’s favorite bookshops.
- PEN American Center: Great quotations from the PEN folks.
- 92nd Street Y: One of New York’s best curators of cultural entertainment.
- Books and Books*: Originally on the Wish List below, they’ve since come around. Welcome aboard!
4. Marginalia
- Proustitute: A highbrow, poetry-heavy mental treat.
- Dostoesvky: All things Fyodor.
- Russkaya Literatura: All things Fyodor, Lev, Anton, Mikhail, etc…
- F*ck Yeah Manuscripts: Like LettersOfNote, but exclusively authors.
- John Jeremiah Sullivan: Dispatches from the essayist’s book tour.
5. Publishers (Big Six) — Bear in mind: most of these lean pretty heavily
towards being just marketing tools.
- A. A. Knopf: The intersection of books and borzoi.
- Harper Perennial: The most exciting Big Six imprint in the game right now.
- Farrar, Straus & Giroux: Welcome aboard, newcomers! Way to get off on the right foot.
- Scribner: Bookish miscellany from the Simon & Schuster imprint.
- Doubleday: One of the more stereotypically Tumblr-like publishing Tumblrs.
- Vintage & Anchor: Great stuff from Random House’s paperback wizards.
- Pantheon Books: Image-heavy in a great way.
- Classic Penguin: It’s about time the Penguin folks joined the Tumblr crowd.
- Viking Penguin: Updates from the Viking & Penguin publicity team.
- Riverhead Books: Penguin’s got the most imprints on Tumblr, bar-none.
6. Publishers (Littler Guys)
- W. W. Norton & Co.: Plus ten points for their GZA post.
- NYRB Classics: The inimitable publisher of overlooked classics.
- Fantagraphics: The premier publishers of alternative comics in the U.S.
- New Directions: Come back, guys! You were great while you lasted.
- OR Books: Small, politically-minded indie publisher.
- Ugly Duckling Presse: Photos from one of the best book designers in the U.S.
- Bloomsbury Publishing: The U.S. office of London’s reputable house.
- Verso Books: Very #OWS-heavy of late.
- Nouvella Books: The most Downton Abbey-obsessed publishers around.
7. Magazines
- Longreads: Looking for something to read? Not anymore.
- Hobart Pulp: They came here to drink bourbon and publish stories.
- BOMB Magazine: The best of the BOMBsite.
- The Missouri Review: Multimedia posts from the underrated journal.
- Lapham’s Quarterly: Witty and smart, and with a great design to boot.
- The Atlantic: A steady stream of interesting links.
- Utne Reader: Good stuff from the Minneapolis (and soon Topeka) institution.
- The Believer: Special features from the monthly magazine.
- Specter: Not to be confused with the James Bond villains.
- The Atavist: More people should know about these folks!
- Poetry*: Originally on the Wishlist, they’ve since joined the fun. Happy 100th birthday!
8. Wish List
- The Paris Review: They’re on Tumblr, but they never post Tumblr-specific content. Dive all the way in, Parisians. You can do better.
- More authors!: With so many on Twitter, it’s only a matter of time.
- Books & Books: South Florida’s best indie deserves more attention.* *[Ed note: they listened!]
- The Oxford American: The South is underrepresented on the platform.
- Poetry Magazine: Poems just beg for reblogs.* *[Ed note: they listened!]
- Book Soup: The L.A. shop would be a nice complement to NYC’s dominance.
- Vroman’s: They’re there, but they haven’t updated since 2010.
- The Strand: The New York City icon is sorely missed on Tumblr.* *[Ed note: they listened!]
- Picador:
Perhaps the Flatiron folks are on their way soon.* *[Ed note: they listened!]
This list, of course, is by nature incomplete. I am sure I’ve missed a ton of standouts. Please feel free to let me know which ones I’ve overlooked in the comments!
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at 7:06 am on February 3, 2012
This is an awesome list, thanks Nick!
We at Asymptote are also avid Tumblr(er?)s:
http://asymptotejournal.tumblr.com/
at 8:11 am on February 3, 2012
Thank you for this. I only recenly discovered The Millions (two months ago) and am continually impressed by the writing, intelligence, book suggestions and general good-natured enthusiasm for literature, art, etc. It has quickly become one of the first sites I visit each morning. (I do plan to ‘support’ you guys, but being a state employee my pockets are quite thin at the moment). Thank you and all the other amazing writers at this site. Book lovers and struggling writers are not alone!
at 8:48 am on February 3, 2012
Great list! On my literary journal I’m two away from having reviewed all of Shakespeare, and my next project is French lit. Essays, fiction, music, film
at 9:24 am on February 3, 2012
[...] Go wild! [...]
at 9:49 am on February 3, 2012
Great list, Nick! Both fwriction : review and its blog, fwriction, are rocking Tumblr:
http://www.fwrictionreview.com
http://www.fwriction.com
at 9:53 am on February 3, 2012
Literalab – http://literalab.tumblr.com/
at 9:57 am on February 3, 2012
Plenty of Young Readers people on Tumblr, including Penguin Teen! http://penguinteen.tumblr.com/
at 9:59 am on February 3, 2012
great list, yo!
at 10:00 am on February 3, 2012
Give Me Something to Read (givemesomethingtoread.com) has been sharing long reads on Tumblr much longer than Longreads has.
at 10:15 am on February 3, 2012
I have to put it out there and represent my people: http://freepressbooks.tumblr.com/ for new, more frequent literary tumblr miscellany.
at 10:17 am on February 3, 2012
The Bat Segundo Show has a Tumblr now.
http://batsegundo.tumblr.com
More notable omissions
http://offonatangent.tumblr.com/post/16975634757/your-guide-to-literary-tumblrs
at 10:19 am on February 3, 2012
Dutton of Penguin is also on tumblr, and ours is only marginally about marketing. It’s mostly just fun! http://duttonbooks.tumblr.com/
at 10:20 am on February 3, 2012
What about Island Books? You guys even liked us this week. http://www.mercerislandbooks.tumblr.com
at 10:23 am on February 3, 2012
Great list! I didn’t know The Millions had a Tumblr, and now I’m following it.
And here’s mine: http://bookandbeer.tumblr.com
Thank you,
jason
at 10:51 am on February 3, 2012
Thanks for all the submissions, everyone. I knew I was leaving some deserving accounts out, so I apologize for any oversight. Also, a scheduling note, the majority of this piece was assembled about a month ago, so anything we’ve only recently discovered was left off the cut — all told, perhaps a Part 2 is in order in the near future.
at 11:00 am on February 3, 2012
You forgot Free Press Books over at S&S!
http://www.tumblr.com/freepressbooks
at 11:12 am on February 3, 2012
Emily Books is a bookstore, magazine, publisher AND a Tumblr. But really mostly a Tumblr. http://emilybooks.tumblr.com/
at 11:13 am on February 3, 2012
The American Scholar has a tumblr as well! We are small but growing.
http://theamericanscholar.tumblr.com/
at 11:16 am on February 3, 2012
Thanks, Nick — It’s great to get a survey of literary tumblrdom.
Speaking to your wish list (for more poems &c. on tumblr), The Academy of American Poets recently joined the mix: http://poetsorg.tumblr.com
at 11:33 am on February 3, 2012
[...] A guide to literary Tumblrs [...]
at 11:38 am on February 3, 2012
paperback girl http://www.paperbackgirl.com/
and The New Inquiry http://thenewinquiry.com/
at 11:43 am on February 3, 2012
Library Journal! A library / lit / tech news source AND a magazine: http://tumblr.libraryjournal.com/
at 11:47 am on February 3, 2012
Wishlist: Book Mooch and Good Reads, maybe e-reader sellers can tell me what’s cheaper than paperback or what out of print editions are available digitally and one day i’ll finally be convinced to buy one
and something i started recently:
http://www.pagetwentyseven.tumblr.com … eventually it’ll have the text from the 27th page of every book i own.
at 12:01 pm on February 3, 2012
I recently started http://nonmodernist.tumblr.com as a place to collect info about early 20th century writers who aren’t, you know, Woolf and Eliot and Joyce and Faulkner.
at 12:01 pm on February 3, 2012
Our debut novel, serialized on tumblr:
http://loveandwar-novel.tumblr.com/
at 12:32 pm on February 3, 2012
University presses:
http://mqup.tumblr.com/
http://uchicagopress.tumblr.com/
http://dukeupress.tumblr.com/
at 12:38 pm on February 3, 2012
http://FictionThatMatters.tumblr.com: This is a 5-year old blog that I finally migrated onto Tumblr.
Reviews of stories about human rights (basically anything free expression and arts related).
Much obliged!
at 1:02 pm on February 3, 2012
Hi Nick! Awesome list. I’ve been on tumblr for more than a year and many of these I hadn’t even been aware of until now.
But if you ever do a part 2, YA Highway also has a tumblr: http://yahighway.tumblr.com/
They’ve also compiled a nice list of YA authors on tumblr too!
at 1:18 pm on February 3, 2012
[...] The Millions has assembled a guide to literary Tumblr accounts that is every bit as detailed and essential as their annual book preview. Publishers, critics, and purveyors of "marginalia" (like Proustitute, one of our favorites) are all well-represented. [The Millions] [...]
at 2:10 pm on February 3, 2012
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has a couple of tumblrs-
For general HMH news – http://hmhbooks.tumblr.com/
Not just HMH poetry – http://hmhpoetry.tumblr.com/
Not just HMH literature in translation – http://hmhlit.tumblr.com/
at 3:07 pm on February 3, 2012
Several months ago I noticed the great literary community on Tumblr, and with several other writers began our own–through the support of many university blory’s.
http://www.storiesandsuchthings.tumblr.com
at 3:46 pm on February 3, 2012
This is a great list. Very handy. Library Journal also has a tumblr that focuses on libraries, books, and publishing. http://tumblr.libraryjournal.com/
at 5:08 pm on February 3, 2012
You guys forgot my tumblr-blog, Literary Trashcan. Tune in for all sorts of literary trash and left-overs.
at 7:54 pm on February 3, 2012
[...] comprehensive list of literary Tumblrs. blogs, books, [...]
at 11:44 pm on February 3, 2012
Muumuu House
http://muumuuhouse.tumblr.com
at 5:09 am on February 4, 2012
It’s fantastic that Tumblr book blogs are getting some recognition! Although it’s a shame that you don’t consider any of the photography blogs (well, with the exception of one!) as “literary Tumblrs”. We do love to read and talk about books as well as post pretty photos of them
at 10:27 am on February 4, 2012
biblioguerilla.tumblr.com is new and posts pictures from the antiquarian book trade, as well as archival finds on a near-daily basis
at 10:42 am on February 4, 2012
Kaffe in Katmandu is/was a great literary venue.
at 11:08 am on February 4, 2012
This is fantastic. I would love to post this on my site, with attribution and link. Is that OK?
at 11:33 am on February 4, 2012
We’d rather you didn’t post the full text. Thanks.
at 12:04 pm on February 4, 2012
I post, like, book stuff pretty often: http://tomesandtalismans.tumblr.com/tagged/books
Don’t look at the other stuff though it’s fairly bonkers.
at 6:59 pm on February 4, 2012
Check out http://literaryartifacts.tumblr.com. More to come from Norton in the fall of 2012.
at 2:35 am on February 5, 2012
Neither are entirely literature-centric, but I most enjoy http://bookaddicted.tumblr.com/ and http://mythologyofblue.tumblr.com/ from my followers. For book-as-object I think http://fuckyeahbookarts.tumblr.com/ does a great job of showcasing the altered book. And, cough, I also post a fair amount of book-related musings on my own tumblr.
at 10:54 am on February 5, 2012
A wonderful tumblr about books is by artist curated Luminous Books, http://luminousbooks.tumblr.com/
Thank you for the list a wonderful way to spend a Sunday morning.
at 9:18 am on February 6, 2012
Thanks for posting this list.
Both the The Essayist http://essayist.tumblr.com/ and its sister tumblr, The Documentarian http://thedocumentarian.tumblr.com/ are essential for me.
at 10:03 am on February 6, 2012
[...] Dashboard? More Like Bookshelf: Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs. “By creating this list of my favorite “literary Tumblrs,” I hope to turn you on to some of the sites that make The Millions’ dashboard that much brighter.” [...]
at 11:52 am on February 6, 2012
[...] Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs. A very comprehensive list of the best book-related Tumblrs. (The Millions) [...]
at 7:20 pm on February 6, 2012
Thanks, Nick; we at Los Angeles Review of Books salute you and appreciate the nod!
at 1:08 am on February 7, 2012
Poet writes [free] typewritten poems for strangers on the spot: http://mytypewriterpoetry.tumblr.com
at 9:00 am on February 7, 2012
We update this literary tumblr most days:
http://berfrois.tumblr.com/
at 1:46 pm on February 7, 2012
Thank you for the acknowledgement, Nick. We’re in the middle of redesigning our website. Once that’s finished (spring), we’ll have even more time to invest in the Tumblr.
Best wishes,
David
Web editor
Boston Review
at 1:47 pm on February 7, 2012
Great list! I’m off to follow most!
I am an author using tumblr for two blogs, because I *love* tumblr. I do wish it were more google-friendly, but whatever.
Mine are RedTash.com & LesleaTash.com. My husband’s tumblr is TimTash.com, and he writes fantasy. Long live tumblr!
at 2:46 pm on February 7, 2012
Penguin Teen also has a great Tumblr: http://penguinteen.tumblr.com
at 9:01 pm on February 7, 2012
[...] directorial debut, which will feature Scarlett Johansson. We enjoyed this guide to literary Tumblrs. We followed the adventures of the Devil. We voted for Batman. We listened to what Feminist [...]
at 8:57 am on February 8, 2012
[...] Guide to Literary Tumblrs (( The Millions [...]
at 11:09 am on February 8, 2012
[...] Dashboard? More Like Bookshelf: Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs [...]
at 12:22 am on February 9, 2012
[...] Uma lista com os melhores tumblrs literários, classificados por tema (The Millions) [...]
at 11:11 am on February 9, 2012
From one friendly book lover to the rest, with reviews & literary outfits: http://booksmatter.tumblr.com
at 4:40 pm on February 10, 2012
Books & Books has started a Tumblr — http://booksandbookscoralgables.tumblr.com
You can now cross us off your wish List.
at 2:02 am on February 13, 2012
[...] enough reading for you, here’s some more of the Best Links for Writers and Publishers, and Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs. __spr_config = { pid: '4efb86ed396cef45c8000067', title: 'BookMachine Weekly BookWrap: [...]
at 10:01 am on February 13, 2012
[...] Pressure, et al) but I’ve never really used it for curating content until I stumbled upon this article to litify my Tumblr dashboard. This article cinched that Tumblr is more than just a bunch of [...]
at 11:41 am on February 14, 2012
I can tell this is a very helpful list, and for the first time I went to Tumbler, but…I can’t tell what it is (??) If I “sign up,” will they be sending me emails? Is there a place to post comments on what other people put up?
Confused, so confused….
at 12:57 pm on February 14, 2012
[...] week I mentioned The Million’s guide to Literary Tumblrs. And this week I want to share all the cool stuff I’ve [...]
at 12:07 pm on February 15, 2012
Great list… and funny timing.
We actually just launched a Strand Tumblr a couple of weeks ago! (We were still in testing mode when you were compiling this list.)
So check it out:
http://www.strandbooks.tumblr.com
We’ve got staff reads, general book-related musings, and fun scans of the random objects we find embedded in the pages of used books.
at 12:08 pm on February 15, 2012
[...] semana passada, o blog da Companhia das Letras divulgou um post do The Millions com uma lista dos mais interessante tumblrs literários. Tem de tudo: copilação do livros lidos [...]
at 5:06 pm on February 16, 2012
[...] Millions has assembled a nice compendium of literary Tumblrs. Also at The Millions, Nick Ripatrazone, writes about compensation and literary [...]
at 11:03 am on February 17, 2012
[...] sabe. No blog da Companhia das Letras, 90 anos da Semana de Arte Moderna de 1922. E uma lista de Tumblrs literários para todos os gostos, para deixar de trabalhar, de ler e procrastinar [...]
at 5:39 pm on February 17, 2012
a couple i think are worth mentioning:
http://apenguinaweek.tumblr.com/
http://nyrbclassics.tumblr.com/
wishing so hard these would get back into updating their tumblr:
http://dfwforever.tumblr.com/
errr thought i had more, hence the “these”. oh well.
at 7:55 pm on February 19, 2012
http://readingmarksonreading.tumblr.com
at 12:08 am on February 20, 2012
[...] The Millions : Dashboard? More Like Bookshelf: Your Guide to Literary Tumblrs Post by Nick Moran. “The platform is perfectly suited for dynamic storytelling, and as a direct result, it is home to some of the friendliest book lovers around. However, the site’s SEO (or lack thereof) is regrettably unkind to Tumblr outsiders, and this leads to two things. On the one hand, the insularity stokes the kind of kinship that makes its community so tightknit. On the other, the lack of easy searching reduces each blog’s chance of attracting new (or outside) viewers” [...]
at 2:28 am on March 6, 2012
Literary radio program and Web site. Accepts submissions for Poem of the Week. Interviews with poets and writers. Music and interviews from up-and-coming musicians. Other original content.
at 6:06 pm on March 8, 2012
[...] a few weeks ago I read a post on The Millions about Literary Tumblrs. I was very intrigued and have been meaning to get back to the article and look through the [...]
at 11:27 am on March 11, 2012
I’ve never met a (book/reading) list I didn’t love. Thanks, Nick. Really wonderful stuff here.
at 5:59 pm on March 17, 2012
My tumblr, “Arguing with poets”
Http://arguing-with-poets.tumblr.com
at 6:46 am on April 9, 2012
Great list. Thanks Nick..
at 10:17 am on April 10, 2012
[...] tag to your Tumblr post. We will use the tag as a source for our own posts. The Millions created a handy Tumblr directory for readers and writers as [...]
at 9:51 pm on April 12, 2012
a fairly new one, but seems inspiring.
http://www.tumblr.com/blog/invictus-ab-intra
at 2:19 pm on April 20, 2012
[...] is not so much a book list as a list of items about books and reading. The Millions offers a guide to literary Tumblr websites. I am jotting this down so I can look it over later, maybe add a thing or two to my feed [...]
at 3:08 am on May 13, 2012
Hi, my blog is also on literature (with film on the side!) Please follow it on tumblr!
afilmandlitlover.tumblr.com
Thanks!
at 6:17 pm on May 15, 2012
Thanks to this list I think I’ve almost doubled my “following” list.
http://www.petrichorpress.tumblr.com is the official tumblr of my arts & literary journal Petrichor Review.
I noticed Overlook Press is not on the list, but they have an excellent tumblr: http:.//www.overlookpress.tumblr.com
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