“Now more than ever, books are essential to the health, well-being, education and entertainment of our society and culture.”

Publishers Weekly has launched a new social media campaign: #BooksAreEssential. The initiative was announced with their April 20, 2020 issue​, featuring a cover design that depicts a reader holding an open book in front of their face – just like an N95 surgical mask.

Illustration by Pirita Tolvanen for Publishers Weekly

In the lead-up to their social campaign, PW asked industry leaders and influencers to submit their pictures. Take a look at photos submitted to PW by others in the industry (on PW’s social media.)

#BooksAreEssential is a response to the COVID-19 shutdown of all but essential businesses. PW aims to bring awareness to the struggles independent publishers and booksellers are facing during this time, as well as remind communities of the importance of books.

PW states: “We hope this campaign will help to connect our great global publishing community in a time when being connected is so critical to our personal health and the health of the industry.” ​

The MS in Publishing office is joining PW in their campaign to support the publishing industry. Check out our photos below!

We invite students, faculty, and alums to support the PW campaign by sending puboffice@pace.edu your own photo for the blog and our social media OR by using the hashtag #BooksAreEssential on your own posts — tag us @PaceMSinPub on Twitter! You can also tag Publishers Weekly on Instagram @pwpics, Twitter @publisherswkly, and Facebook @PubWeekly​ so they can share your photo, too.

Program Director Manuela Soares with A Pilgrimage to Eternity by Timothy Egan.

Senior Staff Associate Xiao Chuan Lian with Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond.

Program Manager Barbara Egidi with Chocolate by Cook’s Library.

Full-Time Faculty Karen Holt with Dorothy Parker Stories.

Full-Time Faculty Jennifer Romanello with Afterlife by Julia Alvarez.

Multimedia Lab Graduate Assistant Abby Schiano with Us Against You by Frederik Backman.

Social Media Graduate Assistant Karolina Blaziak with Red, White, & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston.

Student Aide Ayana Underwood with The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur.

Student Aide Bobby Lewis with Catch-22 by Joseph Heller.