To the editor:

The advice “don’t judge a book by its cover” rings perennially true, and is quite evident in local bookstores.  Westport seems to have an abundance of “authors” hawking their “books” that promise an insight into local history or biography. Truth is, many of these books are barely readable, rife with errors, and poorly written overall. 

If you walk into the bookstore and you see what is presented as a beautifully-covered “history book," upon attempting to read it you may quickly conclude it has not been underwritten by an established publishing house like Simon & Schuster or HarperCollins.  Rather, you will suffer reading a hodgepodge of personal stories and inside-baseball references of privileged people backslapping each other at their country club.   

Even “local fiction” is often the doing of out-of-towners who are simply applying their wild, imagined stories against a local backdrop, none of which is fact-checked, ensured for period-appropriateness, or peer reviewed by professional writers or actual historians. 

Apparently it is a bit of a trend to be a “local author,” but be assured there are no David McCulloughs or F. Scott Fitzgeralds hiding out in Westport — the only reason these publications exist at all is because the cost of these “books” is prepaid by their promoters.  “Vanity publishing,” as it is known, is just that: an exercise in self-importance, a way for the “author” to hand out his or her book to friends, or keep themselves busy by doing readings at local cafes. 

In fact, self-publishing is not “publishing” in the traditional sense at all. It assures none of the prestige or quality associated with academic work or literature; it is often the product of hobbyists or attention-seekers who have spent a lot of money on printing. 

If you want to support their self-indulgence, by all means purchase these local publications.  But do so knowing that these books and memoirs can simply be the fanciful larks of local amateurs, not credible sources of information or knowledge.  The pretty dust covers belie the drivel inside.  So, another piece of perennial advice: caveat emptor in the “local history” section!

Jack Weldon

Westport