Saying goodbye to a strong voice in publishing

The publishing world lost a remarkable journalist and advocate this week with the passing of Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Publishing Perspectives. Porter was one of the many faces we see on the conference circuit, and he was a reassuring source of encouragement and validation.

In the early days of Chanticleer, Kiffer had the anxious pleasure of being on a panel alongside established names like Kirkus Reviews. We were the scrappy new kids on the block, hungry. At that point it was still uncertain whether we could carve out a space for independent authors and small presses in an industry focused primarily on the big publishing houses. Porter Anderson was the moderator, and he spoke in favor of having new voices for independent authors.

He reminded the room that newcomers often do the most for authors, that their hunger and dedication matters. His endorsement gave Kirkus space to agree and recommend doing both established and new services to maximize marketing. Porter’s support sent a clear message to Kiffer and the attendees of that panel: the work we do at Chanticleer matters.

More than a decade later, we’re proud to still be serving authors. We’ve reviewed thousands of books, celebrated hundreds of award winners, and built a community of writers who trust us to champion their work. Porter Anderson played a crucial role in making that possible.

A Literary Legacy

Publishing Perspectives has an excellent write up on Anderson’s contribution to the literary landscape that we recommend you read here.

They close with this:

On a personal note, we are all shocked and saddened by Porter’s passing. Whether you knew him personally or simply read his stories, you could tell that he had a passion for news, a desire to protect the trinity of freedoms, and a drive to share important information with readers around the world. We will honor his legacy by continuing the mission he started.

We know that Publishing Perspectives will continue Anderson’s mission, honoring his passion for news, his commitment to protecting freedom of expression, and his dedication to sharing important stories with readers around the world.

We will miss seeing Porter around. The publishing community is smaller without him.