Working Assets editorial director Jennifer Nix used her blog Firedoglake to lay some smack on BookExpo America yesterday. Her beef? That many mainstream magazines and newspaper editors avoid political books and ignore the legions of bloggers out there who love ’em.

“I’m just wondering how much attention you pay to what’s going on online,” asked Nix of the DC Print Media: Meet the Editors panel, composed of the deputy editor of the Washington Post Book World, a national editor of The Atlantic, and a books editor from USA Today. “Say, when a book rises up to number one on Amazon, or when the blogs are buzzing about certain books?”

“We don’t trust Amazon. Anything can rise to the top of that list,” replied the USA Today rep; he then tagged Mr. Washington Post, who entered the ring slagging blogs, writing them off as mere “amusement.”

In the end, Nix comes out a winner, able to credit the runaway Amazon success stories of Nix-marshalled Don’t Think of an Elephant and How Would a Patriot Act? to word of mouth on the web. Ha!

Related links:
Read Jennifer Nix’s blow-by-blow account here
Check out the tale of underdog stealth publisher Working Assets