Nathan Bransford - The Forums

On a novel no less.

Okay then.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100929/ap_ ... oks_snooki

Recalling the thread about taking money to stop writing...this is one of those 'I'd give up if I could' moments.

Well, yes, I know it's aggravating because it's so hard for writers with some actual talent to get a book deal - and I know I'm in the minority, but I see some benefit regarding celebrity books. For example, a celebrity book:

a. brings money into the industry

b. brings readers into the industry (hopefully)

c. gives the celebrity something positive and productive to do with their time. And goodness knows, Snooki needs that. Maybe a creative hobby is just the thing for Snooki.

I put $10 down on it being written by a ghostwriter, not her ;)

maybegenius wrote:I put $10 down on it being written by a ghostwriter, not her ;)

I was just thinking this.

Sommer Leigh wrote:

maybegenius wrote:I put $10 down on it being written by a ghostwriter, not her ;)

I was just thinking this.

Yeah, the article says she's not writing it alone. What it should say is that she's not writing it, period. Still, I shouldn't be so frustrated. As Mira pointed out, it brings money into the industry, which should benefit writers. Also, that's money in the pocket of a ghostwriter somewhere.

Wow! Mira, Margo, and I agree on something. That publishing is not a zero sum gain system. That a celebrity book deal is not necessarily bread taken from the mouths of better writers.

For such a large industry ($24B/year in USA alone) publishing can seem oddly self-effacing, downbeat and lacking in pizzazz. Compare to movies, which are no larger an industry.

J. T. SHEA wrote:Wow! Mira, Margo, and I agree on something.

Isn't that one of the signs of the Apocalypse? Like....Revelations 42:12 or something?

J. T. SHEA wrote:That a celebrity book deal is not necessarily bread taken from the mouths of better writers.

Of course, they may just use the money for advances for books "written" by the rest of the cast members. <shudders>

Does that mean she knows how to read?

elfspirit wrote:Does that mean she knows how to read?

Now let's not go crazy...

Heather B wrote:

elfspirit wrote:Does that mean she knows how to read?

Now let's not go crazy...

Yeah, let's not assume facts not in evidence. :) The fact that she needs a ghostwriter for a memoir about tanning, hanging out at the beach, and getting into drunken fights in nightclubs is a hefty heap of circumstantial evidence to the contrary. :)

Yes, she knows how to read---because one must be able to read in order to be able to tweet, which she apparently does, according to the following youtube video..... I must note, I didn't actually watch any of Jersey Shore, I know of Snooki solely through the reputation she has earned by antics that have gotten her media coverage that has crossed my path...it wasn't until I saw news of her book deal that I actually looked up info about her. I'd post links to things like "top 12 Snooki quotes", but they're far too inappropriate. The following link I'd give a PG-13 rating to, so proceed forewarned.

I just noticed this:

http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/celebrity-scribes/4270?nc

Is anyone else wondering if 'writing' novels is the new version of 'creating' fragrances for celebs? I can believe a couple of these people actually wrote their books. But only a couple. It's beginning to look like an investment option to me. "Let's see. I have a fragrance, a line of handbags, and a cosmetics line. What else can I put my name on to maximize the earnings of my celebrity? A novel!"

On one hand, as pointed out earlier, this brings money in that the publishing houses use to survive and (hopefully) fund the debuts of people who actually write books instead of just capitalizing on their names. On the other hand, I'm not so crazy about what this says about writing, especially to a public gullible enough to believe people like Naomi Campbell actually write their novels in between jaunts around the world partying all night. It's not like it requires skill or work or anything.

Margo wrote:I just noticed this:

http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/celebrity-scribes/4270?nc

Is anyone else wondering if 'writing' novels is the new version of 'creating' fragrances for celebs? I can believe a couple of these people actually wrote their books. But only a couple. It's beginning to look like an investment option to me. "Let's see. I have a fragrance, a line of handbags, and a cosmetics line. What else can I put my name on to maximize the earnings of my celebrity? A novel!"

On one hand, as pointed out earlier, this brings money in that the publishing houses use to survive and (hopefully) fund the debuts of people who actually write books instead of just capitalizing on their names. On the other hand, I'm not so crazy about what this says about writing, especially to a public gullible enough to believe people like Naomi Campbell actually write their novels in between jaunts around the world partying all night. It's not like it requires skill or work or anything.

There's a vast difference among those authors and the books they created. Some are openly co-written, others are called "thinly veiled fictionalizations" of the actual star's life, others are actually novels. I've read Ethan Hawke's stuff and it's pretty good....and I really enjoyed Steve Martin's Shopgirl. Did they both have an easier time publishing because of who they already were celeb-wise? I'm sure they did. And I don't have a problem with that. I do have a problem with people who write, pretend to write, publish etc a book on a whim just because they can. And I hardly consider Snooki to be in the ranks of anyone else on that celeb list---which just makes it all scarier. Maybe it's just me.

I won't lie, it makes me grit my teeth a little when celebrities add "novelist" onto their resume on a whim. Some celebrities are genuinely talented fiction writers - most aren't. Much in the same way most of the general public aren't going to be fantastic fiction writers. A lot of celebrity books are obviously ghostwritten, or co-written, as mentioned above. And it irks me, because I do think to an extent it's the "just because I can" thing.

At the same time, I try to remember that although there is an audience for this sort of thing, there's also an audience for what the "real" authors write. For every celebrity book purchased, there are people who want to purchase something by someone who's just a guy or gal that can tell a good story.

I do sort of wonder if these celebrity books add to the illusion that everyone can write a publishable book.