oh, for . . .
Apr. 22nd, 2008 06:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
realthogIn an interview I did over the weekend with charlesatan, I remarked waspishly about how the publishing/bookselling industry's insistence on marketing complete crap to the point where it became "bestsellers" was unbelievably self-destructive, in that it was a foolproof technique to make sure thousands upon thousands of book-buyers never made that stupid mistake of buying a book again.
In the original interview I used a well known fiction author (who seems to be a remarkably nice guy, with whom I'd enjoy having a beer) as an example. I looked at my comments, and decided it was rotten of me to pick on a single writer; he may have made millions from writing bad books, but it'd be despicable of me to single him out. (Yes, sure, if he ever even noticed he could weep all the way to the bank. But I try to maintain the occasional fleeting ethic.)
Then I see this in the e-zine Publishers' Lunch and I go ballistic:
General/Other
Cindy McCain's book, co-written with journalist Beth Brophy, presenting her views and feelings concerning family and years of service; her meeting, courtship, and marriage to John McCain; life as a military mom in a family with a legacy of service; her experiences on the campaign trail; and looking ahead, after the election, to Wendy Wolf at Viking, for publication in September 2008, by Flip Brophy at Sterling Lord Literistic (world).
I'm sure Cindy McCain is a fine person. I think it's ridiculous that people have been trying to make so much mileage out of the fact that either she or one of her aides, exasperated no doubt by idiotic press requests for recipes, went out and plagiarized a few: as with Bill Clinton's lie about sex with Lewinsky, the fault lay with the questioner.
But . . .
But . . .
But . . .
This is not the making of a book. I was the guy who commissioned the (arguably) best of the Princess Anne books when she was about to get married for the first time, and who then flogged the US rights. It was not the greatest of books, I'll admit; but it did at least deliver a good short biography of an interesting person, plus lots of very good photos. Buyers knew they were getting, as it were, a very fat issue of Us Magazine bound in hard covers. No pretences this was Thackeray Revisited.
By contrast, it seems the Cindy McCain book is being regarded -- and will be marketed -- as an actual book.
Of course, like all the other dimbulb political autobiographies publishers seem lemming-like intent on slapping down millions for, it's going to be a marketing disaster: soon to be at a remainder shelf near you.
But in the interim it's going to turn off lots more people from buying books -- books that aren't by megafamous people like Cindy McCain but are by actual writers like you and me and . . .
This is a marketing plan? This is a scheme for making the publishing industry a healthy one?
Ooo, look. The record industry tried it out first.
charlesatan, I remarked waspishly about how the publishing/bookselling industry's insistence on marketing complete crap to the point where it became "bestsellers" was unbelievably self-destructive, in that it was a foolproof technique to make sure thousands upon thousands of book-buyers never made that stupid mistake of buying a book again.In the original interview I used a well known fiction author (who seems to be a remarkably nice guy, with whom I'd enjoy having a beer) as an example. I looked at my comments, and decided it was rotten of me to pick on a single writer; he may have made millions from writing bad books, but it'd be despicable of me to single him out. (Yes, sure, if he ever even noticed he could weep all the way to the bank. But I try to maintain the occasional fleeting ethic.)
Then I see this in the e-zine Publishers' Lunch and I go ballistic:
General/Other
Cindy McCain's book, co-written with journalist Beth Brophy, presenting her views and feelings concerning family and years of service; her meeting, courtship, and marriage to John McCain; life as a military mom in a family with a legacy of service; her experiences on the campaign trail; and looking ahead, after the election, to Wendy Wolf at Viking, for publication in September 2008, by Flip Brophy at Sterling Lord Literistic (world).
I'm sure Cindy McCain is a fine person. I think it's ridiculous that people have been trying to make so much mileage out of the fact that either she or one of her aides, exasperated no doubt by idiotic press requests for recipes, went out and plagiarized a few: as with Bill Clinton's lie about sex with Lewinsky, the fault lay with the questioner.
But . . .
But . . .
But . . .
This is not the making of a book. I was the guy who commissioned the (arguably) best of the Princess Anne books when she was about to get married for the first time, and who then flogged the US rights. It was not the greatest of books, I'll admit; but it did at least deliver a good short biography of an interesting person, plus lots of very good photos. Buyers knew they were getting, as it were, a very fat issue of Us Magazine bound in hard covers. No pretences this was Thackeray Revisited.
By contrast, it seems the Cindy McCain book is being regarded -- and will be marketed -- as an actual book.
Of course, like all the other dimbulb political autobiographies publishers seem lemming-like intent on slapping down millions for, it's going to be a marketing disaster: soon to be at a remainder shelf near you.
But in the interim it's going to turn off lots more people from buying books -- books that aren't by megafamous people like Cindy McCain but are by actual writers like you and me and . . .
This is a marketing plan? This is a scheme for making the publishing industry a healthy one?
Ooo, look. The record industry tried it out first.
