MANY thanks for this article. Permit me to comment on two excerpts therefrom:
(1) << I could remember a time when books were not acquired based on author platform alone. We no longer live in that era of book publishing, however... >>
I was a literary agent during the 1980s, and while the credibility of an author might be scrutinized -- e.g., a tenured professor in political science or a syndicated columnist would get the contract for a book on politics, while a violin teacher would probably not -- the industry was far more open to people I call "unheralded unknowns" (including me!). I did a little consulting work in the early 2000s and discovered (to my horror) that "what's his/her platform?" was far more important than whether the author could spell cat without the "K."
(2) << It’s discouraging to aspiring authors who put in the hard work and who will never get a deal with a traditional publisher because they don’t have the brand, or the “star quality” that publishers crave. >>
So painfully true! Oddly enough, I believe an entirely new industry might emerge: that linking celebrities to books already written.
I am not being facetious. For example, I have written a series (*The Passion of Elena Bianchi*) in the first two volumes of which hard-core sadomasochism and other kinks figure prominently. Needless to say, it's hardly moving. Now imagine the results if the same series had been written by Stormy Daniels! Need I say more?
Again, gratitude for articulating these realities!
I've been thinking about this subject a lot lately. My comment relates specifically to memoir. Recently, I was taking a class on writing a book proposal and was surprised when I realized that one of my comps was written by a ghost writer—and the subject of the memoir is someone who I have a casual friendship with. I have a bit of name recognition because I played bass in a famous band, and she played drums in a famous band. But all of the introspection I've done to pull out the interiority and form the character arc, well, seems like with a ghostwriter none of that needs to happen. And for me, that's been the real gift of writing this book, the things I have discovered about myself along the way. I have changed while writing this book, I'm three years in and I'm not done yet!
I also can't help but wonder how it would feel to have hired a ghostwriter, and then have someone compliment your book? Because they aren't complimenting your writing, they are complimenting your "story", hmmm? Must feel weird.
You pose good questions, and on the point of being complimented, I guess it speaks to your motivations and also your desire for ownership over your own work and being validated or praised for the writing itself. I don't take issue with ghostwriters in general. In Prince Harry's case, people just wanted to read about his life, right, so it could have been a biography, but having a ghostwriter allowed us to see his "interiority." I have had a couple clients over the years who just couldn't finish their memoirs for whatever reasons and hired ghostwriters. For them it was more about the message than the writing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christa. And good luck with the memoir journey.
“…the accusation that hybrids are “vanity” presses (a term that’s both outdated and intended to be perjorative), but what is “vanity” publishing if not HarperCollins leveraging Millie Bobby Brown’s celebrity, or Millie Bobby Brown “writing” a novel and getting it published just because she’s a celebrity? It seems time to turn this label on its head.”
I share your gratitude, Brooke: "I . . . feel grateful for the thriving world of indie publishing that works to ensure the voices of the many get published too." As a writer and as a volunteer helper with a literary award program, I've watched independent publishing flourish over the past decade-plus--and it gets stronger every day. I'm deeply grateful for the range, the versatility, the commitment of these small presses (including yours!). You're doing things the Big Guys can't or won't do. IMO, you're the future of publishing.
With many thanks for your hard work spent creating a publishing model in which unknown writers who spend years writing (without necessarily blogging) have a chance to be published. Brilliant. And prescient!
I’ve been thinking about Millie Bobby Brown, the actor. She’s used to having things written for her and then performing. Maybe that’s what she’s still doing here? This is no shade on her as a person or actor. I love her work! But it strikes me that maybe she’s being an actor, and not an author, here too.
More and more, I come back to your newsletter, Brooke, because there's just so much here. And you hit on a thought I've had with this bit:
"...what is “vanity” publishing if not HarperCollins leveraging Millie Bobby Brown’s celebrity, or Millie Bobby Brown “writing” a novel and getting it published just because she’s a celebrity?"
When I work with authors who plan to query, I often get asked about their chances. It hurts my heart in a major way to tell folks that the Big Four are basically off the table without a relatively large author platform to sell the publisher the book in the first place. It's like the Catch-22 new job applicants face: entry level to learn the ropes, but years of experience needed to get a foot in the door.
Thank you for addressing this publishing thorn and promoting the works of good writers regardless of their celebrity.
Yes, I agree. I am honest to a fault on this point, too, so it's sometimes a hard conversation when I have to say that you have a chance—you always have a chance—but if your platform isn't strong, if you're not well-known, it's going to be an uphill battle. And yes, we're so in alignment. I always say it's a Catch-22 that you have to have a platform to get a publishing deal, but you need a book to build a platform. Of course this pushes a lot of people to indie publishing, but the industry is rife with contradictions and barriers for authors, for sure! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Excellent article, Brooke! It seems harder and harder for first time non-celebrity authors to get any traction in the book world! Note the New York Times best seller list. Thank you for giving a voice to good writing rather than famous people.
I didn't know about Millie Bobby Brown. Thank you for bringing me up to date, and for your commitment to wonderful books by unknown writers like Elizabeth Garber, whose memoir IMPLOSION I've recommended far and wide.
This was so interesting. I don't have an issue with celebrities using a ghostwriter to tell their story, although I guess I do because I don't think they should be ghosts, I think they should be on the cover as co-writers. I don't think there should be any shame in someone with an interesting life story to share getting help from a professional writer. I do find it extremely weird to have a ghostwriter for a novel. No shade intended to Millie Bobby Brown, I respect that she acknowledged that it was ghostwritten. But if all she provided was a premise or idea, that's the easy part of writing a novel. We all know ideas are a dime a dozen. She's more the ghostmuse than the author. But I guess this isn't surprising in such a celebrity-driven marketplace. Of course, on the flip side, the publishers are only filling demand to keep their doors open. If the public wasn't so obsessed with only wanting to hear from celebrities this wouldn't be happening either. The fact that people previously uninterested in football are suddenly buying up jerseys because of Taylor Swifter's love life shows that the problem isn't that publishing is obsessed with celebrity, it's that "we" are, and business will always follow the money before it follows art.
Totally, agreed on the cover credit part, Kim. That would solve a lot of people's issues about this story, I think. Good insights because yeah, how would this be if the positioning were just that this is Brown's family story... Rather than she wrote it, which she didn't.
As I have been thinking about these issues, I wonder if the only way to change the system is to work outside the system. I am tired of the gatekeepers telling me what I want and don’t want to read.
Good point, and I think the disruptors come from inside and outside. There are lots of legacy publishing people making and effecting change. But yes, I'm tired of the gatekeepers too. :)
MANY thanks for this article. Permit me to comment on two excerpts therefrom:
(1) << I could remember a time when books were not acquired based on author platform alone. We no longer live in that era of book publishing, however... >>
I was a literary agent during the 1980s, and while the credibility of an author might be scrutinized -- e.g., a tenured professor in political science or a syndicated columnist would get the contract for a book on politics, while a violin teacher would probably not -- the industry was far more open to people I call "unheralded unknowns" (including me!). I did a little consulting work in the early 2000s and discovered (to my horror) that "what's his/her platform?" was far more important than whether the author could spell cat without the "K."
(2) << It’s discouraging to aspiring authors who put in the hard work and who will never get a deal with a traditional publisher because they don’t have the brand, or the “star quality” that publishers crave. >>
So painfully true! Oddly enough, I believe an entirely new industry might emerge: that linking celebrities to books already written.
I am not being facetious. For example, I have written a series (*The Passion of Elena Bianchi*) in the first two volumes of which hard-core sadomasochism and other kinks figure prominently. Needless to say, it's hardly moving. Now imagine the results if the same series had been written by Stormy Daniels! Need I say more?
Again, gratitude for articulating these realities!
Thanks for sharing some of your inside experience with us, Lenny.
I've been thinking about this subject a lot lately. My comment relates specifically to memoir. Recently, I was taking a class on writing a book proposal and was surprised when I realized that one of my comps was written by a ghost writer—and the subject of the memoir is someone who I have a casual friendship with. I have a bit of name recognition because I played bass in a famous band, and she played drums in a famous band. But all of the introspection I've done to pull out the interiority and form the character arc, well, seems like with a ghostwriter none of that needs to happen. And for me, that's been the real gift of writing this book, the things I have discovered about myself along the way. I have changed while writing this book, I'm three years in and I'm not done yet!
I also can't help but wonder how it would feel to have hired a ghostwriter, and then have someone compliment your book? Because they aren't complimenting your writing, they are complimenting your "story", hmmm? Must feel weird.
You pose good questions, and on the point of being complimented, I guess it speaks to your motivations and also your desire for ownership over your own work and being validated or praised for the writing itself. I don't take issue with ghostwriters in general. In Prince Harry's case, people just wanted to read about his life, right, so it could have been a biography, but having a ghostwriter allowed us to see his "interiority." I have had a couple clients over the years who just couldn't finish their memoirs for whatever reasons and hired ghostwriters. For them it was more about the message than the writing. Thanks for sharing your thoughts, Christa. And good luck with the memoir journey.
This is so good:
“…the accusation that hybrids are “vanity” presses (a term that’s both outdated and intended to be perjorative), but what is “vanity” publishing if not HarperCollins leveraging Millie Bobby Brown’s celebrity, or Millie Bobby Brown “writing” a novel and getting it published just because she’s a celebrity? It seems time to turn this label on its head.”
I share your gratitude, Brooke: "I . . . feel grateful for the thriving world of indie publishing that works to ensure the voices of the many get published too." As a writer and as a volunteer helper with a literary award program, I've watched independent publishing flourish over the past decade-plus--and it gets stronger every day. I'm deeply grateful for the range, the versatility, the commitment of these small presses (including yours!). You're doing things the Big Guys can't or won't do. IMO, you're the future of publishing.
With many thanks for your hard work spent creating a publishing model in which unknown writers who spend years writing (without necessarily blogging) have a chance to be published. Brilliant. And prescient!
Thank you!
I’ve been thinking about Millie Bobby Brown, the actor. She’s used to having things written for her and then performing. Maybe that’s what she’s still doing here? This is no shade on her as a person or actor. I love her work! But it strikes me that maybe she’s being an actor, and not an author, here too.
More and more, I come back to your newsletter, Brooke, because there's just so much here. And you hit on a thought I've had with this bit:
"...what is “vanity” publishing if not HarperCollins leveraging Millie Bobby Brown’s celebrity, or Millie Bobby Brown “writing” a novel and getting it published just because she’s a celebrity?"
When I work with authors who plan to query, I often get asked about their chances. It hurts my heart in a major way to tell folks that the Big Four are basically off the table without a relatively large author platform to sell the publisher the book in the first place. It's like the Catch-22 new job applicants face: entry level to learn the ropes, but years of experience needed to get a foot in the door.
Thank you for addressing this publishing thorn and promoting the works of good writers regardless of their celebrity.
Yes, I agree. I am honest to a fault on this point, too, so it's sometimes a hard conversation when I have to say that you have a chance—you always have a chance—but if your platform isn't strong, if you're not well-known, it's going to be an uphill battle. And yes, we're so in alignment. I always say it's a Catch-22 that you have to have a platform to get a publishing deal, but you need a book to build a platform. Of course this pushes a lot of people to indie publishing, but the industry is rife with contradictions and barriers for authors, for sure! Thank you for reading and commenting.
Excellent article, Brooke! It seems harder and harder for first time non-celebrity authors to get any traction in the book world! Note the New York Times best seller list. Thank you for giving a voice to good writing rather than famous people.
I didn't know about Millie Bobby Brown. Thank you for bringing me up to date, and for your commitment to wonderful books by unknown writers like Elizabeth Garber, whose memoir IMPLOSION I've recommended far and wide.
Every word. 🙌
So true!
This. 👏 thank you for saying what needs to be said!
Love this!
This was so interesting. I don't have an issue with celebrities using a ghostwriter to tell their story, although I guess I do because I don't think they should be ghosts, I think they should be on the cover as co-writers. I don't think there should be any shame in someone with an interesting life story to share getting help from a professional writer. I do find it extremely weird to have a ghostwriter for a novel. No shade intended to Millie Bobby Brown, I respect that she acknowledged that it was ghostwritten. But if all she provided was a premise or idea, that's the easy part of writing a novel. We all know ideas are a dime a dozen. She's more the ghostmuse than the author. But I guess this isn't surprising in such a celebrity-driven marketplace. Of course, on the flip side, the publishers are only filling demand to keep their doors open. If the public wasn't so obsessed with only wanting to hear from celebrities this wouldn't be happening either. The fact that people previously uninterested in football are suddenly buying up jerseys because of Taylor Swifter's love life shows that the problem isn't that publishing is obsessed with celebrity, it's that "we" are, and business will always follow the money before it follows art.
Totally, agreed on the cover credit part, Kim. That would solve a lot of people's issues about this story, I think. Good insights because yeah, how would this be if the positioning were just that this is Brown's family story... Rather than she wrote it, which she didn't.
As I have been thinking about these issues, I wonder if the only way to change the system is to work outside the system. I am tired of the gatekeepers telling me what I want and don’t want to read.
Good point, and I think the disruptors come from inside and outside. There are lots of legacy publishing people making and effecting change. But yes, I'm tired of the gatekeepers too. :)