Another Big Book Deal (Helped by Internet Buzz)

[cgronlund]

I recently mentioned Gary Vaynerchuk's huge book deal.

Without his Web presence, it would have never happened.

While not as big, the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author just got a two-book deal.

Without Internet buzz, neither person would have hit it big.

Comments

[cgronlund]

A lot of early authors published tiny newspapers and other things. There was always a mix of non-fiction and fiction. So I think you're definitely right: they would have had blogs back then.

There seems to be a lot of resentment when others make it in non conventional ways. There's also a lot of resentment when people make it because they are fortunate enough to know the right people. To many, there's this strict code that hasn't necessarily worked for a long time, but people want to hold on to it because it's what they know.

I don't like a lot of the changes in the ways people have been getting published in recent years. People Magazine recently admitted that an attractive author stands a much better chance of getting reviewed than others. Many agents and publishers expect a writer to not just write fiction well, but come to them with a built-in audience, and be able to write non-fiction and speak.

If you look at the past, though, writers weren't these hermits who sat around writing, submitting things, and making a lot of money even back then. They got off their asses and were often just as much known for their writing as they were for their lives and other things they did. History is full of crappy writers who were more hype than talent...look at Oscar Wilde! ;) (I mainly tossed that in for mfelps.)

But even there...while I don't particularly like Oscar Wilde, I respect the hell out of him. I don't like Nicolas Sparks's writing, but he figured out ways to connect with fans before the Internet made it even easier.

If I'm going to say, "Tough luck for the oil industry if they can't adapt to changes," I need to stand here and do the same thing with what I want to do.

It would be nice to just write, submit, and sell things...but it's never entirely worked that way, and it's totally changing right now.

I can stagnate and be left behind, or adapt and even come up with something new...

[mfelps]

I will kill you.

[cgronlund]

This makes me laugh every time I read it.

And it makes me fear the next Write Club meeting a little bit...