Exploiting Writers + Factory Fiction = Ultimate Fail

[yael_heiman]

I imagine that a lot of you already heard about I am Number Four and James Frey, but just in case you didn't...

I would respond to it, but The Sparkle Project does a much better job of that than I ever could.

Needless to say, I will be loudly and obnoxiously boycotting both the book and the movie.

Comments

[onlyforever10]

I'm sad to say that I just finished this book. I didn't find out about the whole James Frey part until afterwards. If it's any consolation, the book isn't even that good. I wrote a review of it on my blog if anyone is interested: http://taralovesbooks.blogspot.com/

[lots42]

At least we know fiction is supposed to be lies.

[dressingfordusk]

WHAT IN THE HELL IS THIS SHITFUCKERY.

Apart from the whole "Yay! Let me steal and slanderize the ideas of young writers and not even pay them properly for it because I am creatively void myself!" part, wtf is this:

Mr. Frey began contemplating the operation that has become Full Fathom Five around the time he finished reading the last installment of the Harry Potter series in 2007. "Someone is going to rep...lace Harry Potter," he recalls thinking. "Maybe it'll be me."

You don't just...put together a writing factory and make another Harry Potter, jesus. One of the reasons HP was so successful, imho, is because the author loved her characters, loved writing her books, and just...actually gave a shit about the series, beyond making money from it. I mean, jesus, JK Rowling struggled to even get HP off the ground - she submitted to 12 frigging publishers before someone would even take it. That's the kind of blood, sweat and tears that makes an amazing series - not this...exploitative, commercial shit that Frey is churning out like

[cloned_fiction]

This exactly!

"Someone is going to replace Harry Potter," he recalls thinking. "Maybe it'll be me."

"he only develops ideas that have serial book potential, as well as obvious film, TV, merchandising and digital marketability"

My thought after reading those two things:
He's doing it wrong
and
He's missing the point.

I've considered working in collaboration with my writing if I could find someone to do it with because I love coming up with ideas and characters and all that but I'm not as good at expressing myself and getting it all down on paper. But what he's doing is wrong.

I don't mind how commercial they make the Harry Potter brand because it doesn't impact the quality of JK's writing or my enjoyment of it. But he's violating my favorite pastime with his commercialism and stuff. Someone make him stop!

[mongoose_bite]

Huh. This makes me wonder if this (scroll down a handful of posts) is something similar. Young adult? Series potential? Seems like a marketing company not a publisher?

I thinks things, I does. Cynical things.

[future_guardian]

You're definitely not alone. That was about the ONLY thing I didn't write in my posts on that subject (in case someone from the company thing would chase after me).

[chantalzola]

I completely agree with you. This seems like a total scam.

[ficchica]

John Scalzi wrote a few posts about it: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/11/13/the-man-in-the-frey-flannel-suit/

Other articles on it: http://www.maureenjohnsonbooks.com/2010/11/13/the-james-frey-problem/
http://ktliterary.com/2010/11/ask-daphne-about-book-packagers/