(Untitled)

[sartorias]

scbutler linked to this article about Joe the Plumber publishing a book. [Edited: before I said 'he got a big advance' which turns out not to be true. But the general drift of the article hit a nerve for me and others, so I leave the rest to stand.]

Quote that got to me:

I know: publishers say they print garbage so that real literature, which seldom

Comments

As told to books

[negothick]

Actually, I'm sure the "ghostwriter" is right there in the contract. I don't think the publisher would risk such a big advance on what a nonprofessional might produce!
We were talking about this question of celebrity books being written by someone else, and my first-year college students had never even heard the term "ghostwriter." They've grown up with the assumption that the tedious work of nonfiction authorship is done by someone else rather than the name on the cover. In fact, they seemed surprised that I thought it worth discussing. To them, it's the equivalent of lipsynching and karaoke, I guess.

Re: As told to books

[sartorias]

Interesting! I remember when I first found out about ghost writers--around college age--I thought what a fraud. (I also felt stupid for not sussing it out earlier.)

[allie_meril]

*facepalm* Oh, noooo...

I have no words.

[faerie_writer]

Now, *there's* one trash book I hope tanks!

[sartorias]

Yeah--if it turns out to be content free. I mean there's always a chance the guy has something to say.

[faerie_writer]

Yeah, I'm sure that'll happen. *snorts*

[dina_james]

*facepalm* You know it's bad when a writer has no words.

This was a great post though. Mind if I link to it?

[sartorias]

Sure--go ahead! Thanks!

[dina_james]

Thank you! I'll do that when I can once again form coherent sentences! I need tea.

[sartorias]

Yeah...that's where word of mouth comes in. Given that so frequently one person's meh is another's treasure, finding like-minded people who recommend (and whose recommendations turn out to be just the ticket) is the way.

[sartorias]

All very true.

I don't say it's easy, but I do observe that people are doing it. Fifteen, twenty years ago, they weren't.