Feb 03 2009
The secret to getting published?
Eight babies.
Seems the octo-mom, as she’s being called, has book and tv and movie deal being thrown at her through her hospital window.
It doesn’t bother me. Maybe it would if I had a memoir about having gazillion children up my sleeves, but I don’t. I know that publishing dollars are going to land in her lap, but that won’t make her a writer, even if it’s a best-seller.
Does it bug you that publishers can find money for things like this but not other books? It’s a business — and if they make a boatload on it, maybe they’ll be convinced that other books will sell too. I just can’t care. I don’t have time to worry about this.
I have editing to do.
I think they’re just trying to capitalize on the news headlines right now, and by this time next year, those books will probably be on the clearance shelf.
It makes me a little queasy, kind of like Joe the Non-Plumber or Sarah “Moose Meat” Palin getting book deals. I just hope they make a ton of money so they’ll have more to spend on “real” books and “real” stories and “really great new authors!” (Present company included.)
Melissa and Debbie captured my sentiments exactly. On one hand, I’m annoyed to see these sort of fad deals being made every year, but on the other hand, most of them are just fluff with no lasting value.
I’m not mad at Octo-Mom at all. Heck, with 14 kids, she needs all the money she can get! And as Debbie said, the more money publishers make from the fluff books, the more they can invest in people like us who this for a living!
I’m glad I’m not the only writer who feels this way. Thanks, Amy!
LOL! I’m with you guys, if they make money–enough to stay afloat and buy our books, I’m all for it!
Hand up! It bothers me! Although I’m not going to lose sleep worrying about it. However, anyone making money over someone’s stupid moves should be shot. And publishers have always thrown money around like this, and still, given the state of our economy, they’ve cut corners by dropping actual authors – the “mid-listers” as they’re called. So I don’t see it as a plus for writers. And maybe I sound a bit angry, but if this were a new way of them making money, then it’d make sense. But it’s nothing new.
Unreal life sells over actual fiction. Go figure.
This type of stuff has been going on for so long now, with every serial killer getting a book deal, that it would surprise me if agents didn’t start calling immediately.
I just hope that her ghost writer gets credited as co-writer on the book jacket!
I have a definite limit on what I’ll do for the things I want. I will push hard for things, but there’s a limit. Like that show Fear Factor. I can’t believe the weird things people will put in their mouth to win money. Ick.
I would just look at them and tell them they were crazy and walk off. I’m not eating garden slugs packed in dirt. What is wrong with people?
And if the only way for my work to see the light of day was to have 8 babies, hahahahahahahahaha um, no. I’d find something else to do. I also wouldn’t eat slugs for publication, lol.
This bugs me more than Paris Hilton and Britney Spears having book deals. And Miley Cyrus…
Well, it would appear that publishers are turning into large distribution warehouses for crap. Their function used to be to discover, nurture and introduce the work of talented writers.
How can any writer or reader of any caliber respect a business that would produce this tripe?