Behind the Scenes
Today in Big Publishing’s Dying Shudder
Oh, hey! Another editor has managed to convince his bosses that his internet addiction is not a huge drain on company time and bandwidth by getting a freely accessed photo blog turned into a book!
Harper Big Wig into phone: Nelson? Get into my office. Now.
Nelson, entering: Yes boss?
HBW: Nelson, I don’t know if you are aware of this, but all the office computers now have spyware on them. According to our records, you spent all of last week surfing the internet.
N: Uh. Well, sure. I was…doing…research?
HBW: Research? Why weren’t you reading the slush pile? Did you find anything?
N: [Pause.]
HBW: Well?
N: A blog with pictures of fried foods?
HBW: Nelson, you’ve done it again! Let’s get a contract drawn up.
And scene.
Keep throwing shit against the wall, fellas. Something is bound to stick.
Tags: Blogs to Books, HarperCollins, Publishing
Well, hey, it’s from HarperStudio which is that imprint that doesn’t pay their authors unless the book makes money. And since it’s a photo book it’s going to cost a shit-ton to make. And since it’s a photo book everyone is going to love thumbing through it at B&N and not buying it. Which means that more money is going to be made from the blog’s ads than from the book. Which means the Internet is going to become the only solvent literary medium. Which means that we are all going to be rich.
Well, hey, it’s from HarperStudio which is that imprint that doesn’t pay their authors unless the book makes money. And since it’s a photo book it’s going to cost a shit-ton to make. And since it’s a photo book everyone is going to love thumbing through it at B&N and not buying it. Which means that more money is going to be made from the blog’s ads than from the book. Which means the Internet is going to become the only solvent literary medium. Which means that we are all going to be rich.
Well, hey, it’s from HarperStudio which is that imprint that doesn’t pay their authors unless the book makes money. And since it’s a photo book it’s going to cost a shit-ton to make. And since it’s a photo book everyone is going to love thumbing through it at B&N and not buying it. Which means that more money is going to be made from the blog’s ads than from the book. Which means the Internet is going to become the only solvent literary medium. Which means that we are all going to be rich.
Woo hoo!
Woo hoo!
Woo hoo!
In addition to the “woo hoo,” I would also like to add:
In your face…umm…Sonny Mehta?
In addition to the “woo hoo,” I would also like to add:
In your face…umm…Sonny Mehta?
In addition to the “woo hoo,” I would also like to add:
In your face…umm…Sonny Mehta?
Eh.
People also continue to sell those “Hang in there, baby” cat posters, but I don’t think that bears too much on the market for actual art.
That’s probably a shitty analogy. What I mean is, these jokey picture book type things have always existed, will always exist, but I don’t think an editor or publisher is making a decision between publishing a jokey picture book or someone’s novel, even if in some sense they’re part of the same publishing house or whatever.
Though I agree, republishing internet gibberish in book form is kind of lame. And I can’t imagine it being successful. Do enough people exist in the overlapping part of the Venn diagram between ‘People Who Don’t Have Internet’ and ‘People Amused by Funny Pictures?’
Eh.
People also continue to sell those “Hang in there, baby” cat posters, but I don’t think that bears too much on the market for actual art.
That’s probably a shitty analogy. What I mean is, these jokey picture book type things have always existed, will always exist, but I don’t think an editor or publisher is making a decision between publishing a jokey picture book or someone’s novel, even if in some sense they’re part of the same publishing house or whatever.
Though I agree, republishing internet gibberish in book form is kind of lame. And I can’t imagine it being successful. Do enough people exist in the overlapping part of the Venn diagram between ‘People Who Don’t Have Internet’ and ‘People Amused by Funny Pictures?’
Eh.
People also continue to sell those “Hang in there, baby” cat posters, but I don’t think that bears too much on the market for actual art.
That’s probably a shitty analogy. What I mean is, these jokey picture book type things have always existed, will always exist, but I don’t think an editor or publisher is making a decision between publishing a jokey picture book or someone’s novel, even if in some sense they’re part of the same publishing house or whatever.
Though I agree, republishing internet gibberish in book form is kind of lame. And I can’t imagine it being successful. Do enough people exist in the overlapping part of the Venn diagram between ‘People Who Don’t Have Internet’ and ‘People Amused by Funny Pictures?’
I don’t think the editor is choosing between a novel and a book of funny pictures, either. In fact, the publisher printing a book of funny pictures is pretty much guaranteed to do better with that book than with a novel. I’m not suggesting anything about mainstream publishers and their priorities or the tastes of mainstream audiences.
I’m suggesting that the speed with which they jump onto something like “This Is Why You’re Fat” indicates: 1) someone at the publisher is wasting company time surfing the internet—which, of course, I would NEVER do—and 2) they are grasping at whatever seems to catch the public’s attention as quickly as they can because they are circling the drain.
I don’t think the editor is choosing between a novel and a book of funny pictures, either. In fact, the publisher printing a book of funny pictures is pretty much guaranteed to do better with that book than with a novel. I’m not suggesting anything about mainstream publishers and their priorities or the tastes of mainstream audiences.
I’m suggesting that the speed with which they jump onto something like “This Is Why You’re Fat” indicates: 1) someone at the publisher is wasting company time surfing the internet—which, of course, I would NEVER do—and 2) they are grasping at whatever seems to catch the public’s attention as quickly as they can because they are circling the drain.
I don’t think the editor is choosing between a novel and a book of funny pictures, either. In fact, the publisher printing a book of funny pictures is pretty much guaranteed to do better with that book than with a novel. I’m not suggesting anything about mainstream publishers and their priorities or the tastes of mainstream audiences.
I’m suggesting that the speed with which they jump onto something like “This Is Why You’re Fat” indicates: 1) someone at the publisher is wasting company time surfing the internet—which, of course, I would NEVER do—and 2) they are grasping at whatever seems to catch the public’s attention as quickly as they can because they are circling the drain.
yeah – this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that actually ends up in print. At least by glancing at bookstore shelves
yeah – this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that actually ends up in print. At least by glancing at bookstore shelves
yeah – this is EXACTLY the kind of stuff that actually ends up in print. At least by glancing at bookstore shelves
I laughed really hard at the use of The Dying Gaul + this post. Kudos.
I laughed really hard at the use of The Dying Gaul + this post. Kudos.
I laughed really hard at the use of The Dying Gaul + this post. Kudos.
Well, that’s definitely true. I can’t imagine why someone would think this book is a good idea. Then again, whenever I go to a B&N and look at the front table, I can’t imagine how about 93% of those books seemed like a good idea. Maybe I’m just not the target audience for Jokey Books That Recreate The Interwebs in Print Form.
Well, that’s definitely true. I can’t imagine why someone would think this book is a good idea. Then again, whenever I go to a B&N and look at the front table, I can’t imagine how about 93% of those books seemed like a good idea. Maybe I’m just not the target audience for Jokey Books That Recreate The Interwebs in Print Form.
Well, that’s definitely true. I can’t imagine why someone would think this book is a good idea. Then again, whenever I go to a B&N and look at the front table, I can’t imagine how about 93% of those books seemed like a good idea. Maybe I’m just not the target audience for Jokey Books That Recreate The Interwebs in Print Form.
Further to Mike and MS: I believe that publishing a shitty humor book that makes a lot of money will actually further enable the same publisher to buy a brilliant experimental novel that doesn’t. I’m pretty sure anything decent HarperCollins does publisher (JT, what what!) is built on the backs (financially) of mass market bodice rippers sold at Walmart.
Further to Mike and MS: I believe that publishing a shitty humor book that makes a lot of money will actually further enable the same publisher to buy a brilliant experimental novel that doesn’t. I’m pretty sure anything decent HarperCollins does publisher (JT, what what!) is built on the backs (financially) of mass market bodice rippers sold at Walmart.
Further to Mike and MS: I believe that publishing a shitty humor book that makes a lot of money will actually further enable the same publisher to buy a brilliant experimental novel that doesn’t. I’m pretty sure anything decent HarperCollins does publisher (JT, what what!) is built on the backs (financially) of mass market bodice rippers sold at Walmart.
If the publishing industry was healthy, maybe. I’m not sure, though, that in the tangled web of imprints, publishers allow themselves to step far enough away to say: this is my giant company, and this is my giant pot of money, from which I will pay for literary novels and bodice rippers. I don’t think they analyze it at that level.
And that’s if the industry was healthy. It’s not.
Not at all.
What I’ve noticed is that the time between internet meme and book contract has really narrowed. Someone with a lot more time on their hands could maybe make a chart. Hell, start with the cats: Bad Cat from website to book. Stuff on My Cat. I Can Has Cheezburger. Garfield without Garfield.
It seems to me This Is Why Your Fat reached the point of critical mass just a couple of weeks ago. And now, book contract. They’re not pushing that book out to book stores in order to create a war chest from which they can market the next big or small (and, in the end, it’ll be small, no matter how big it is) literary novel. They are grabbing at whatever might help them keep from plummeting to their deaths.
This Is Why Your Fat, The Book feels like nothing more than desperation to me. “What the fuck do we do next?”
If the publishing industry was healthy, maybe. I’m not sure, though, that in the tangled web of imprints, publishers allow themselves to step far enough away to say: this is my giant company, and this is my giant pot of money, from which I will pay for literary novels and bodice rippers. I don’t think they analyze it at that level.
And that’s if the industry was healthy. It’s not.
Not at all.
What I’ve noticed is that the time between internet meme and book contract has really narrowed. Someone with a lot more time on their hands could maybe make a chart. Hell, start with the cats: Bad Cat from website to book. Stuff on My Cat. I Can Has Cheezburger. Garfield without Garfield.
It seems to me This Is Why Your Fat reached the point of critical mass just a couple of weeks ago. And now, book contract. They’re not pushing that book out to book stores in order to create a war chest from which they can market the next big or small (and, in the end, it’ll be small, no matter how big it is) literary novel. They are grabbing at whatever might help them keep from plummeting to their deaths.
This Is Why Your Fat, The Book feels like nothing more than desperation to me. “What the fuck do we do next?”
If the publishing industry was healthy, maybe. I’m not sure, though, that in the tangled web of imprints, publishers allow themselves to step far enough away to say: this is my giant company, and this is my giant pot of money, from which I will pay for literary novels and bodice rippers. I don’t think they analyze it at that level.
And that’s if the industry was healthy. It’s not.
Not at all.
What I’ve noticed is that the time between internet meme and book contract has really narrowed. Someone with a lot more time on their hands could maybe make a chart. Hell, start with the cats: Bad Cat from website to book. Stuff on My Cat. I Can Has Cheezburger. Garfield without Garfield.
It seems to me This Is Why Your Fat reached the point of critical mass just a couple of weeks ago. And now, book contract. They’re not pushing that book out to book stores in order to create a war chest from which they can market the next big or small (and, in the end, it’ll be small, no matter how big it is) literary novel. They are grabbing at whatever might help them keep from plummeting to their deaths.
This Is Why Your Fat, The Book feels like nothing more than desperation to me. “What the fuck do we do next?”
Well, I don’t think it’s a simple as the “pot of money” explanation. It’s more like, here is the budget editors have to buy new books this season. The number comes from how much money the company has, which comes from how many books they sold last season.
Also, have you ever worked in corporate publishing?
Well, I don’t think it’s a simple as the “pot of money” explanation. It’s more like, here is the budget editors have to buy new books this season. The number comes from how much money the company has, which comes from how many books they sold last season.
Also, have you ever worked in corporate publishing?
Well, I don’t think it’s a simple as the “pot of money” explanation. It’s more like, here is the budget editors have to buy new books this season. The number comes from how much money the company has, which comes from how many books they sold last season.
Also, have you ever worked in corporate publishing?
Bookseller.
Bookseller.
Bookseller.
I’m not being bitchfacey, just wondered. Seems like everyone around here is mostly a writer or a small presser. Smart and insightful and totally worth reading obsessively three times a day, but more knowledgeable about literature and writing than how the machine works. Would be cool to get a mole-on-the-inside type columnist to talk about what the hell the big guys are thinking…
I’m not being bitchfacey, just wondered. Seems like everyone around here is mostly a writer or a small presser. Smart and insightful and totally worth reading obsessively three times a day, but more knowledgeable about literature and writing than how the machine works. Would be cool to get a mole-on-the-inside type columnist to talk about what the hell the big guys are thinking…
I’m not being bitchfacey, just wondered. Seems like everyone around here is mostly a writer or a small presser. Smart and insightful and totally worth reading obsessively three times a day, but more knowledgeable about literature and writing than how the machine works. Would be cool to get a mole-on-the-inside type columnist to talk about what the hell the big guys are thinking…