Popularity Contest

by Cuppa Tea
16th March 2015

When walking into a bookshop or looking at the latest best-sellers do you ever feel annoyed or frustrated by books today? Or worry that books have become a popularity contest? They have been infested with celebrities like fleas, and typically celebrity books have become best-sellers again and again. Publisher's and Agent's love them, because it's all about money these days, they even go so far as to ask celebrities to do books, who have no writing skills whatsoever, and yet just little old you, are left trying, trying, trying to get a chance to be accepted. And so, books are no longer what they once were. No more brilliant masterpieces that illuminate the human condition. No, now it's all about fame and fortune.

Replies

Er...it was the Jam - 'Going Underground' :D

After years of bemoaning the amount of celebrity crap on bookshelves, I've come to the conclusion we won't change publishers' obsession with media figures. So we just have to carry on writing better than they or their ghosts do. Someone will take notice, eventually.

Hope springs eternal:)

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Jonathan
Hopkins
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Jonathan Hopkins
16/03/2015

It's easy to get that impression but no matter who the celebrity is, if the public don't buy them then the books won't make a penny no matter how well connected the writer is.

A great line in a song 'The public gets what the public wants' Err ... The Clash I think.

Don't give up :)

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Renee
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Renee Paule
16/03/2015

Short reply, yep you are right.

Paul G

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Paul
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Paul Garside
16/03/2015