Very telling piece in today’s Independent about the collective madness that sometimes possesses publishers when a minor celebrity “has an idea for a bookâ€.
“After shelling out for deals worth up to £1m to buy into the celebrity memoir market, many have seen little more than a trickle of sales. Among the disasters is former Home Secretary David Blunkett, who has shifted little over 1,000 copies of his book in the three weeks since publication, despite a deal worth £400,000. “
Excuse me – did anyone ever seriously think that Blunkett’s self-justifying ramblings could or would turn into a best-seller? That they would have major international sales potential? That some equally craven film producer would want to snap up film rights (apart, that is, from the rather excellent C4 documentary). I’m sorry – this was a deal born to lose money.
At the other end of the scale, we have Jordan – who initially encountered a terribly sniffy reaction from publishers, but whose book went on to sell 900,000 copies.
To quote from the article:
THE FLOPS
Wayne Rooney
Wayne Rooney: My Story So Far
DEAL: £4m for five books
SALES: 35,000 (published 27 July)
EXTRACT: “I was aware that my foot had landed between his legs… but it was an accident. I’ll go to my grave and still maintain it was a complete accident.”
David Blunkett
The Blunkett Tapes
DEAL: £400,000
SALES: 1,000 (published 16 Oct)
EXTRACT: “The reader will make his or her judgement regarding the part I played in my own downfall - and also… regarding my contribution to making a difference.”
Ashley Cole
My Defence
DEAL: £250,000
SALES: 4,000 (published 21 Sept)
EXTRACT: “My love for Arsenal was soured by what I see as neglect and resentment… The truth is, I felt that Arsenal had done jack-shit… to hold on to me.”
Chantelle
Living the Dream
DEAL: £300,000
SALES: 4,000 (published 26 Oct)
EXTRACT: “I paused at the top of the steps… Behind me was an eerie quietness, a deserted house, which for three weeks had been home.”
