Heads shook across the indie publishing world today after news
broke of superstar rapper Lil Wayne getting a book
deal with Grand Central Publishing. Following the successes and flops of
publishing houses producing celebrity books, GCP also chose the shameful route
of working with a convicted felon while surely ignoring real and talented
authors. Such news comes as no surprise since the traditional publishing
industry has suffered huge financial losses and is desperately trying to stay
afloat. It's safe to say that GCP or any major NYC publishing house wouldn't
give the time of day to any current or former inmate of Rykers Island
Prison—some of which may have far more interesting stories to tell than Lil
Wayne. Furthermore, the idea that someone could spend time in prison and then
be offered a book contract that's based on their experience in the slammer is
not only an insult but it illustrates some serious problems within the
publishing industry.
In an interview that took place near the end of 2009,
bestselling author, John Irving, admitted that he worries for new writers and admitted that
his first novel would never have been published had it been written today.
What he said makes sense considering that at the time that he wrote his first
novel, publishing houses were more interested in great storytelling compared to
now. The mentality today among publishers is to only publish what they believe will
make money even if it's crap. What's known to sell? Scandals and controversy.
They get the most television airtime, front page coverage in newspapers and on magazine
covers. So there's definitely a market for these stories. But what kind of
market? Avid readers who are long term book-buying clients? Or the part-time
reader who's only interested in celebrity gossip? Most likely the latter.
Ben Greenberg, executive editor of GCP said: "We
are thrilled to be publishing Wayne's prison memoir. He kept detailed journals
of his inner and outer life while he was on Rikers Island, and they certainly
tell a story."
Rubbish!
Lil Wayne already has a name and a fan base. And he has
enough die-hard fans who'd spend $100 on a toothpick if he endorsed it. They
can certainly make money off of him regardless of what he wrote in his journal.
Now here's where it gets interesting. Books have a shelf life. And considering
that Lil Wayne's time spent in prison will be forgotten once he does something
else outlandish—which appears to be the continuing trend among artists so that
they can remain in the spotlight—how much of a shelf life, and hence profits,
could the publisher expect to make? In this case, certainly not long term
profits. I guess they'll wait for the next rapper to go to jail or another
celebrity to release a sex tape. They'll be candidates for a book deal.
If it's prison stories that Mr Greenberg is really
interested in, wouldn't the prison guards, doctors, or the chaplains—who've
been working there longer than the eight months Lil Wayne spent there—have far
more interesting stories to tell? Wouldn't those stories appeal to a bigger
market? Such as high school librarians who would share these stories with
students to teach them the consequences of going to jail? Especially if they
were to read the graphic details of beatings and prison rapes. Since an
educational aspect could be attached to these stories, wouldn't one expect the
shelf life to be longer, since it would appeal to readers who aren't fans of
Lil Wayne?
There are many reasons why the publishing industry is
falling apart today, I won't list them all. But I have a suggestion, why don't
they try investing more in quality works than throwing money away at the
flavour of the month. They can stick to investing more time with worthless celebrity
books that will yield short-term profits. If GCP wants to continue down this
path and ruin the integrity of the publishing industry, they can go ahead, they
just won't be doing it with my money.
Russell Brooks is the author of the thriller Chill Run.
