But, back into the literary waters for me. Today's offering is a posting from The New York Observer detailing an emerging buzz word in book publishing: "The Platform". They don't mean shoes. I'm planning to coast to literary super-stardom working my English teacher street cred and sassy "mom-hair" (as Buffy the Vampire Slayer calls it).
In other news, on Writer Beware's blog, a piece about the near-death experience of Absolute Write, facilitated by a crooked "agent" named Barbara Bauer. Thanks to her lack of foresight, her name is now connected irreversably with "Writer Beware's 20 Worst Agencies List", now zipping around the web.
Edit: Absolute Write is up and kicking again after a move to a new server.
2 comments:
I would act surprised, but we definitely see authors being sold as a package rather than as a skilled wordsmith sometimes. See also Kaavya Viswanathan, who had been touted as being just like her character, as the main selling point for "How Opal Mehta..." over various other chic-lit, coming-of-age novels. Until the scandal anyway.
I find the idea of the platform disheartening. Although like Djinnjer, I've noticed its prevalance already. It downplays literary merit for saleability. I have this unabashadly romantic ideal of the publishing industry encouraging, mentoring, fostering literary talents (am I wrong to believe that it has done this in the past?).
I've read about the Barbara Bauer fiasco. My faith in the internet has been somewhat renewed by its ability to keep information free even as others try to control it. Insert bucking bronco Internet metaphor here.
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