Niffenegger's second novel sells -$5m

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/11/books/11niff.html?ref=arts

Found the story here. The premise is kind of meh to me, but I'll give her a shot when it comes out. I really liked the first one.

I read this in The New York Times and it seems a bit of a surprise to me, considering the economic situation and all.

Publishers are taking less risks, so I'm guessing Scribner are pretty sure this one is going to sell and exceed the advance.

$5 million? I think someone is betting the farm.... I hope it's a good book and make lots of money, and not like Charles Frazier's Thirteen Moon, which also got a huge advance but performed relatively poorly... That wouldn't be good for her if that happened...

I agree that it's really risky, especially in this economy, and for a second book.

Sometimes lightning just doesn't strike twice.

That article did mention Frazier's book flopping. What is it with second novels?

bsolah said:

That article did mention Frazier's book flopping. What is it with second novels?

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Expectations. Pressure.

Sometimes getting that outrageously successful "debut" is a curse.

Part of me is envious, but part of me is glad that I'm not her. Can't handle that pressure.

On the other hand, she's had more than 6 years to write this book... so maybe it's really good (although Frazier also spent like 10 years writing Thirteen Moons, and it flopped).

Ok, so the trick is to not aim for an outrageously successful first novel?

bsolah said:

Ok, so the trick is to not aim for an outrageously successful first novel?

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I'm trying, believe me.

caw

bsolah said:

Ok, so the trick is to not aim for an outrageously successful first novel?

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Well, probably... I don't know. Khaled Hosseini did excellently with A Thousand Splendid Suns, but seems like it still wasn't as popular as The Kite Runner.

Amy Tan, I think, never quite achieved the success of Joy Luck Club with her later books.

Then again, JK Rowling did marvelously, and Stephen King followed the success of Carrie with Salem's Lot.

Who knows? But $5M for a second book is an awful lot of pressure. I can't say I really envy her, although I do envy her bank account.

Aren't JK & SK more commercial fiction than the other two? Niffenegger is more literary isn't she? I liked the premise and execution of the first book. The second book doesn't sound that new/genre/boundary breaking. Good luck to her. I wouldn't mind her bank balance but I don't think I would ever want a large advance. Too much pressure to earn it out.

Wow a jump from a 100k advance to 4.8 mill. 0.0 I really hope she sells out her advance, because that kind of pressure would make my head asplode.

(not that I wouldn't take the money and run - $4.8 million is a hell of a lot of Rands.)

bsolah said:

What is it with second novels?

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They say everyone has one great book in them. I think it's because people expect greatness when goodness is all you have left.

There was a big big sale here in Canada this year. Damn, I wish I could remember the author and the book. Damn, damn. Anyway...it was someone out west and the book tanked and it was a record breaking advance.

But...I'm sure this book will sell big-time. Just look at her first book.


illiterwrite...if you're around, I know you know what book I'm talking about. The one your agent spoke about at your place. ???

maestrowork said:

$5 million? I think someone is betting the farm.... I hope it's a good book and make lots of money, and not like Charles Frazier's Thirteen Moon, which also got a huge advance but performed relatively poorly... That wouldn't be good for her if that happened...

I agree that it's really risky, especially in this economy, and for a second book.

Sometimes lightning just doesn't strike twice.

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I think you're right.

Because in reading the premise of her second book, it just doesn't seem all that interesting to me. I mean, she wrote The Time Traveler's Wife BRILLIANTLY, but that's because it was a great premise.

I'm sure her writing is good with this one too, but I'm not sold on the premise of this book. It doesn't have the same draw as time travel does.

Wayne K said:

They say everyone has one great book in them. I think it's because people expect greatness when goodness is all you have left.

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That's maybe why Harper Lee never got her second book out. In a way, she's very smart...

KTC said:

There was a big big sale here in Canada this year. Damn, I wish I could remember the author and the book. Damn, damn. Anyway...it was someone out west and the book tanked and it was a record breaking advance.

But...I'm sure this book will sell big-time. Just look at her first book.


illiterwrite...if you're around, I know you know what book I'm talking about. The one your agent spoke about at your place. ???

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I'm not illiterwrite (and I don't play her on tv), but based on that description, I'm going to guess Andrew Davidson, for The Gargoyle...

willietheshakes said:

I'm not illiterwrite (and I don't play her on tv), but based on that description, I'm going to guess Andrew Davidson, for The Gargoyle...

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Damn straight. That's it. I guessed that you might know too...but I knew she would know. Thanks. I tried google, but couldn't come up with anything. It was a huge advance for a tanked book, was it not? I can't remember the figures either.

It was $1.2M. Now, how did it sell?

That's an interesting object lesson, The Gargoyle.

The 1.25 million was the US part of the deal; sales in other markets (including Canada) amounted to about another 1.25.

The book was a disaster in the US -- no sales, some high profile scathing reviews.
BUT, in Canada, the book was actually a success -- strong (though not huge) sales, a mix of reviews. It's one of those cases of reduced expectations, perhaps. The Canadian deal was big, but not huge, so expectations were set accordingly. There was lots of marketing, and you couldn't have gotten more media, and the book did just fine.

The unfortunate thing is, the fact that the book was a commercial letdown in the US is becoming the received wisdom, which isn't fair to the book, the author, or to what actually happened.

Ah, maybe illiterwrite's agent was discussing the US side of the deal then. I know it was discussed as a book that didn't meet its expectations.

My.
Good for Niffenegger.
I was reading an article about a 5m advance a year or two ago...for a novel due now. The book is not going to be released on schedule and the article was having fun w/ that. The writer's last book did wonderfully--big hit---and garnered the 5m advance for this late book. I felt for the writer over the article's speculation. Pressure, pressure.

Re: The Gargoyle. I remember my family sitting around crying with laughter at the description of the book, it was just that ludicrous. I couldn't believe the advance he got. Not that I'm bitter OMG.

As for Niffenegger, I loved TTTW a ridiculous amount, will pay to see the movie, and will pay to read her next book. Good or bad as it may be, I'm going to reward her so she'll keep writing. Yep, I'm a fangirl. Now, what percentage of her advance will I be earning back for her?

MelodyO said:

Re: The Gargoyle. I remember my family sitting around crying with laughter at the description of the book, it was just that ludicrous. I couldn't believe the advance he got.

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Hmm.

Funny how one's mileage varies.

I found it to be a stunning book -- great narrative voice, great writing, genuinely affecting... Easily one of the three best books I read last year (out of some 180 or so total...).

Hmmmm, I think this shows the power of a good premise.

I can easily see this being a good movie and that may be what Scribner is banking on. If it does become a successful movie, they'll easily make their money back. When books-to-movies come out, sales usually skyrocket.

What I don't understand is the Dis on genre. I like genre. Whats wrong with genre?