I wonder if it's one of those publishers who say "Due to current economic conditions . . ."

Hmm... could?

Really? Billy Crystal? I've never liked the man, never through he was funny.

The rich get richer and the poor get...self-publishing?

Seriously, though, this is a business decision. They think their $4 mil investment will pay off. They don't think investing in new, untested talent will.

C'est la vie.

Except you are just wondering right? You have no proof that this publisher is closed to submissions. So you are getting annoyed that they are cashing in on someone famous, but do you have proof it is at the expense of a quality unknown author?

Publishing celebs is not new, and many argue that it's actually a good thing, that the profit turned from such books helps allow the publisher to take a financial risk on a new untested author.

Double this ^^^^

What a lot of clueless writers do not understand is that the mega selling authors like King, and celebrity books, really subsidize the rest the of the industry.

According to the story, the book is already written. So he hasn't sold it on spec. They read it and think it will sell. Since he has a proven track record with books, they are probably right.

ETA: I've also seen a report that the ms isn't completely done, but the editor who read parts of it said she was sitting at her desk laughing out loud.

Hasn't this been the majority of publisher's policy for quite a few years anyway?

Is there a decline in book sales? I don't think EL James would agree!

JoeEkaitis said:

" . . . and the industry-wide decline in overall book sales, we will no longer accept unsolicited non-agented queries and submissions of any kind from previously unpublished authors."

Billy Crystal Aging Book Sells For $4 Million

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I don't understand what one has to do with the other, frankly. What's your point? (And I've never heard of a publisher who refuses to accept submissions of any kind from new, unpublished authors. Only agented subs, sure, but not "No new authors ever ever no matter what."_


And ditto Toothpaste, Callalily, Thothguard and Gothicangel.

Well, among all the others, I admit that I would buy Billy's book. I just like the man and his movie career.


tri

I like Billy Crystal.

I like every single person who appeared in, was involved with, or was associated in any way with The Princess Bride, the greatest and most quotable movie ever filmed.

There never is a "spec" when a writer is someone like Billy Crystal. Publishing is a business. Having a book by someone like Crystal is GOOD business. Some celebrities are very good writers. Very good. But if the celebrity can't write, you hire a ghost who can.

Writers who make money for a publisher subsidize all the flops publishers buy, and allow publishers to pay advances when they want to take a chance on a new writer.

There really is no overall decline in book sales, at least with fiction. Most publishers prefer dealing with agents because doing so saves publishers a LOT of time, money, and aggravation.

Major publisher only accepts agented submissions! News at eleven!

Billy Crystal has done some nice stuff over his career, notably the hilarious Throw Momma from the Train, with Danny DeVito. And a good comic turn in The Princess Bride and a very admirable dramatic effort (as actor and producer, I believe) with basketball player Georghe Muresan in My Giant, which was a tribute to his late close friend, pro wrestler André Roussumoff, a remarkable man more familiarlly known as André the Giant.

But he's very yesterday. I haven't seen him in TV or the movies in years. This publishing deal strikes me as about as bad as the infamous HarperCollins deal with O.J.Simpson defense attorney Johnny Cochrane, about 15 years ago. That was a major multimillion dollar advance, too, and the book completely tanked, causing HC to cancel about 100 contracts to other writers, on the excuse of "bad economics".

I ain't gonna buy this Crystal bio. Are you? Is anybody?

caw

Since several in this thread have said they would, or that they at least like him as both an actor and author, I guess the answer to your question is yes.

The quoted four million is very likely "if all the escalator clauses click in." Not that someone is going to cut a check for four million bucks.

An escalator clause is one that gives additional money if the book meets certain addition benchmarks. For example: Book is made into a movie; $30,000 more on the first day of principal photography. Another $70,000 if it's in the top five at the box office its opening weekend. $100,000 if the book is an Oprah Book Club selection. $1,000,000 if it's number one on the New York Times Best Seller List for 52 continuous weeks. And so on.

(The hypothetical book I've just mentioned already has a $1.2 million advance, and the author has gotten nothing. How much of an advance will the author get if the book isn't made into a movie, Oprah ignores it, and it's a Times #1 best seller for only 50 weeks? $0.00. Yet the author can say, quite truthfully, that he got a seven-figure advance.)

Jamesaritchie said:

Having a book by someone like Crystal is GOOD business.

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So every book by a celeb is an automatic moneymaker for the publisher? Man, I'm gonna line up overnight for release of that tell-all by Erik Estrada.

caw

What everyone (except BB!) said.

Also, a truly funny book on ageing WILL sell. Lots of people are getting old right now and worrying about it. That's a huge market right there! Just about anyone who could write a light-hearted and positive take on ageing would have agents and editors listening. It sounds like a good deal all round.
(BB: it's not a bio.)

blacbird said:

So every book by a celeb is an automatic moneymaker for the publisher? Man, I'm gonna line up overnight for release of that tell-all by Erik Estrada.

caw

Click to expand...

Who said every? Many, sure, but BB you are doing your jumping to sweeping conclusions thing again.

I'd like to add onto what Aruna said, Crystal might not be as relevant to the younger generation, but he has a lot of fans. Fans who, like him, are going through the aging process. I believe that writing a book on this subject speaks directly to his fan base.

I don't think Crystal is necessarily "very yesterday." As Toothpaste said, he's written a book targeted pretty specifically to his audience. A lot of people really like Billy Crystal. I can see a lot of people buying a funny book on aging even without his name on it, but he's definitely a draw for a large audience (look at the excitement that he was going to host the Oscars again).

It's been a while since Steve Martin had a hit movie, too, but that didn't stop his novel from doing extremely well due at least in part to his name, and it didn't stop his album from doing very well for the same reason (again, both in part; apparently the novel and album are both very good, and he won a Grammy).


This isn't paying a big advance to some fly-by-night famous for a reality TV show, to stick a name on a ghostwritten novel. It's an advance for nonfiction on a popular subject written by a man whose name is still a big draw and who's had a long and successful career.

Plus, Grampires.

Don't lets forget -- the "over-60's" crowd is that darned baby-boomer generation -- it's huge, and it's financially strong.
YA fiction may be booming, but don't let's forget there are other big markets as well, and this is one of them.

aruna said:

What everyone (except BB!) said.

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Well, it is true, I'll admit, that I don't know what sells, and have the track record to prove it.

caw

We need a "Why I can't get published" bingo card. At least half the squares will be filled in with names like Billy Crystal, Tyra Banks, and Snookie.

for when harry met sally alone - then Analyse This and pretty much everything he's done. edit oh, and especially Soap.

in fairness he's very quick-witted and funny when interviewed , some ad hoc, some practised. i'd say it wil be hugely successful (and most likely a movie) and very ,very funny.

re the OP, theres no contradiction - Billy's a safe investment in these 'uncertain economic times', so no surprise there.