Chances are, you’ve got a stack of rejection letters where agents say they just didn’t loooooove your manuscript enough. You’ve probably had instances of how editors passed on your book because they didn’t feel passionate enough to face the gauntlet of editorial board and marketing meetings. You’ve probably read articles where agents and editors use words like “passion,” “determination,” “champion,” and “I know I’ve found something when I stay up all night reading.”
All in all, it’s enough to make you think that people must be willing to sacrifice a kidney and an eye for your book if it is ever going to hit bookstore shelves.
So surely it will make you feel better to know that Sanjaya Malakar from American Idol just sold a book to Pocket.
According to Publishers Marketplace, the book will focus on Malakar’s “his life before, during and after finding fame on the television show.”
Why so snarky? It might be good.
Funny you point that out, DJ.
I actually had an ending to this post where I said that maybe it would be good, poignant, and insightful which I ultimately removed.
But maybe you’re right. Maybe the book will be self-aware, funny, and explore the nature of his fame.
That’s interesting, Scott. Did you leave it off because you felt that if you posted something positive about Sanjaya, your reputation might suffer or you might be letting yourself in for ridicule? Just curious.
Primarily, I dropped the ending because I was short on time and didn’t feel like I could adequately make a complete argument.
I’ll explain more about my thoughts shortly…
So here’s the thing, DJ.
There’s a lot that went into my thoughts about this (some of which I’m going to try and explain in a future post). But here’s the simple version.
As I read the book deal news every day, there are deals I don’t agree with or that aren’t my cup of tea. But in many of those cases, I understand why it makes good business sense for a publisher to order up a book.
I mean, I don’t understand the whole Jonas Brothers phenomenon, but that’s cool, as long as 42 million Disney mice don’t chew to me pieces, I’m fine with them. But I do recognize there is a massive audience for the band so it made sense when they signed a book deal for more than half-a-mill back in May.
Likewise, with let’s say the winners of American Idol, I realize there is a huge audience so Taylor Hicks and all those guys get book deals. Even a runner-up like Clay Aiken will put out a book (and his former publisher would later comment that Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega was “more pleasant to deal with than Aiken”). That’s understandable.
So I understand those books, even if they’re not my thing.
But in the case of this Malakar, he wasn’t a winner, he wasn’t a runner up, and he wasn’t taken seriously. He was the butt of a ton of jokes. I don’t watch American Idol, but all the commentary in the media and online was essentially laughing at the guy.
Let’s go back to my opinions as I peruse the book deal news. As I mentioned, a lot of them might not be my taste, but I get them. However, there are times when I see some deal — like this one — regarding someone of questionable “celebrity” or renown and it just makes me spit out my morning Mt. Dew.
I’m perfectly willing to acknowledge that Malakar may turn in a fantastic book that examines his place in pop culture and his reaction to the criticism. His co-author has done some cool things before.
And I completely understand that I have a lot of guilty pleasures as well. Hell, if there were a cool book about the late Ratt guitar player Robbin Crosby, I’d be all over it while everyone else would question my judgment.
Ultimately, the whole thing just gets back to personal taste and reactions. I didn’t leave the possiblity of a good book from Malakar in my original post simply because I wanted to stick with the initial feeling of “you gotta be kidding me…”
Sanjaya is said to have had a very unconventional upbringing, at the least. Even Blake Lewis was quoted as saying if any of the contestants from that season’s Idol should write a book, it should be Sanjaya. Granted, I don’t know to what extent this book will be a “tell all.” But every indication is that he has quite a story to tell.
Of course, much may also depend on how much he is “allowed” to tell especially in regard to the Idol stuff.
I don’t quite get the logic of your reasoning, although I think it’s to your credit to take the time to give such a thought-out response. Sanjaya wasn’t a winner or runner-up but he certainly was the most controversial, polarizing, and talked-about contestant ever in the history of the show. That has to be good for something. And love him or hate him, but there’s definitely something there that keeps his “Fanjayas” so devoted.
I can’t predict if the book will or won’t be a bestseller, but I do think there’s a definite audience for it.
I can,t wait to buy and read Sanjaya’s book ! We have been waiting too long to buy something from Sanjaya.,also hoping for an albumn and a TV show and an appearance on Idol in 2009.albumn,and then a movie. Our family loved Sanjaya !
millions of idol watchers for season 6,were voting for Sanjaya,and not because they were laughing ,but admiring a young man who is obviously gifted with a beautiful voice. Lot,s of us middle aged people recognize good music that is unlike so much we hear on that show.Sanjaya had just reached puberty,and boys mature slower than girls like Jordin who was the same age.He was amazing for his age how he captured the essence of his songs.I think Bathwater was fantastic how he was able to master the speed of the words and still make it interesting in such short notice. It was really better than the original by gwen what,s her name!Sanjaya is quite a find,and someone will develop his career and make a lot of money. The gov. of NY knocked a lot of people out of the way to get Sanjaya,s autograph.Sanjaya had multiple professional fans then too like Kelly Clarkson,Clay Aiken,J.Lo,Diana Ross,Peter Noone,Tony Bennett,and on, and on,.
Hey ,Sanjaya needs one of those stars on the Hollywood boardwalk,cause there will never be another Sanjaya.