50 Shades of Grey

[Anne Lyle]

ETA: Do you have the feeling that everything you learned as a writer, all the time and effort you've put into honing your craft, has all been for naught?

No, not really. I'd be ashamed to put out a book that's as badly written as 50SoG, regardless of the money. I just wish I had the cojones to write something shamelessly commercial, instead of following my heart

 

[Erin99]

From what I read on the BBC site yesterday, Teresa, James started off writing AU Twilight fan fiction on a fan fiction site, then set up her own web address to post it on when it became too racy. From there it got spotted by an Australian publisher who sold the book mostly as an ebook... and once the world discovered how popular the work was becoming, publishers the world over were bidding on her stuff. Apparently, Random House won it here for the UK.

Oh, and the film right have also been snapped up by Universal Studios, yes.

And all that for a London mother of two.


And since you talked about making "big money" in having your book made into a movie, I thought I'd mention something I read recently. I can't find the original link, but it basically talked about how top movies hardly paid the author anything because they fiddle the accounting and pay out others first. It said authors should ask for a set percentage of profits to ensure they got a fair deal. I wish I could find the article! It was so eye-opening! Here's a page of recent examples, anyway: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hollywood_accounting#Examples

 

[rune]

I had seen all the hype about this book, but not read it. And now Ive read this thread, wont even bother reading it.

Not that I have a problem with sex in books. Im not a lover of romance books, but dont mind sex in fantasy/horror novels as long as -

1 - it is well written (poorly written sex is as bad as poorly written violence)

2 - there is a storyline line (not all sex, sex, sex and nothing else!)

It is some concern to think that female readers are so easily pleased, lets hope they arent. A book should be well written regardless if its soft porn

 

[Vertigo]

It is some concern to think that female readers are so easily pleased, lets hope they arent. A book should be well written regardless if its soft porn

To be fair I don't think it is just women who are so easily pleased. The women who like a book like this probably don't read anything of much better quality and probably think something like 50sog is brilliantly written (to judge by the sales I suspect that is the case anyway).

True, the 'equivalent' men probably wouldn't read this book anyway (assuming as everyone says that this is 'mommy porn'), but they are probably reading equally badly written books, usually by that prolific writer called 'anonymous' and that's the 'intellectuals' amongst them. The rest are happy with the (probably) even worse again so-called men's magazines.

So I suspect that there is a large population of both sexes that will consider this sort of thing well written. Actually, in truth, they probably don't get as far as even formulating an opinion as to the quality of writing.

 

[Nesacat]

First I have to say that I am completely gobsmacked that the books made it here to Malaysia. I guess it helps that the covers were pretty boring. People here have kittens over the covers of romance novels. Nevermind that the cover is about as exciting as it gets sometimes. Second the books are pretty much being used as wallpaper in Borders so everyone obviously brought in huge quantities. I guess it's also going to be remaindered in huge quantities.

After reading all the posts here and having friends trash the book, I decided not to read it. But you know there's this thing called curiousity. So I stood in my neighbourhood Borders store and read the first chapter or so. Promptly decided I was not going to continue but it was also a very strange feeling because they had it right next to the kids books. It was not well written at all and I didn't care for Twilight to begin with.

Now the Gods clearly have a sense of humour because the things turned up on my desk at work with a request to review them by a bookstore that shall remain unnamed because anyone who sends the editor of a business newspaper books like these to review deserves to remain unnamed.

None of my staff got past the first chapter either. We are now wondering what to do with these and the Twilight books which had also arrived for review.

 

[Ursa major]

Sounds like a case of Twilight of the Goods to me.

But commiserations on having to review them.

 

[purple_kathryn]

I saw this on a bus shelter & had to take a picture

 

[Parson]

anyone who sends the editor of a business newspaper books like these to review deserves to remain unnamed.

Obviously they were sent to you because of a weak economy. ..... Because, ...... Wait for it ......




Nobody's in the black anymore, there's just 50 shades of grey.

 

[Ursa major]

So the last thing we ought to do, Parson, is to let these books be read....

 

[JoanDrake]

The thing that sort of gets to me is that Jacqueline Carey has been writing this kind of thing for YEARS now. She's done well, but nothing like this. I suppose it's because this is "realistic" whereas her stuff is set in a well-researched alternate world. And a LOT better written.

 

[Ursa major]

I went into WH Smith, and near the entrance (right next to the stand for the local newspaper, i.e. not near the book section of the store) was one of those cardboardy display stands full of copies of 50 Shades of Grey.

 

[Gary Compton]

There's a few people here, who've faces like smacked bottoms with regard to this book.

For me, I'm going to whip down to the bookshop tomorrow and buy this.

I thought BDSM was a school of motoring, by the way?

Anyway, never mind. I love stories about wife swapping. I give you my wife and you give me a Ferrari - simples

 

[Ursa major]

Admit it, Gary: you're willing to be beaten down to a bike.

​

 

[Gary Compton]

Admit it, Gary: you're willing to be beaten down to a bike.

Haha OK, maybe a turbo charged one

 

[JoanDrake]

Hoo boy. I hope your wife doesn't get ahold of your computer...You're going to need LOTS of Burberry.

 

[Moggle]

50 shades of grey is erotica. This is a scifi fantasy forum. I doubt anyone here is going to read that book.

 

[Gordian Knot]

It is frustrating to me that some things become a big deal for no other reason than that everyone is saying it is a big deal. Kinda like some of the celebrities who are famous for being famous! No talent or skill required. Just dumb luck. Grrrrrrr.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

It is frustrating to me that some things become a big deal for no other reason than that everyone is saying it is a big deal. Kinda like some of the celebrities who are famous for being famous! No talent or skill required. Just dumb luck. Grrrrrrr.

There is a lot of luck involved in these things, because nothing is that successful on merit alone, but she is also, clearly, giving a large number of readers exactly the kind of story they want.

Not what you want, not what I want, and it's frustrating when the kind of stories we do want are in short supply, but there it is.

And Joan, I think the contemporary setting does appeal to a lot more readers. Harry Potter notwithstanding, mainstream readers are rarely drawn to genre fiction.

 

[Kylara]

I have friend who works in a well known bookchain and once this thing hit they ran out in about 2 hours, and he had to answer the phone continuously with people being blatant, sideways, subtle and creepy about which book they wanted...the next load of books they got in was massive, enough to cover a table, a load of shelves and make a massive tower of them in the middle of the floor, about 4ft high...he was not impressed, about building that!

Also I'm not sure if they realise that by making a film, they will be making something which has a fairly wide following in the porn section...mainstream porn in cinemas, it amuses me greatly how brilliantly they seem to have thought this through :wink:

 

[Gordian Knot]

There is a lot of luck involved in these things, because nothing is that successful on merit alone, but she is also, clearly, giving a large number of readers exactly the kind of story they want.

I'm really unsure about that latter part Teresa. Is she giving a large number of readers what they want? Or is everyone being like a lemming and just following what they are told they want.

This latter seems to be a lot more common in modern society.

And yes it has always been true that a little luck can sometimes make all the difference between success and failure. It seems to me though that in the past, more often than not, the book was actually a good book in the first place.