I am an unpublished author trying desperately to be a published one. I feel I am a good writer and follow all the guidelines. I know publishing is a business first and foremost, but when I see yet another celebrity with a children's book in the works, it's disheartening. Plus I'm really, really jealous! My question is: Would a publisher choose a mediocre book written by a celebrity over a well written book by a no-name just because it may sell better?There are essentially three variables at work:
- Quality of Writing
- Consumer Interest in Topic
- Degree of Celebrity
Quality of Writing:
- Transcendent -- 50 points
- Excellent -- 45 points
- Delightful -- 40 points
- Good -- 35 points
- Decent -- 30 points
- Drivel -- 20 points
- Culpable -- 10 points
- An abomination to anyone above the IQ of an orangutan -- 0 points
- I WANT that! -- 110 points
- My kid won't shut up about that -- 90 points
- My kid likes that, and so do I -- 70 points
- My kid likes that, but I'm pretty tired of and/or annoyed by it -- 50 points
- Hmm. Maybe? -- 30 points
- No, thanks -- 20 points
- Ew, really? -- 10 points
- You couldn't PAY me to expose a child to this, and I'm writing to my congressman -- 0 points
- Hollywood royalty -- 120 points
- Hollywood and widely recognized -- 100 points
- [Other field] and widely recognized -- 80 points
- Not widely recognized, but still a certain amount of celebrity -- 60 points
- Not recognized by anyone outside of books, but with a good track record -- 40 points
- Not recognized by anyone outside of books, but previously published -- 20 points
- Unknown -- 0 points
- Famous for something people actively want to keep their children away from -- 0 points
Anything under 90 points total is going straight to the recycling bin.
The stuff in between has a chance, but may be a long shot.
So, for instance:
Celebrity: Unknown
Topic: No, thanks
Writing: Transcendent
Result: NOT PUBLISHED
Celebrity: Hollywood royalty
Topic: Ew, really?
Writing: Orangutan
Result: PUBLISHED
Feel free to play with this publishometer to your heart's content.
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