UK Literary Luvvies #2 Vital reading

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Ouch. Elizabeth hasn’t hit quite the right note here:

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ED's new book seems to be one long excuse as to why she's dropped all her pre-pod normie friends and now only hangs out with clebs.

Her book launch grid was loathsome. The level of not even humblebrag was off the charts. The irony of her being known for a book and pod about failure is beyond words.
 
“I wouldn’t post about my glorious babies on social media in much the same way as I wouldn’t post about my expansive mansion or my fleet of Bentleys (not that I have any of those), because it’s thoughtless to those who don’t have these things. Forget the language of privilege for a second: isn’t it just lacking in basic empathy? Isn’t it just being a good human?”
 

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queenamber said:
Brace yourselves... she just hit No. 1 on the Sunday Times bestsellers.
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Wow they really hype their own crowd. I think the success of books/memoirs is often down to aggressive marketing rather than engaging content. Have you ever been in a bookshop and felt as though specific books were being foisted on you? I think it's striking how many of these bestselling self-help type books were written by privileged individuals with ties to the media - thinking of Bryony Gordon et al. I feel as though we're missing out on a lot of interesting stories because these people are overrepresented on the shelves.
 
StatusWoe said:
Wow they really hype their own crowd. I think the success of books/memoirs is often down to aggressive marketing rather than engaging content. Have you ever been in a bookshop and felt as though specific books were being foisted on you? I think it's striking how many of these bestselling self-help type books were written by privileged individuals with ties to the media - thinking of Bryony Gordon et al. I feel as though we're missing out on a lot of interesting stories because these people are overrepresented on the shelves.
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We really are missing out.
I think that’s at the crux of most people’s irritation with the LL crowd. It’s rarely on merit and it’s all so fecking samey. They might be a half decent writer but you can bet that much more gifted writers (or writers with a lot of potential) who actually have something to say cannot get anywhere because it’s so bloody privileged and cliquey.

I might have mentioned this before but I read an article years and years ago by a writer who was bemoaning the constant demands to write a recommendation for other author’s books. He was saying that it is tremendously awkward and fake and most people don’t even read the book, they just get told more or less what to say by the publisher (who is also their publisher). It’s very hard to refuse when you are so reliant on staying in the publisher’s good graces and you are only as good as your last book etc. This was before social media so basically just what you’d see on the cover in WH smith and not so prolific. Now it is truly out of control. However, I feel like a lot of these authors, esp the likes of Marion Keyes, are in the position to say no to giving a quote. Dolly keeps dishing them out too even though she acknowledged that people feel she is over exposed in this way, so why do it? Just ego or a genuine buy in the the lit luvvie crowd.

now, I know it’s already so self involved etc. but I would actually love one of them to write a novel about the crowd. Especially if it was really obvious who was who. I actually think Bella Mackie could and should do this 😂. She has a salty side and I’ve recently been disappointed that she has started to morph into a LL. She could redeem herself.
 
Can’t be that hard to write a quote for a LL book, though, given that they are essentially the same?

‘Willowy white woman living in London and working for a fashion magazine / music magazine / publisher shags her way through a clutch of stereotypes she meets on a dating app, ably assisted by slightly less attractive pal with wanky name (I.E Bunny or Tiggy or Hernia)’

The book goes to print, the publisher contacts Marian Keyes, she fires up her salad spinner of adjectives, pulls out a couple and turns it into a review: “This novel is a PRESCIENT and VITAL examination of what it means to be a young woman today”.
 
NomDeGuerre said:
Can’t be that hard to write a quote for a LL book, though, given that they are essentially the same?

‘Willowy white woman living in London and working for a fashion magazine / music magazine / publisher shags her way through a clutch of stereotypes she meets on a dating app, ably assisted by slightly less attractive pal with wanky name (I.E Bunny or Tiggy or Hernia)’

The book goes to print, the publisher contacts Marian Keyes, she fires up her salad spinner of adjectives, pulls out a couple and turns it into a review: “This novel is a PRESCIENT and VITAL examination of what it means to be a young woman today”.
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And they are always 'depressed/anxious' yet still manage to date loads of men/go out loads/have tonnes of friends. As a woman in London I always felt severely misrepresented by these swathes of novels!!
 
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