A Million Little Pieces - or is it Lies?

Gemini Cricket · 01-20-2006, 08:52 AM

I buzz I have heard is that he tried to publish this book with several other publication houses (I heard 20 or so) as fiction and they wouldn't buy it. So he changed its category to 'memoir' and it sold quickly. (This is coming from a work colleague who is a journalist who leads meetings on literary works weekly.) I haven't read it. But I'm curious.

What kind of bugged me was how the media seemed to be laying blame on Oprah for all this. I would think the blame lies with the publisher and author for not disclosing information? I'm not sure.

Alex · 01-20-2006, 11:56 AM

As told he submitted to 17 publishers getting rejections. It was apparently the publishers idea to present it as memoir (which apparently isn't uncommon with biographical novels, see this interesting piece).

I don't blame Oprah for the problem, though she gets attached to it because while the book was doing good business before it was sent into the stratosphere by its selection for her book club.

I mostly blame Frey, with some blame for the publisher (not sure how the interaction went so without details I'll give them the benefit of the doubt). I would prefer that Oprah had taken the opportunity to say that while the message of the book is powerful, intentional deceipt is a terrible thing and Frey should be ashamed.

01-20-2006, 08:52 AM	#1
Gemini Cricket ... Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 13,244	I buzz I have heard is that he tried to publish this book with several other publication houses (I heard 20 or so) as fiction and they wouldn't buy it. So he changed its category to 'memoir' and it sold quickly. (This is coming from a work colleague who is a journalist who leads meetings on literary works weekly.) I haven't read it. But I'm curious. What kind of bugged me was how the media seemed to be laying blame on Oprah for all this. I would think the blame lies with the publisher and author for not disclosing information? I'm not sure.
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01-20-2006, 11:56 AM	#2
Alex . Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 13,354	As told he submitted to 17 publishers getting rejections. It was apparently the publishers idea to present it as memoir (which apparently isn't uncommon with biographical novels, see this interesting piece). I don't blame Oprah for the problem, though she gets attached to it because while the book was doing good business before it was sent into the stratosphere by its selection for her book club. I mostly blame Frey, with some blame for the publisher (not sure how the interaction went so without details I'll give them the benefit of the doubt). I would prefer that Oprah had taken the opportunity to say that while the message of the book is powerful, intentional deceipt is a terrible thing and Frey should be ashamed.
	Submit to Quotes