Writer's Report 2.0

Okay, I thought it was impressive to turn out a 75,000 word novel in 30 days as is done during the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in November. So how impressive is it to write a 130,000 word book in 48 hours!!!

That’s what two Chinese writers did within hours of the death of Michael Jackson, as reported in China Daily.

Michael Jackson died on June 25th. Within a few hours of his death, writers Jiang Xiaoyu and Xing Han were contacted to write Jackson’s biography; despite never having met the pop star. They turned off their phones, grabbed some cigarettes and coffee and locked themselves in a room.

After 48 hours with no sleep, they emerged with a book titled Moonwalk in Paradise. It was published by Chinese publishing house Xiandai and was on the shelves in Chinese book stores by July 4th.

And here I thought American publishers were moving quickly to get similar books on the shelves by this August.

This type of publishing is called “Instant Books”. To read the whole story and the opinions of young Chinese readers about this type of publication see the China Daily article…

The King of Pop, this master entertainer and tortured soul isn’t even gone a week and the big publisher’s are already cashing in as the Associated Press reports:

NEW YORK – The “instant” books on Michael Jackson are coming soon.

People and Life magazine each are preparing commemorative editions, due in August. Tribute books from Triumph Books and Whitman Publishing, both titled “Michael Jackson,” are due by the end of the week.

Ian Halperin, who has written about such musicians as Kurt Cobain and Celine Dion, had been working on a Jackson book when the singer died last week. Halperin’s book, “Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson,” is due in late July.

Who said the publishing process is a long drawn out affair? I guess not so much when there’s quick cash to be had.