Story in today's Guardian, which will get those of us who've sweated for years over our work, and then more years getting it published, grinding our teeth.

It's also an intriguing description of the reality of the publishing process. BUT, journalists are writers too, and can't resist making a good story: it's a complicated industry and actually much less one-track and cut-and-dried in real life.

I'm hopeless at links: the Guardian website has it on their 'Books' page then 'How to Make a Book'.

Emma

Hi Emma, thanks for that and here's a link:
http://books.guardian.co.uk/departments/generalfiction/story/0,6000,1503261,00.html

It was interesting to hear how my council tax was being spent! Good for the author, I say. It sounds like a light-hearted book by someone who wasn't much bothered about being an author, which may have added to the levity. As I type, I'm listening to the tale of Beethoven's despair, so it was a refreshing contrast to read about this guy's easy path. Still, I'd rather listen to Ludwig's music than read that book.

Adele.

Thanks for doing the link, Adele. At least the story makes a change from the 'pretty girl barely out of nappies is paid half a million for illiterate drivel' story.

And hasn't the Beethoven week on Radio 3 been amazing?

Emma

Drat,I didn't know about the Beethoven fest. I keep telling myself I should move from Radio 4 to 3 now and again, but rarely do. However, my CD of Von Karajan conducting the 9th Symphony got a nice, loud airing today.

As for pretty young illiterate things earning lots of cash, perhaps one person's drivel is another person's escapist treat after a crap day in the call centre. Who knows?

Adele.

The article bears out my theory that the best way to get published is not to want to get published!
I also like the bit about his book not screaming "look how clever I am". Too much of literary fiction does just that - starting with The Autograph Man and ending - well, that's enough names mentioned! (I liked White Teeth, though!)

Good for him, I say - I don't for a minute buy the 'reluctant author' act...in practical terms it takes too much effort to write a book to be so flippant about the end result - he might be shy but I bet he wanted it just as much as we all do. So I'm glad he got it, and amused that he had to dress up as a pirate on tour.

Myrtle

Aruna says: 'The article bears out my theory that the best way to get published is not to want to get published!'

I'm sure that's true if you let your writing be affected by trying to be 'publishable', rather than by what needs to be written. Doesn't mean you shouldn't let your writing be affected by thinking about what people like reading, of course.

I agree that Gideon can't have been quite as casual about it all as he says: maybe he's being very English thing of being embarrassed to like he's taking anything seriously (just as well, given the pirate suit. I'll be interested to see if the second book is as successful.
Emma

Emma, yes, the thing about an agent finding him after his book was discussed on a discussion forum has a whiff of "urban legend" to it. Call me cynical - but it's the kind of story publishers love to circulate. There was probably a lot more to it than that, but we'll never know.

As for "not wanting" to get published - what I really meant was letting go of the obsession with finding a publisher/agent. Three times in my life I discovered that when I stopped thinking about publication and simply concentrated on getting my work as best as I could, and letting go of it internally, things began to happen.

I agree with you about letting go of outcomes. It doesn't come at all naturally to me, being an over-educated, analytical, bossy, problem-solving type. But it's scary how often it works. I'm sure it's connected to the inner game thing of shedding all the baggage of feeling judged and looking over ones shoulder, rather than allowing what comes naturally to happen. My screen saver now says 'Letting Outcomes Go' to remind me!

Emma

It sounds a bit like the classic relationship advice of letting people go and seeing if they come back to you. However, I can never get out of my mind Eugene Onegin coming back to Tatiana when she's married to someone else and it's all too late!

Adele.

Btw, there's a good article in today's FT about literary wunderkind, Jonathan Safran Foer, mentioning favourite WW topics of large advances and bitchy reviews. I haven't read either of his books, but hearing that the Observer critic wants to deck him has aroused my curiosity!

http://news.ft.com/cms/s/6c052c46-d98f-11d9-b071-00000e2511c8.html

Adele.

<Added>

Oops, apologies to the Observer, it was Scotland on Sunday who thought that relatives of 9/11 victims might like to give the author a Glaswegian Kiss.