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How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

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Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#81
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> the Ch\wrch of Sc\w+nt\wl\wgy What's going on here?

You can get into trouble if you speak ill of the Ch*rch in public. This hinders discoverability.

The Church of scientology is a shitty cult that rips off it's members.

Come at me scientologists.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#82
post #22

Spike Trottman's tweets around this present some interesting points: https://twitter.com/Iron_Spike/status/900797323403554817 Mot notably: this has been used as a tactic to get books and comics optioned for films (which will make more money than selling books ever does), and the author is a no-name actor who - surprise! - is angling to play the lead in the film of her #1 bestselling novel.

How are movie options priced? Anything close to a "real options" approach?

AFAIK being optioned gives you a chunk of cash - you're selling an exclusive, sometimes time-limited, right for the studio to make the movie. If the movie doesn't get made, you still get to keep the money.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#83
post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can get into trouble if you speak ill of the Ch*rch in public. This hinders discoverability.

Hey Church of Scientology, somebody here is claiming you are fraudsters gaming the bestseller lists. I'll add my own opinion that you're an abusive cult dead set on parting fools and their money, that your "church" was invented by a guy alternating between nights on uppers and downers, and your myth of aliens on DC-10s doing something around a vulcano (can't remember the details) is pure fantasy. If you want to sue m…

Sorry, couldn't find the info, Matt. And you're completely wrong. It's a "volcano" not a "vulcano".

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#84

During the article, I wondered what the writer's end goal was. Then I saw that she wants to portray the lead in a movie version, and I can only assume this will be some Neil Breen-level, awesomely-bad garbage.

Based on the reviews I've seen, the book is exactly as bad as you'd expect it to be. A purple prose filled cliche storm with every aspect of a bad novel you'd expect it to have:

https://twitter.com/runwithskizzers/status/90081065965428326...

Yeah, that compares it to the infamous Harry Potter fan fic My Immortal.

Re: How did “Handbook for Mortals” get on the NYT bestseller list?

#85
post #22

Spike Trottman's tweets around this present some interesting points: https://twitter.com/Iron_Spike/status/900797323403554817 Mot notably: this has been used as a tactic to get books and comics optioned for films (which will make more money than selling books ever does), and the author is a no-name actor who - surprise! - is angling to play the lead in the film of her #1 bestselling novel.

Huh, didn't know a lot of books were written by actors wanting to play the lead part. I mean, I've heard of scams where people are trying to misrepresent their work as more popular than is for a movie adaptation, but the actor aspect is a surprising one here.
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