Shon Faye publishing book on trans rights

Publishing is full of white liberal lefty middle class I'm-so-open-minded-my-brains-have-fallen-out types

Exactly this ^^ But the real world, especially beyond London, is a different matter. I have a feeling that sales will be reported as 'disappointing' and the chances of it coming anywhere near earning out its inflated advance are small to never-going-to-happen. The target market for this book are the kind of people who crowdfund for a sandwich. They might read it, but only if they can find a free download.

That's a good point - if it was acquired yesterday then, even if it's been written, it'll be at least a year till publication. I actually wonder if it will get published at all.

Yeah, I'm not convinced. The zeitgeist has just passed.

Sports, Sharron Davies, Penny mordaunt, Maria Miller, the NHS review, the Tavistock scandals, Miranda Yardley's case being thrown out.

Wheels are coming off. But you may not know that, if you don't temperature check on the hour, every hour, like mumsnetters do.

they may not even realise they need to give it a legal read...

Presumably they have an efficient legal team to fact check the claims Faye makes?

Because there might not be a whole lot left to publish...

I find it deeply irritating that this has been acquired by Allen Lane, of all the Penguin imprints. Allen Lane don't publish crap. It will add real legitimacy to trans ideology.

Exactly. And in a four-way auction (several publishers bidding) the advance would not have been paltry at all, probably six figures.

I find it deeply irritating that this has been acquired by Allen Lane, of all the Penguin imprints. Allen Lane don't publish crap. It will add real legitimacy to trans ideology.

Publishing is full of white liberal lefty middle class I'm-so-open-minded-my-brains-have-fallen-out types. Mainly women and gay men. And I can imagine the younger crowd just out of uni will be even worse.

Sorry, that should be between 8% and 10% of cover price.

Obviously the agent and publisher believe themselves to be on the "right side of history"

I'm not sure this is entirely the case. Agents and publishers are out to make money. They have a keen eye on market trends and will have picked up on LGBT as a 'growth area' (as is non-fiction.) I don't think they'll have concerned themselves too much with the finer detail of the book's content, only that the author has the privileged background of being a rich white public-school educated male (they tend to do well in publishing) and an established media presence which will generate plenty of PR interest. All of which makes SF a good business proposition.

Of course, after that sales and reviews are a different matter...

No. It means the publisher paid the author a large amount (which could be anything between a few thousand to a few hundred thousand) as an advance on royalties. The book is not yet published. When it comes out (probably a year from now, depending on whether it's been written yet or not) It will go on sale at the usual retailers. Once (if) the advance is earned out through sales the author gets royalties, usually between 85 and 10% of the cover price.

Selling a book at auction is a HUGE thing -- it means Faye Shon must have received a large advance and it will be massively promoted. That's not good.

Does that mean there are already advance sales? Like lschools, universities etc?

I see Emma Paterson represents Ash Sarkar as well. Going for the greats there, Emma.

Also, this agent was involved in the deal.
www.aitkenalexander.co.uk/agents/emma-paterson-2/
She is from a major UK agency. Getting an agent in the book industry is a big deal.
Obviously the agent and publisher believe themselves to be on the "right side of history", and they are wrong -- but still...

Hopefully when the book comes out there is enough backlash that it flops gigantically. By then the GC wave should have gained enough momentum...

I never heard of this person (SF) before this thread.

Saw Kelly Maloney’s book in Poundland recently.

The one tweeted in the OP is the one sold at auction, probably yesterday, at the London Book Fair.
Selling a book at auction is a HUGE thing -- it means Faye Shon must have received a large advance and it will be massively promoted. That's not good.

We’re talking about this one (out in May) www.waterstones.com/book/pinkwashed/shon-faye/9781786991744

The one you found must be the follow-up, Lamaha

The sale was published in The Bookseller, so it's a serious matter. In a four way auction no less.

www.thebookseller.com/news/faye-s-agenda-setting-trans-title-allen-lane-970976

I think I might just have better things to spend £70 on. (according to Waterstones) Pink fluffy things perhaps.
I don't understand. Which book is selling for £70? The book mentioned by the OP has been acquired which means it has not been published yet.

However, if the book went to auction at the London Book Fair (now on) that is some serious stuff. I wonder how much the advance was.

Hmm, Faye has only 100 tweets..since when?!

....sorry! Phone not letting me post my budgie pic........

The specialised technical books my DH has written are more than that.

That letter to Miranda! Let's just say it doesn't seem to be coming from a place of stability. And boggling at the concept that anyone can be both "monstrous" and "insignificant" in the same sentence.

Please tell me they still sell pickled onion monster munch!

When discussing SF I always like to remember the budgie quote and in light of that, it's once again time for this...

70 quid is really taking the piss..don't think I have ever seen a book that price, or even half that, in my life!