Munroe Bergdorf lands big book deal with Bloomsbury

[TornadoOfSouls]

Reported rather breathlessly in the Graun

www.theguardian.com/books/2020/jul/17/munroe-bergdorf-receives-landmark-book-deal-for-trans-manifesto

Among other things she’s going to tell us all that the experience being a ‘ciswoman’ has changed over the years.

‘my intelligence has been undermined, and I’ve been underestimated a lot in a lot of different instances.’

Sounds a bit Dunning-Kruger to me, to be honest.

Oh, are the Misogynist Monitors back? Anyone for a crisp butty?

ah well ... the monitors... now I know ... makes me feel I ought to put on a bit of lippy before I post...

and the way publishing is run is nuts... I used to work in a small literary publisher in the jurassic age

fatblack - I don't think I understand publishing at all:

I think the standard deal is that authors get 10% of the sale price of each book, and the advance is given against royalties. So, it's effectively a loan?

MB's publishers presumably expect to make 10x the reported 6 figure sum in order to get back their investment paid to the author as an advance.

So, MB's publishers expect to make 7 figures?

On a book written by someone who has proved themselves to be a fairly clumsy communicator in the past? I mean, e.g. inviting vulnerable young people to message them in private for support, without the knowledge of their parents - that was a little badly worded. I'm quite sure MB didn't mean to set off safeguarding red flags.

MB will be out the door the second a cooler, sexier trans rent-a-gob shows up.

I've heard publishing described as working to the 'throw the spaghetti at a wall' business model. I think that might actually be giving it the benefit of the doubt.

It varies but an author generally receives about 4% of a full price book sale. And yes, set against your advance utnil it earns out, so you don't get royalties until your advance has earned out.

As has been said, it's highly unlikely this book is expected to do much in the way of sales. It's a payment that signals very loudly the credentials/political wokeness of the publishers - the book hardly even needs to materialise, tbh.

I’ve just been deleted for a perfectly non descript post - had a tone of derision apparently.

Well it used language that that community uses about themselves so I can’t see that it was derisive.

I mean I didn’t call anyone a ‘barren hairy lesbian’ or threaten to ‘gay bash’ anyone. The standards to which we are held are somehow different to the standards MB adheres to. Why would that be I wonder?

Surely Bergdorf will have a ghostwriter? I can't imagine MB will do the requisite historical footwork of browsing through the dusty archives etc let alone sitting down at a computer to knock out 60,000 words.

MB will be out the door the second a cooler, sexier trans rent-a-gob shows up.

Munroe definitely seems to have overtaken Paris Lees in the popularity stakes in recent months. I'm sure someone else will be along soon enough.

What is their qualifications? Most ‘celebs’ write books on nothing really (diets, travel, food etc, occasional ghost writer novel).

had a tone of derision apparently

Really...

How ridiculous, a poster on FWR recently said that it wasnt what posters were saying which was the issue....it was they ‘thought’ the poster meant that was important

So now people can be deleted if there is a ‘tone’ whether intended or not?

Very interesting that we are doing a guilty until proven innocent type thing...but not bothering with the whole innocent bit

Someone was deleted for a biscuit...no words and biscuit means ‘ no comment’...but apparently the phrase ‘no comment’ can have a ‘tone’

Dogwhistles, I suppose. That was JKR's sin. It wasn't what she said, it was the dogwhistles.

Tone indeed!

I think there was a Harry Enfield character who always said things in the wrong tone - so 'I'm sorry someone ran over your cat' would come out very sarcastic, or 'I love your hat' would sound as if he was taking the piss, 'I'm really happy' would sound utterly depressed...

I agree Vivariam... and it gets more bonkers when you consider the selling of them. In the early 90's publishers were giving bookshops and average discount on the price of 30-33% except for waterstones being a behamoth they got 40% .. but most retail busineses operate on a standard 100 % markup so bookshops are already behind in the commercial stakes. Also its amazing how many people do not understand that an author is getting a piddling 89 p per paperback sold. Most authors income is derisory. (Forgot to find my lippy overlords as was out transplanting herbs - a suitably witchy thing to be doing...)

Hi all. Just dropping by to give some clarity on some of the deletions on this thread. We think the 'stunning and brave' phrase tips too far towards being a transphobic trope and we're minded to delete it when it's reported. Thanks.

Can anyone report or just people with accounts? (Out of interest)

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Hi all. Just dropping by to give some clarity on some of the deletions on this thread. We think the 'stunning and brave' phrase tips too far towards being a transphobic trope and we're minded to delete it when it's reported. Thanks.

Oh. So I shouldn’t wear this top to any MN meet-ups then?

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Hi all. Just dropping by to give some clarity on some of the deletions on this thread. We think the 'stunning and brave' phrase tips too far towards being a transphobic trope and we're minded to delete it when it's reported. Thanks.

Really?! We really aren't allowed to lampoon the "stunning and brave" comment?

It's mocked because it is thrown out with merry abandon.

These are their words Becky. I didn’t invent that trope. They did. If they’ve overreached with their self descriptions take it up with the external moderators.

Meanwhile womanphobic is fine. I doubt you’d ban ActionAid despite them saying there’s no such thing as a biological female body.

Wonder if Munroe will be discussing lesbian issues? Munroe has certainly been outspoken about them in the past...

Yeah but you had a tone when you typed it bininterested

And they have a...ermmm a different tone

Munroe is to womanhood what Rachel Dolezal is to the black community.
Offensive.

They haven’t commented on Rachel have they? I’d be interested in their take on that. Now if their book was about race then I would be vaguely interested.

@YetAnotherBeckyMumsnet

Hi all. Just dropping by to give some clarity on some of the deletions on this thread. We think the 'stunning and brave' phrase tips too far towards being a transphobic trope and we're minded to delete it when it's reported. Thanks.

How is it transphobic? It's an attitude that Trans Widows have to deal with all the time?