LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - statement of Keith Richards, that he really Snort ashes of his father to the revelation of Sammy Hagar that he is abducted by aliens, out there autobiographies by aging rock stars help fuel business ill Edition.
"There is clearly a demand," explains Mauro DiPreta, vp of it books, which publishes the current New York Times bestseller of Hagar "" Red: my life uncensored in Rock. "" The former leader of the Group Van Halen was paid approximately $ 3 million (cashed Richards a reported $ 7 million for his memoirs "The life").
"What you have with a book is a remembrance," adds DiPreta. "You can buy a CD, but you've probably heard the songs several times already." You can bid on an Eric Clapton guitar used. "But for $25, you get to hear all the stories, not only behind the songs, but how were these guys."
Says literary agent Sarah Lazin, who specializes in the titles of music on the theme: "publishers seek an automatic basis fan so that they can simply plug into it." Right now, I have four deals with a major agency where they have the star and I am the writer. It is unprecedented. ?
The boom is good news for fingerprints as ' HarperCollins, she, who has also published autobiographies by singer drawee Guns did Roses drummer and Celebrity Rehab graduate Steven Adler, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and runaways Cherie Currie. Ghost writers are in high demand and can obtain 25 000 $-200 000 $ for their services. most is the average of 75 000 $-$ 100, 000.
Rock memoirs are a ray of light for booksellers faced with the dual challenge of the recession and the transition to e-books. Although sales increased 3.6% in 2010, publishers struggled to find nonfiction hits. Documentary titles with sales of 100,000 or more decreased by 20% a 132 2008 Summit. The list of 2010 is paperwork with politicians and political commentators (w. George Bush, Glenn Beck) and actors (Jon Stewart, Chelsea Handler). The exception is "Life Richards" ranked No. 4.
But some publishing observers are concerned about overkill. "When you have the drummer who has played on two Guns 'n' Roses albums put out a book that does a that evil, which perhaps says this glut is burn the market," said Neil Strauss, co-author of the gold standard in autobiographies rockMotley flood tome "the dirt" 2001 and head of the footprint of the HarperCollins Igniter. His latest book, "everybody loves you when you're Dead," a compilation of a career of musician interviews, was published in March.
But DiPreta disagrees. "I do not think that it is a case of," I read life of Keith Richards, so I will not read the book of Steven Tyler when it comes out in a few months. ". These stories are unique. they feed on passion of the people you are talking about their memories, the fabric of your adolescence and coming of age. This is what we are trying to capture.
Some artists simply don't buy in lore memoir, however. Billy Joel said on March 31 that he was returning of his advance from HarperCollins $ 3 million. "It took work on a book make me realize that I am not all that interested in talking about the past", he said. A source said that the manuscript of Joel, scheduled for publication in June, through the editing process, and well into production.
Me Lazin, explains an option is rarely cancelled. Instead, the publishers hope that their star will change his mind. "I heard that Patti Smith was under contract for 10 years, until it 'Just Kids'", she said. It became a bestseller, moving of 158 000 copies.
That is so buy these volumes? "Baby boomers are buyers still great book, and they have a large part of the audience," Lazin, said.
To also attend book signatures by people such as Mustaine and Hagar, DiPreta notes that crowds are composed of most of the men and people for whom "bookstore is a destination", but he marvels the "intergenerational appeal". "You will find parents with their children of age high school or College, such as when you go to a concert." Type of wanting to share this experience. "(It is interesting to note, however, that the"S - my Dad Says book - based on a Twitter stream - sold approximately as many units as tome Richards, but seven times the number of electronic books.")
Similarly, motivations of these authors are rarely frivolous and vain, said the DiPreta. "There is something really attractive and powerful on putting something between two blankets and saying:"This is my version of events."." You can make reference to what the bible of the manner in which I lived my life. ? ?
