YouTubers Are Bringing A Second Book ???

YouTubers Are Bringing A Second Book ???

Hi everybody, Mary here.

So, a couple months ago, I wrote this series of three posts, right here, on my blog, about YouTubers writing books and having lots of opportunities, and actually, I ended up wondering if the so-called trend of YouTubers clogging the market with their books would actually see a proper end.

But no ! YouTubers don't have enough ! They are writing a second book ! (well, some of them...)

Now that I'm in a business school, I'm going to try to keep my composure and analyse this. I mean, I'm not against YouTubers writing books, an actually, I'm very proud of them for doing what they want to do, for letting their creativity flow and encouraging young people who wouldn't normally read that much buy an actual physical book and read it from the beginning to the end.

A little nugget of your favourite YouTuber that you can bring anywhere, even where're no Wi-Fi or electronic devices to watch their online content.

So I'm quite surprised, you know, when I find out that these idols revered by millions of young, vulnerable and very likely to do anything it takes to please their fave, are pulling out a second book.

Or maybe I shouldn't. After all, when they announced their first books (this is something I realised a lot when I watched these « big announcement !!!!!1!1!1!1!1 » videos), they were all like very happy and excited, omg I just invented the best thing since sliced bread, it made the whole process of actually writing look easy while it isn't really that easy because :

1. they were probably helped by editors/publishers since day one and also probably never had to face the creative block since it's their GODDAMN LIVES and they would be helped anyways
2. they recieved a book deal book that wasn't even finished smh waiting for the day when I can casually send 10k of my own work to a publishing house with the synopsis of my book and recieve the book deal the day after
3. they didn't have a lot of pressure to make it « good » since it's going to sell anyways
4. they didn't have to spend hours, days, weeks, months, YEARS trying to finish their book and selling it and being rejected every single time because « it won't sell » and cry EVERY NIGHT after they recieved another no in their e-mails
5. they're just excited because it's happening but they never felt the RELEASE actual writers have when their book is FINALLY published and accepted into the bookstores and yet still be SUPER-DUPER worried that it won't sell and thus publishers won't trust them with their next novel and refuse it because of « the lack of success in the previous one, because my dear we only take in things that SELL & GIVE US LOADS OF CASH $$$$$ »

NO NO NO NO NO. They don't know the actual pain of writing a fiction novel that will probably will get rejected because of its genre, length or targeted audience.

I've seen a forum about long novels being rejected, and someone saying that it's a trend from the last fifteen years. They ended up saying : « I feel like I'm trying to sell Beethoven's Fifth Symphony to a group of people who are awaiting for the next Shakira one-hit song. ». I guess it's the same for me. I'm still writing my book and I'm very pleased with it, but these words will stick in my mind, whenver I'll try to sell my work. (I have nothing against Shakira one-hit songs, by the way, I'm just quoting a sentence I've seen online, and I indulge myself in short, funny distractions all the time.)

What I'm trying to say here is, the concurrence was already pretty damn high before the YouTubers and their golden shoes decided to enter our space and sell their own books like little pieces of bread.

But now, they're making a second book ? As if the first one wasn't enough ? (I understand, when it's fiction, to do a sequel, because maybe the story wasn't ended, or maybe the writer wanted to add some more things, or when someone goes from non-fiction to fiction, because it's a whole different thing and I understand that.) I don't really get it.

Basically, certain YouTubers (the ones that said : « SECRET PROJECT !!!!! MUST NOT TALK ABOUT IT AT ALL !!!!! PENTAGONE-LIKE SECRETS AND YOU'LL SEE THAT QUITE SOON BUT I'M SO EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT THIS !!!!! SECRET THOUGH SO CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT BUT AAAAARGH WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT JUST BE EXCITED FOR ME AND GIVE ME ALL YOUR JEALOUSY AND YOUR NEED TO SEE IT I WANT YOU TO BE JEALOUS AND SUCH AND ASK ME CONSTANT QUESTIONS WHILE I'M JUST LIKE YEAH CAN'T TALK ABOUT IT SORRY »

and then : « THE BEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD !!!!! VERY FUNNY AND ORIGINAL CONTENT !!!!! VERY CREATIVE !!!!! BY ME OMG THIS IS MY BABY MY ACTUAL CHILD YOU CAN HOLD IT IN YOUR HANDS ISN'T THAT MAGIC ????? I KEPT THIS SECRET FOR SO LONG YOU GUYS BUT THIS IS IT !!!!! I CAN FINALLY SHOW YOU !!!!! THIS IS WHY I WASN'T UPLOADING ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL THAT MUCH RECENTLY HAHAHA !!!!! JUST PRE-ORDER IT RIGHT NOW EVEN IF I HAVEN'T FINISHED WRITING IT SINCE I ALREADY HAVE THE BOOK DEAL BECAUSE I'M A YOUTUBER ANYWAYS!!! »

and finally : « OMG YOU GUYS I'M NUMBER ONE ON THE CHARTS HOW COOL IS THAT ????? SERIOUSLY DIDN'T EXPECT THIS AT ALL BECAUSE YOU KNOW I'M JUST A YOUTUBER WITH MILLIONS OF FANGIRLS WHO'D BUY ANYTHING FROM ME TO MAKE ME HAPPY !!!!! SERIOUSLY THANKS FOR READING MY BOOK MAKES ME SO HAPPY BECAUSE I THOUGHT IT WOULDN'T WORK THAT WELL !!!!! SERIOUSLY BUY MY EXTRA-EXPENSIVE BOOK + SHIPPING TO WHATEVER COUNTRY YOU'RE IN WHILE I'M DOING A UK-EXCLUSIVE TOUR/COMPETITION BUT I PROMISE I'LL COME IN YOUR COUNTRY/WORLDWIDE SOON (only if you live in one of the following countries : the UK, the USA, Australia, maybe New-Zealand wtf is anyone there anyways hahaha ?) »)

are now like : « yeah I wrote another book AAAAARGH just buy it by preordering, the link is in the description ok thanks bye ».

(by the way : the paragraphs in all-caps is just an exaggeration/typical cliché/stereotype of the « shitty vlogger » and I am fully aware of the fact that not everyone is like this please don't kill me I'm just trying to tell you how I see/perceive YouTubers and their « book campaign » because honestly this is just TOO RIDICULOUS man since everyone did it at the same time while « believing » they were the only ones doing it hahaha they should know they aren't the only ones since they have the same management and they were probably the ones who got the contract with the publishers in the first place before the YouTubers signed it)

Like, maybe they were a little bit nervous when they wrote their first book and they didn't think about the fangirls' reaction, but seriously though they should have known that it would sell even if it was utter rubbish, and now that they see it's working, they just plan in another book in just a couple of months and they're just like : « Yeah, I wrote another book. Yeah, this is my life right now. See how easy it is to sh*t another book in a couple of months ? Anyways show me your purchase I'll follow you/send you a thanks message ok bye. »

Like I'm VERY happy to see self-made success that gives me hope that anyone with a talent can make in on their own, but just laying books like eggs isn't really doing a service to the publishing industry. It's more killing the talented, creative, original authors that are trying to do something valuable while hoping that it'll sell more than a thousand copies MAXIMUM.

I think that, as someone who wants to create her own publishing house one day, I'll take that into account. « Mary's Publishing House : For Every Long, Weird Or Rejected Book There Is A Book Deal Here. » Hahaha, it seriously should be my slogan from now on.

Anyways. You thought the YouTube book trend would end with all YouTubers having one book ? You were wrong. (And so was I, apparently, because I really hoped it would just be a trend, a fad that wouldn't last for long and that would just die out as fast as it appeared.) YouTubers won't stop there and they will keep going everywhere, on your TVs, radios, magasines, news websites, and so on, and so on, and so on...

(Now I'm making them look like people who want to dominate the world. I'm just trying to tell you that that's just the way it is, and that YouTubers are just the new generation of entertainers, online show hosts, and that they're basically the new celebrities going everywhere then can before the trend is over, I believe.)

Now, my last thought, to end on something positive for us fiction writers struggling with our always-rejected novels : is this going to be the fall of culture and civilisation like Freud predicted in his work from the early 20^th century ? I don't think so. I just believe that the power will be given to other hands, but that doesn't mean that lambda authors like you and me won't get published.

It's just like them being Hollywood while we're trying to sell indie art things. (Well, my publishing house should be about indie books ! Good idea ! Who's with me ?)

Okay, that's it for today, I really hope you enjoyed this (OMG VERY LONG) post, and I'll see you very soon with a new one !

And as usual, our last word : KIDNEYS !