Okay, I just read this very disturbing article about Sanjaya of American Idol ‘fame.’

Sanjaya received a $100,000 advance

Yes, you read the descriptor right, some idiotic publishing house gave a has-been American Idol loser $100,000 for a book.

These are the kinds of stories that really burn me. Publishers will throw large amounts of money at any ‘celebrity’ they can find, assuming that readers will buy this garbage and they’ll earn their money back several times over.

It’s been almost 2 years since Sanjaya was in any kind of spotlight. Do they really think his ‘fame’ is lasting? That scores of pre-teen girls (who are possibly no longer pre-teen and have now moved on) will spend their babysitting money on this schlock? I just can’t see it happening.

Meanwhile, that $100,000 advance could’ve been spent on ten or more new authors, books that might’ve hit the best seller lists and created NEW worthier celebrities.

I wish the NY publishing houses would take a look at their bottom lines a little more closely. Who exactly is carrying them? Which authors have been profitable and which celebrity books have failed? What is the ratio? I have a feeling celebrity books (or quasi-celebrities such as Sanjaya) have not done as well as expected.

And you know Sanjaya got more than that $100,000 advance. He got the time of the marketing department and the promo people to get those stupid interviews. Ugh.