Success for Anonymity?

[ThisAdamGuy]

Let's say somebody offered to make your book a worldwide bestseller. It would sell enough copies for you to be extravagantly rich, and you'd get to keep every cent of it. There would be movie deals, Broadway would want to turn it into a stage show, and you'd have an army of rabid fans who would die for you. You can keep writing, and any future books will have the same level of success for the same conditions. Let's say, hypothetically, that you have no reason to doubt this person. If you agree, all of this will happen. The only catch is that the person making the offer will get to take all the credit for writing your book. It will be their name on the cover and their picture on the back, not yours. Any interviews, book signings, etc, will be handled entirely by them. While you get the money and are able to see your book be wildly, unimaginably successful, nobody will ever know that you are the author.

Would you take that offer?

I think I would. I'd love to be a celebrity author without the "celebrity" part. A few years ago, someone I go to church with found out I wrote books and started to idolize me for it. There are no words in any earthly language that can adequately describe just how uncomfortable that made me. He would follow me around trying to get me to talk about my books, always wanted to know when the next one would come out ("I told you five minutes ago, I DON'T KNOW!") and act like I was some kind of famous movie star. If even more people were to treat me like that, to the point where I couldn't even go to the store without hearing "Aren't you Adam Bolander?!" my life would be an absolute freaking nightmare. So yes, PLEASE make my book famous, make me a billionaire, and deal with the whole "socializing" and "marketing" part of things yourself.

 

[JayMark]

If we're talking a life f private jets and luxury and the other fringe benefits that come with being able to throw money around, then heck yes I'd take that deal.

One question, does apply to all your future intelectual productivity? Or just one book, one series?

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

One question, does apply to all your future intelectual productivity? Or just one book, one series?

Everything you write will have the same level of success as your first book, as long as you're able to write it to completion, but will have the same conditions. You keep all the money, but can't take credit for writing them.

 

[John_Owl]

I suppose it really just depends. If I get to keep OFFICIAL ownership, then sure. It's not uncommon for authors to have partners. The split between "crowd work" and "writing work" would be a little weird, but it's not uncommon for people to co-author books. Remember the Warriors' series? The cat tribes, etc? Yeah, written by, I think, 3 women all under the pseudonym that's penned on the front. So while it would definitely be weird to not co-author the book itself but to be 1/2 of a total author wouldn't be so bad.

As long as I get to keep the official copyright, etc, since official records tend to have the actual author attached (If I go to court for someone stealing my work, I would be "[Real Name] aka John Owl"). That said, the public perception would be theirs. but should the partnership fall apart, I'd want paperwork ensuring I retain anything gained from my work, they can retain anything gained from their work - that is to say, my books are mine. The money earned from writing the books? Mine. Any tips, gifts, or fame they earned from crowd pleasing? They get to keep all that. Provided the crowd themselves allow them to. That's beyond the purview of the contract and my ability to allow them to keep it.

 

[JayMark]

Everything you write will have the same level of success as your first book, as long as you're able to write it to completion, but will have the same conditions. You keep all the money, but can't take credit for writing them.

Ehhh, I want to be remembered when I die but that didn't do Van Goh much good. With that kind of money I can find another way to be remembered. So, still take the deal. Living well is more important.

 

[Clo]

I don't write for money, but if Ghostwriting meant I got cash, and my story got told and was wildly popular?

Sure. Sign the deal. That's good enough for me.

I am a Roadie of the game industry. Nobody looks at the games I made and think of Clo's part in making it happen.

I still did my part, and the company, brand, and directors get all the glory (and it's their heads that fall if it's flop)

So it would be the same here. I would love to see my stuff that popular, and turned into comics, anime, games, series, concerts.

Leaving a mark on the world, even if it's unattributed, works for me.

 

[Deleted member 84247]

Nah, that's too much.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Nah, that's too much.

So you'd take the deal and let them keep the money too? You're so generous!

 

[Deleted member 84247]

So you'd take the deal and let them keep the money too? You're so generous!

I'd not take the deal. I don't want that much money. Give me a regular livable amount instead.

 

[owotrucked]

Bro is too generous, he's offering to pay AND to go to prison in your stead for illegal stuff you wrote

 

[SsemouyOnan]

Discussed a situation like this with my cousin once funnily enough. I was like "hey if I ever get popular as an author wanna be my body double and attend all the events/interviews for me?" So I'd take it tbh, I'd even pay her a part of the money. Though there is one condition I won't let go:

I get to shitpost on all their social media accounts

 

[Empress_Omnii]

I don't think I'd mind. But would this person you ghost write for understand the implicit details and underlying themes, messaging and motive? If not... then I would avoid listening to what they say about those aspects. But still probably take the offer.

 

[Jerynboe]

Given that the only book I have actually finished thus far was 330 chapters of smutty fanfiction, I’d take the deal just for the sheer surreal glory of seeing it become a bestseller.

I’d also like having enough money to stop working at my dead end job. The lack of personal recognition would sting a little but I wouldn’t want THAT much fame in any case. Am I still allowed to answer comments and the like while pretending to be the person that bought my “masterpiece”

 

[Tyranomaster]

No, because the deal is tainted. Guaranteed success means there is no merit or achievement to it doing well. If I wanted only financial success I wouldn't be doing writing. I get this question from students sometimes when I substitute teach, "Why would you give up a 6 figure salary to teach?"

I didn't do it just to teach (which I don't even do that often anymore). There are many things money can't buy. Having years of work essentially be transformed into meaningless money isn't a boon.

If the deal is that it will be successful as a story, but it was preordained to be successful, making it meaningless, the work was transmuted to gold. The work is gone. No merit was earned, not really.

To a lesser degree I've already made this choice once. Though I walked away from some amount of recognition as an engineer, it wasn't even faceless.

Edit:I am lucky to be not in desperate need of money. If I was I would take it.

 

[ThisAdamGuy]

Am I still allowed to answer comments and the like while pretending to be the person that bought my “masterpiece”

Nope!

 

[Anonjohn20]

Let's say somebody offered to make your book a worldwide bestseller. It would sell enough copies for you to be extravagantly rich, and you'd get to keep every cent of it. There would be movie deals, Broadway would want to turn it into a stage show, and you'd have an army of rabid fans who would die for you. You can keep writing, and any future books will have the same level of success for the same conditions. Let's say, hypothetically, that you have no reason to doubt this person. If you agree, all of this will happen. The only catch is that the person making the offer will get to take all the credit for writing your book. It will be their name on the cover and their picture on the back, not yours. Any interviews, book signings, etc, will be handled entirely by them. While you get the money and are able to see your book be wildly, unimaginably successful, nobody will ever know that you are the author.

Would you take that offer?

I think I would. I'd love to be a celebrity author without the "celebrity" part. A few years ago, someone I go to church with found out I wrote books and started to idolize me for it. There are no words in any earthly language that can adequately describe just how uncomfortable that made me. He would follow me around trying to get me to talk about my books, always wanted to know when the next one would come out ("I told you five minutes ago, I DON'T KNOW!") and act like I was some kind of famous movie star. If even more people were to treat me like that, to the point where I couldn't even go to the store without hearing "Aren't you Adam Bolander?!" my life would be an absolute freaking nightmare. So yes, PLEASE make my book famous, make me a billionaire, and deal with the whole "socializing" and "marketing" part of things yourself.

This is why pen names exist; you could use a fake name and not tell your fans your real name.

 

[AncestorDuck]

I hear money, I agree.

 

[Clo]

By the way, your question is a critical subplot of Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki.

Violinist did a deal with the devil for success. Riches, fame, etc. Trades in a number of souls (her students) in exchange. Also part of the deal: nobody can link her music to her anymore.

 

[Jerynboe]

Nope!

Eh. Bummer. Buuut I have a mortgage and a daughter and other hobbies. I wouldn’t even need to make all that much for it to be life changing amounts of money, and “people want to make a broadway adaptations” is diving hard into the real job money zone.

If I really wanted recognition I’d proceed to side step the deal by doing a different creative work with all my new free time. Time to brush up on basic coding and familiarize myself with RPGmaker or something.

 

[RepresentingCaution]

Fuck yes! Any money I don't need, I can donate to good causes.