Born with a silver publishing contract

I have a rant. But it's a rant based on selfishness, I warn you beforehand. This rant is based on Christopher Paolini, writer of Eragon (of which a motion picture is being released next month, thus prompting this rant).

As such a rant, this is my opinion, feel free to tell me I'm an idiot.

What makes me angry about this, is that Mr. Paolini never had to try, never had to fight, never had to face the streams and hordes of rejections that we authors do. Why? Because his parents own and operate a publishing house. Although it's a small press, please remember that publishing is a small business. Everyone knows everyone.

So he writes a novel, he revises it. Mommy and Daddy edit it, and publish it. They pass it on, using their network, to a larger publishing house. That house, because of the reputation of the Paolini's small press, puts some big money behind the marketing, and they market what would be an at-best-mid-list book to bestseller status in a few months. Then, after only a two year period, it's produced into a major motion picture, instantly turning 18 or 19 year old Paolini into a star writer.

But his work isn't of that caliber. Not even close. When I read the first portions of that book, I could not understand why it was being marketed so hard by the publishing house. It had none of the quick writing of Dan Brown, the cynical description of Stephen King, the whimsical narration of Lemeny Snickett or the imaginatory description of JK Rowling.

It was average, with no specific voice to speak of. Even my wife, who enjoyed it, pointed out a great many grammatical failures that someone of his age would make that had escaped the editing process.

So why did it get pushed so hard? Because of who the Paolini family is in the industry. Owning a publishing house (a legitimate one at that, with an average level of success) has taught them how to market novels well. The Big House (unnamed for legal reasons here) knows this and backed them with more money.

What makes me mad is that this kid never had to face rejection, and now, he never will. He will never know what it's like to fight his way through the slush pile by providing absolute perfect and stunning writing. He will never understand what it's like to check the email inbox or the post office box on a daily / hourly basis waiting to hear, and then to only hear that it's a rejection.

In my opinion, this is like paying your dues. It would be different if Paolini was a prodigy and had written the world's greatest children's novel, or if his writing was so outstanding and perfect as to make William Shakespear look like a cheap hack. But it's not. It's average. Unimpressive.

In my opinion, he hasn't earned his way to the bestseller list. Not like the rest of us. I strongly dislike people born with a publishing contract in hand.

Rant Done. Feel free to dispute, but it's only my opinion.