G291 Book Review of The Publicist by Christina George
Author: Christina George
ISBN: 9781478247524
Publisher: Self published
Part of a Series: The Publicist
Type of book: Publishing, affairs, romance, publicist, New York, few years passage, friendships, careers, 2000s, goals, quality vs fame, marketing
Year it was published: 2012
Summary:
Welcome to the world of publishing. The ego has landed.
Can one woman change an age-old institution like publishing? Probably not, but Kate Mitchell sure wants to try. As a publicist with a large, respected New York publishing house, Kate finds herself at the mercy of a broken publishing system, books that don’t sell, and author egos that are often, well, as big as the island of Manhattan.
Enter the star Editor, MacDermott Ellis: Tall, handsome, charismatic, married, and ready to save the day. Then there’s Allan Lavigne, once a revered author--now as forgotten as last year's bestsellers and his nephew Nick: Tall, gorgeous, sweet, single and ready to sweep Kate off her feet. Kate wants to do the right thing but her hormones seem to be driving her decisions.
As Kate tries to navigate the landmine of publicity, over-the-top author expectations, and the careful dance of “I’m sorry, your book isn’t on the bestseller list this week,” she also finds authors who are painfully overlooked by a publisher wanting more sex, more celebrities, and more scandal.
The story only an insider could tell.
Characters:
The main characters are of Kate Mitchell and Mac along with some friends strewn along the way. Kate is best described as determined to succeed, the type that recognizes quality over fame and is also a firecracker of sorts. Mac always helps Kate out in tough spots and yeah, he also happens to be trapped in a loveless marriage and has a very strong attraction towards Kate but is conflicted about what to do. There is also the boss, Edward, who seems to be Kate's polar opposite and he wants money more than anything else. Other characters include Allan Lavigne who used to be famous and is sort of a father figure to Kate, then there's Allan's nephew Nick who is absent for most of the book but then meets Kate and develops strong affections for her and so forth.
Theme:
Life is a big surprise, and karma will get you one way or another.
Plot:
The book is written in third person narrative from Kate's and Mac's points of view. I have to admit that I didn't really approve or care much for the romance part of the book, and I enjoyed the publishing world a lot more. I guess I also didn't feel chemistry between Kate and Mac and didn't agree with Kate's romantic choices. (Sorry, guess I'm not a Team Mac.) The book style itself is unusual, at least the way I received it. Its not a typical book but instead reminded me of a binder, and it has to be turned sideways to be read.
Author Information:
Christina George has worked in publishing for twenty years (give or take). Here’s what this book isn't. It’s not a slam against publishing (though it is broken) and it’s not a slam against authors (though some of them are crazy). This book is not autobiographical though many of the stories are true. No you won’t know which ones, cause it’s more fun to guess, right? George continues to work in publicity and helps authors because at the end of the day she does love books, she loves publishing, and she loves authors. She hopes you’ll enjoy this romp through Kate’s world as much as she enjoyed creating it.
Opinion:
I'm sure that many readers and writers often imagined and fantasized about working for a publishing industry, of being behind the scenes, and that there was a lot of fairytale imagining going on, (at least with me,) I mean, being paid to read books, which reader hasn't had that dream before? Yeah, that's what I thought. I was pretty excited to read The Publicist which tackles on what its like being a publicist for a publishing company, and let's just say that from reading it, I was shocked at how...business like it was. (Now I know how kids feel when they're told there's no Santa Clause.) In beginning the book itself was pretty hilarious with mishaps and problems that Kate Mitchell faces. Towards the end though, there is seriousness within the book and its not as funny anymore. But still, a fascinating world for readers and how the industry is changing. (I honestly had no idea that it takes so much work to publish the book, and it also gave me a new appreciation on how important publicity is to authors and also the pecking order within the industry itself.) Highly recommended.
Book Tour Schedule
April 1 - Refreshingly Riki - review / author interview
April 2 - Seaside Book Nook - book spotlight / author interview
April 3 - Back Porchervations - review
April 3 - Seaside Book Nook - giveaway / book spotlight
April 4 - The Things We Read - review book 1 / giveaway
April 7 - Giraffe Days - review book 1
April 8 - Curious Kindle Reader - review / giveaway
April 10 - Mary's Cup of Tea - review / giveaway
April 11 - Books à la Mode - giveaway / guest post
April 12 - The Things We Read - review book 2
April 14 - Pieces of Whimsy - book spotlight / guest post / giveaway
April 14 - Bookaholics Must Read - review
April 14 - Giraffe Days - review book 2 / giveaway
April 15 - Reviews by Molly - book spotlight / author interview
April 16 - fundinmental - book spotlight / giveaway
April 17 - A Novel Review - review book 1 / giveaway
April 17 - A Novel Review - review book 2 / giveaway
April 18 - Chronicles - book spotlight / author interview
April 21 - Minnesota Girl in the World - review / giveaway
April 22 - Why Girls Are Weird - review
April 23 - Tiffany Talks Books - review / giveaway
April 24 - Cupcake's Book Cupboard - review
April 25 - Back Porchervations - author interview / giveaway
April 28 - Christa Reads and Writes - review
April 29 - My Life. One Story at a Time - book spotlight
April 30 - Lizzie in Wonderland - review
May 1 - Steph the Bookworm - review book 1
May 1 - My Life. One Story at a Time - review
May 2 - Toot's Book Reviews - book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
May 5 - Afternoon Bookery - review book 1
May 6 - Svetlana's Reads and Views - review / spotlight
May 7 - Brooke Blogs - review / guest post
May 8 - Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers - review
May 9 - The Phantom Photographer - review
May 15 - Afternoon Bookery - review book 2
This is for iRead Book Tour
4 out of 5
(0: Stay away unless a masochist 1: Good for insomnia 2: Horrible but readable; 3: Readable and quickly forgettable, 4: Good, enjoyable 5: Buy it, keep it and never let it go.)
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