This week the British publishing industry has been rocked by the news that the controversial ‘Shallow’ by Ronco will be released in paperback on April 18th, priced at £14.99 – a 15% discount on the cover price of the hardback version (£17.99).
The news has triggered a furious debate about the state of modern-day British publishing, with accusations flying both ways. But is there any merit to the claims? How much did Ronco get paid for writing ‘Shallow’?
The Background
Published in 2017 to largely positive reviews, ‘Shallow’ is the story of Gemma, a twenty-something in London who is struggling to make her way in the world. After an ill-fated attempt at being a professional party girl – starring her in a series of risqué videos that go viral – she retreats to her bed-sit to lick her wounds. There she meets Tom, a handsome film producer, who becomes her lifeline. She gives up drinking, and as a result her skin clears up, her hair grows and she begins to see the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. Over the course of the year that follows, Gemma grapples with issues such as love and commitment, while trying to navigate her way through the minefield that is London dating.
The book is the debut work of British author, Lizzie Davis. It was published by Oneworld Publications, a British book publisher that also happens to be one of the largest in the world, having sold more than 300 million books. One of its biggest selling points is that it contains a foreword written by Haruki Murakami – the internationally renowned Japanese author of ‘The Elephant Vanishes’ and ‘Colorless Tsukuruvashiro’. Murakami’s introduction is, in part, responsible for the considerable hype surrounding ‘Shallow’. While on the subject of hype, it is important to note that ‘Shallow’ was championed by the popular British fiction author, Megan Abbott. On the eve of its paperback release, Megan tweeted that “if you haven’t read Lizzie Davis’s #Shallow you should get on with it – it’s awesome”. As a result of Megan’s recommendation, the book landed on the shortlist for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Literature and was eventually championed by the Sunday Times as one of the best books of the year.
The Literary Agent
In a letter to Davis’s publisher, Oneworld, literary agent, Anna Maxwell-White of A.M. White & Co., expresses surprise that “a first novel by a debut author should attract the same level of interest [as] those by more established writers. … I know that you and Lizzie have worked very hard to ensure that this outstanding debut is as widely read and cherished as possible”.
She goes on to say: “I thought the level of interest would be a little lower, given that the book appears to be based on the author’s personal experiences. However, this has not been the case and I would like to thank you for entrusting me with the representation of such an important project”.
In a separate email to Oneworld, White warns that “literary agents are increasingly becoming agents-for-hire, so you will want to be careful about tying your intellectual property to a specific agency”. Davis has, since the publication of the book, declined to comment on how much money she has been paid for writing it, other than to say that she is “honored and grateful” to have been able to pursue her dream of being a writer. The only thing that she will say about the publication of her book is “it’s done, and it’s been a long time coming”.
The Publishing House
Although ‘Shallow’ is published by Oneworld, it was actually conceived, written and edited by Davis in London – with the aid of freelance editors Jenny Todd and Joelle Waqef. A former children’s laureate, now publisher, Trisia McElroy, heads up the editorial team at Oneworld. According to McElroy, “we are very proud to be publishing Lizzie’s debut novel. It is a story that resonates with so many people, and we are delighted that Lizzie has given us the opportunity to bring it to an even wider audience.”
However, it would appear that Oneworld has taken a bit of a gamble on this one. In an interview with the BBC, Davis admitted that “it wasn’t an easy book to write, and it wasn’t an easy book to market. A large chunk of the budget went on paying experts to read the manuscript and give advice.” She also revealed that “a publishing house in Britain has spent £16,000 ($21,600) on editing tips”. Presumably, all of this was done to make sure that the manuscript was flawless before being submitted for publication. What’s more, throughout the process of writing and editing ‘Shallow’ Davis had an unpaid job search going on, in order to fund her writing habit. Ultimately it was her mother, Penny, who stepped in to pay the bills, while Davis’s father, Clive, provided the occasional boost to the struggling writer.
The Audience
The vast majority of ‘Shallow’s’ readers will, undoubtedly, be other writers – both established and upcoming. According to Davis, her inspiration for writing the book was: “Inevitably, there are so many stories about the life of a writer, which is something I love, and wanted to explore.”
However, it is also the case that ‘Shallow’ is, at its heart, a story about contemporary British culture – particularly the intricacies of dating, love and marriage in the metropolis. In an interview with the BBC, Davis said that the story was “inspired by my own experiences as a young person in London, which was a bit chaotic”. In her own words, she set out to explore “the kind of chaotic beauty that only exists in cities”.
The blurb on the back cover of Davis’s book describes it as “a darkly comic take on contemporary life in London”, which is certainly an apt description. While many of the book’s early readers were, no doubt, inspired by Murakami’s foreword, it is also the case that London has served as a backdrop for numerous novels – both lauded and otherwise – over the years. The list of bestselling novels set in or heavily featuring London is a mile long. From Michael Morpeth’s ‘Black Country’ to Ian McEwan’s ‘The Children’s Hospital’ to Howard Norman’s ‘The Language of Flowers’, London’s unique atmosphere and populous make it a natural home for storytelling.
The Reception
In the months leading up to the paperback publication of ‘Shallow’, excitement about the book mounted, particularly as it appeared that the hype was being reciprocated. In a separate interview with the BBC, Lizzie Davis admitted that “publishing a debut novel about being in London is a bit of a gamble, because so many other books are already out there about the subject. But I think that in a way it’s a good thing that my story is competing with the stories of other writers, as it means that there’s probably something in it for everyone.”
Despite the challenges that she faced in getting the book published, Davis was, nevertheless, able to emerge victorious. ‘Shallow’ was long-listed for the 2018 Women’s Prize for Literature, and eventually won the prestigious accolade. In a poll conducted by book retailer, Waterstones, 86% of respondents said that they intended to read it, while only 4% were planning to avoid it. In the same survey, Megan Abbott, who championed the novel, was voted the greatest female novelist of all time in Britain – outselling even Agatha Christie, according to the survey’s results.
The reaction on social media has been mostly positive. According to media group, Social Media Examiner, 60% of respondents said that they had already read the book, while 38% were planning to get hold of a copy soon. Only 2% said that they had never heard of it.
Book sellers around the world have gotten in on the act, too, stocking up on copies of ‘Shallow’. According to Booktopia, a global online book shop that tracks book sales, searches for ‘Shallow’ on their website more than doubled in the week following the news of its forthcoming paperback release. Searches for the book also more than doubled on Amazon in the US in the week following the news.