Adventures in high-concept: “Go the _____ to Sleep”
NYT article today about a non-fiction book that serves as a reminder of the value of writing a high concept:
Last October, just before the deal-making frenzy of the Frankfurt Book Fair, the indie publisher Johnny Temple received an e-mailed book proposal that he was tempted to brush off.
The project, “Go the ____ to Sleep,” by Adam Mansbach, was an irreverent and foulmouthed parody of a children’s book, written in rhymey verse with profanities sprinkled throughout, giving frustrated voice to a universal problem for parents of small and stubborn children.
“At first I didn’t really take it seriously, because it’s so unlike anything that we publish,” said Mr. Temple, the publisher of Akashic Books, a tiny operation steps from the Gowanus Canal in Brooklyn that is better known for literary fiction by black and Latin American authors.
Fishing for a second opinion, he e-mailed the proposal to his wife, Kara Gilmour, who responded with two words: “I’m weeping.” His friend Paul Holdengräber, a New York Public Library official, read the proposal and told Mr. Temple that he absolutely had to publish the book.
“There were these vehement, emotional reactions that people had,” Mr. Temple said. “This wasn’t just a funny PDF that I was showing around. It was something that had potential.”
That potential has begun to be realized, as Akashic has already printed nearly 300,000 copies and sold more than 50,000, many in preorders, since the book does not officially go on sale until next week. It has already spent 43 days in the Top 100 on Amazon.com, reaching the №1 spot weeks ago.
The title is provocative. The content has a targeted audience: Parents. The subject matter is universal: The experience at the end of the day when adults are worn-out from parenting duties, but can’t get finally sit down to relax until the child goes to sleep… which sometimes… can… take… seemingly……………….. forever. The unique slant of the book: Putting into print in a fun way (through poetry) the words parents sometimes wish they could use.
Boom. Bestselling little book.
You may look at “Go the _____ to Sleep” and think, “Well, that’s just stupid.” Or “how hard can that be to come up with something like that.”
You are completely entitled to that perspective.
Meanwhile the book’s author Mansbach turned down a “seven-figure deal” to go with his current publisher. He will make more than that if the book sells 200,000 copies which seems quite possible.
Wouldn’t you like to be in that situation?
Takeaway: Your execution of a spec script is critical. The story concept is equally as important.
I have said it before: There is little point writing a screenplay if your story concept is not a strong one. If, however, you come up with a great high concept…
You must write that script!
For more of the article, go here.