Autobiography, Vanity Project?

Judge Judy

Last night while I was watching "Judge Judy", the first case brought before her was a woman who was suing a professional writer she hired for $5,000 for not doing a book proposal on her autobiography. Judge Judy asked the plaintiff "Why are you writing an autobiography? What about your life is so interesting that you feel you have to write a book about it?"  That's a good question Judge Judy.

The plaintiff told her that she thought she had a "story to tell."  Judge Judy told her "A lot of people think their lives are interesting but even famous people can't get a book proposal because there isn't a market for their book."  Judge Judy went on to say "Almost all of these books are vanity projects where the writer produces maybe one hundred books and passes them out to friends and family."  

Well, that deflated my hopes of my autobiography being a run away best seller like Andrew Tobias's book "The Best Little Boy In The World." 

I remember reading that book years ago, a coming of age book by gay Andrew Tobias.  I thought "That's my story! I could write a book like that." I have to admit folks, that I thought I could replicate Mr. Tobias's success. But let's get real here, there ain't nobody except me and a few blog followers who will find my autobiography interesting. 

No whining here folks, just a reality check. A reality check for me. But you know what folks? It doesn't matter. I'm writing my autobiography for myself. Partly as a therapy and partly to relive and revisit my life, which I find interesting. 

I read a lot. My favorite type of books are biographies. The book I'm just finishing now is a biography Gloria Swanson. Not all that well written and in fact the writer seems to have a bias against Miss Swanson but I still find this book interesting. Of course I don't find all biographies interesting. I have a biography of Ross Perot. Never got around to reading it and probably never will. I don't care about Mr. Perot. But what I do care about are certain people. For instance I would love to read the life stories of some of my blogger friends. I have one who occasionally posts nuggets of his life in California.  He knows who he is. He writes well and has lived and continues to live a very interesting life. His biography I would read.

My cat loving, movie reviewer friend in England, I would read his autobiography. He may not think his life is interesting but to me it would be.  

I believe we all lead interesting lives. Each of has our own unique series of dramas.  Highs and lows. 

Watching that case on "Judge Judy" last night was a self check on me not to get my hopes up that I'm going to have the next runaway best seller. 

Darn! I was so looking forward to appearing on "Ellen" to promote my book.

Ellen!