Posted on 05/30/2006 8:26:24 AM PDT by NYer
Godless media bump.
He's a popular author. As Hollyweird is often wont to do, they attempt to turn popular books into movies.
The DaVinci Code was a good book, but that's about it. I took it as gthe kind of story that amkes for good beach reading, like Clive Cussler. There's way too much hype over it.
It must all be part of God's plan...otherwise, how can it happen?
Note to self - Spell check is your friend.
Adapting popular novels into dramatic form goes back to the Victorians. Nothing new or weird about it.
Brown was a good seller leading up to this and it was considered his "breakout" book.
Check out the date on this article:March 2003
"Dan Brown's The Da Vinci Code is going to make publishing history. Trust me. There are already tables at the local Barnes & Nobles featuring books about the Freemasons, biographies of Leonardo Da Vinci, guidebooks to the Louvre and Renaissance art, all centered around Brown's book. And the book has been out less than two weeks."
The book received the kind of "push" from Doubleday usually reserved for the likes of John Grisham and Daniel Steele. They're extremely pleased by the advance copy sales and overwhelming support of retailers for the book. Brown, who quietly moved from Pocket to his new publishing house Doubleday when senior editor Jason Kaufman, (publisher of Brown's two previous books) moved to there in 2001. Brown received a small advance, a boon to Doubleday who can now spend money on a literary show of force, pushing the book with sales incentives and an extensive advertising campaign. According to publishing pundits, many houses held back their spring releases because of the February 2nd laydown of John Grisham's latest King of Torts. Brown's book received a slam dunk response from advance copies to reviewers and booksellers sent out months ahead of publication (Doubleday gave out 5,000 advance reader copies at regional shows and in the field last year). Doubleday reps devoted themselves to making sure the book received prominent display space, something not usually reserved for breakout books. The house will even launch a website where readers can attempt to "break the code". Brown has also committed to a six-city promotion tour, but as the response for this book will probably multiply exponentially, I suspect he'll be going to more than six.
http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/d/da-vinci-code.shtml
costs for advertising the movie are estimated at $125,000,000 - I wonder how much went to ABC, CBS, NBC, etc?
I don't get your point...of course the publisher is going to push their product! They want every book to make 'publishing history'.
The Da Vinci Code is historically inacurate. Not one mention of Pontius Pilate's fwend, Biggus Dickus.
Note to self - Spell check is your friend.
No. No offense, but you don't know much about the publishing industry.
You stated it was a grass roots phenomenon, but it wasn't; it was pushed with big ad budgets with very few books get, big advance preview copies, which very few get (5000 advance copies is a HUGE amount), and look at the number of "dumps" at book stores the next time you go in, and compare the number of those with the number of books on the new release shelves, and you will see that publishers put all their eggs in a few baskets.
Most books get maybe a $2000-$5000 advance; compare that to the Stephen King levels of millions. Thus, it makes no financial sense to them to put out 5000 copies for free when if they're lucky they will SELL 5000 copies.
Publishers don't push their usual product with ads, posters, and other publicity materials the way they pushed this one. Them's the facts.
Also, this was an interesting prophetic note on the end of that article:
http://www.popmatters.com/books/reviews/d/da-vinci-code.shtml
What I can tell you without ruining the book, is that Brown's book takes myth and reality and combines it in just the right way. He appears to be right on target with his many of his conclusions, and while the book is "fiction", one can't help but believe much of it. Brown doesn't insist you believe him, in fact, he's almost apologetic about how strange and unusual his conclusions may sound. In a subtle way, he warns the reader that everyone is allowed their own belief system and whatever gives someone spiritual comfort should be respected. But Using Will and Ariel Durant's The History of Civilization, Francis and Joseph Gies' Women in the Middle Ages, and Barbara Walker's The Women's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets to confirm Brown's facts, I learned that when he puts two and two together, it's amazing what he comes up with. This book will have what is probably an unintentional effect. The Da Vinci Code counteracts the WalMart best sellers by Tim LaHaye. Brown presents an intellectual and fact-based suspense thriller that will hopefully start a trend toward debunking the misquoted myths and errant Biblical interpretations perpetuated to financially support LaHaye's ministry, encourage the arrogance of born-again Christians, and scare people into "being saved". One can't help but wonder when the fanatics of the religious right will rise up in defense of the End Times series and call for a boycott of The Da Vinci Code. Go ahead and start your indignant engines. Such publicity will only increase sales for Doubleday and Brown. — 2 April 2003
Big ad budgets WHICH very few get
Just woke up...
.....I'm not sure if this is correct but, because of the Corporate interests involved and the usual heiracrchical relations of US business (one Corporation owns another, which owns another, which owns another [Drudge likes to bring this point out a lot]) they may have more to gain in a monetary sense by promoting a movie that one of their subsidiaries stands to make a lot of money on, as opposed to 'Passion' which was substantially controlled by Mel Gibson.
I'm not one to quote scripture but this does come to mind...
"And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved. "
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.