Young person on subway spotted reading book!
An article on SFGate.com claims to have found the secret of luring the elusive 18-34 demographic into bookstores: tie more books into popular TV shows. Writer Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg came to this conclusion after analyzing the success of two of the fall’s bestselling titles, both of which are spun off from TV shows popular with the under-35 crowd. The first of these – He’s Just Not That into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys – is based on an episode of Sex and the City, while America (The Book) is by The Daily Show host Jon Stewart.
Jen Bergstrom of Simon Spotlight Entertainment, the Viacom imprint aimed exclusively at people aged 18 to 34 that published He’s Just Not That into You, knows her target market: “Our readers are addicted to at least one reality TV show,” she says, “they own one iPod, and they are in love with their TiVo.” Of course there’s nothing new about TV tie-in books – as those yellowing copies of Happy Days novelizations at your local Goodwill store will attest to – but the article underscores a persistent perception in publishing houses that young people just don’t like reading. No mention is made of such recent books as A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius or The Lovely Bones, which attracted a young readership without beginning their lives as TV shows.
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