9-Year-Old Sells Self-Help Book

By Jason Boog 

Don’t tell Alec Greven this is a bad time to sell your book. HarperCollins just published the 9-year-old author’s dating manual for the grade-school set, How to Talk to Girls.

Greven got his start selling self-published relationship advice for $3 at his school book fair. The fourth grade author was the “runaway bestseller” that year, and soon landed a book deal. The NY Post has the whole story: “The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember, some pretty girls are coldhearted when it comes to boys. Don’t let them get to you.” (Thanks, Ed Park)

Editor’s Note: In the 1980’s, one young GalleyCat editor penned a number of hand-drawn private detective adventure stories that he would happily sell for a modest six-figure advance.