When I commented on the large advances Spiegel & Grau is paying out, I asked for your thoughts on the subject. “There’s something to be said for the buzz factor,” suggested one anonymous reader, who even pointed to the original item as proof that, in her words, “Cindy Spiegel and Julie Grau have great instincts for good books and know how to create buzz.” Another reader sent us an electronic clipping from Women & Money, the Suze Orman book that inaugurates the S&G line this month. In her introduction, Orman offers her take on the publishing team’s move to Doubleday. The story picks up after Grau calls Orman to let her know about the decision:
“Finally, Julie was taking action in a way that would allow her to control her destiny… For years Julie and I had talked on the phone about money… When I would hang up after one of these conversations, I would always think, if only she really understood how incredible she is. If only Julie saw in herself what I saw in her. If only Julie understood that she was worth so much more…”
Orman also says that Grau originally rejected the S&G moniker, because she believed the new imprint was “about the books… not about us.” So if you want to see those large advances as evidence of being empowered to support the books in which they believe, there’s probably a good argument to be made for that line of thinking.