Customer Reviews

Publish This Book: The Unbelievable True Story of How I Wrote, Sold and Published This Very Book

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got this book at 1 pm and finished its 475 pages before midnight the same day. Despite its unwieldiness, Markley's wit and sharp observations made it an irresistible read. He rides this admittedly silly and self-referential concept and uses it to get to truths about the craft of writing and the struggle of publishing in general and specifically his own very personal story.

I don't know who is the right demographic for this book. It is about writing and publishing but more than that it is about Markley and his perspective into a generation that came of age under Bush and Jon Stewart. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to be entertained, to anyone that wants to know about writing, and to anyone who wants to know more about the folks that will be running the joint in a couple of decades.

Markley promises early on that the book will be honest and not boring. He delivers on both accounts and more. It is also very insightful, personal, bold and hopeful. Give his book a chance so it is not all Dan Brown and Twilight from here on out.

I was startled by this book. Admittedly, the entire device (a book about publishing a book...but not at all a self-help nor entirely a conventional memoir) should immediately provoke skepticism. What does Markley have to offer that is different from any number of struggling authors trying to break into a closed industry? I think the answer may simply be his unflinching honesty and a clear ability to tease out connections between life and art.

Although he breezily jokes about his inevitable classification as a post-modern voice of the likes of Eggers and Klosterman, I actually found his writing to be more sincere than Klosterman's (who, though very clever and funny, often sounds calculated and carefully scripted) and certainly funnier than A Heartbreaking Work. Yes, there are dick jokes (Lord, are there dick jokes). Yes, there are gimmicks that may even feel disorienting (I don't think Ann Coulter uses as many spurious footnotes as Markley, and that's saying a lot). But the arc of the story targets a larger subject than just getting published. In fact, it freely deviates almost like a head-fake, a zwischenzug that pulls you into his early experience of the death of a dear friend, the fallout from an unplanned pregnancy, and the pains of a long-distance relationship.

If a handful of dick jokes is all you take away, I think you probably missed the point.

Wow. The voice of this book isn't just powerful, it's contagious. It will drive you through the first 200 pages without blinking. For the first half I couldn't put it down; for the second half I tried to slow down because I didn't want it to be over. I loved the juxtaposition of subtle moments of brilliant insight with otherwise catastrophic immaturity. That and it's funny as hell.

The book was all over the place, yet it had an effortless flow. I have no idea how the author did this. The chaos of order combined with his ability to make it feel logical and coherent was fascinating. It was like enjoying 50 pivotal moments all at once, or watching 4 movies at the same time without confusion. It also contains moments of transparency and self-analysis that begin to make you feel like you're looking into a reflection of a reflection of yourself.

The writing is hilarious, and if you buy this just for a laugh, you won't be disappointed. But be prepared: this book captures something far beyond funny insights on the journey to getting published. Ultimately, it is about the human desire to create something. Whether by starting a family, building a house, or creating art, this book captures the distinctly human need to find meaning in our lives by adding something to the universe. I think nearly everyone can relate to this.

no one writes like this guy. i have never been so refreshingly engaged in someonhe else's life story. could it be because i am his agent? no, it is because he writes so brilliantly that i BECAME his agent!

buy this book now. you will be glad you did. your heart will sing and your brain will fire on all its neurons for months to come. and you'll laugh. out loud.

While the concept of a book about publishing a book seems straightforward enough, Markley's so-called memoir is far from ordinary. "Publish This Book" details the journey of a struggling writer trying to find his niche and ultimately be published. However, the book plunges much deeper, taking an introspective look at the time in our lives many of us struggle with - when we are supposed to be figuring out exactly where our lives will go and having no idea how and where it will lead.

With something for all audiences, Markley discusses the curve balls life often throws our way, especially when it seems that all else is figured out. Love, politics, pregnancy, war, mediocrity, and of course, hanging on to youth with a white knuckle grip. The brilliance of the book comes not from the concept, but the way in which Markley intertwines everything with a self-deprecating and artful wit. To some his humor may seem a bit sophomoric. However, Markley candidly speaks to this, even pleading with the reader not to judge. He artfully brings the pains of being published to his audience in the most creative ways - even crafting his own mock Amazon reviews, perhaps to cushion the blow of poor acclaim. And while the correspondence between Markley and his major influences could be written in monotone, he allures the reader with his exceptional fiction writing, scripting elaborate scenes to brighten up otherwise unimpressive dialog.

The end result is an uproariously funny and charming portrayal of the struggles toward validation. And if you haven't already figured it out, this story ends happily. I highly recommend.

Ok, maybe that's exaggerating the tiniest bit. However, this book truly is a pleasure to witness. It is quick, strong, passionate, powerful and not afraid to get a little gross. At times it is an awe-inspiring, high-reaching, surprisingly beautiful collection of moments. It is an unapologetic force, often crass in its immaturity, but even that shares with the crowd the palpable vigor and fire of youth.

This hilarious and reflective personal journey will resonate with students, graduates, twentysomethings, writers, avid readers, artists, dreamers, romantics and the young at heart. It will disgust the cynics, the closed-minded, the jaded and any remaining Bush supporters.

Even with such enormous talent, the author does not hide his flaws and vulnerabilities. He acknowledges his weaknesses, embraces them, and uses this self awareness to boldly drive toward his dream, absorbing life's blows and nasty elbows to the head along the way.

And just like watching LeBron, this book should be enjoyed in a place where it is socially acceptable to laugh in wild bursts, maybe even cry a little, and cheer on a rising star.

Rarely post reviews of what I read but do this time, for what it's worth.

I'm no Generation Millennium guy, for sure (this book's supposed audience) but likewise finished this memoir's almost 500 pages in one sitting (well, I did go to sleep and wake up in the middle of that, too)----but what I'm saying is it's that good: hilarious, thoughtful, interesting...true. "True"-to-life, as well as "true" as far as being chock-full of insighful observations about life.

If the fact the title of this review appears completely unrelated to the subject at hand annoys and perplexes you then you may want to avoid this book.^1

Before I get to my nuanced and thoughtful review, let me tell you how I discovered Markley's epic tome. I was at a chain bookstore (Chapter's for all my homies in Canada. Represent! To my American readers, it's like a slightly emasculated Barnes & Noble), and had found what appeared to be a compelling sci-fi page turner. I assure you nothing drives women into feverish unquenchable lust like a man who can discuss speculative fiction while watching the porn parody of Star Trek (thank you Larry Flynt!) almost solely for the costume and set design. I was all set to buy when it occurred to me that I have a smart phone! What if it could work as a sort of prosphecis for an intellect severely compromised by reckless indulgence in alcohol and recreational substances.

I then learned that the book I initially considered had a paltry 3-star review here, but not to be outwitted and determined not to leave until I had a mound of pages to provide the solace and kinship I so desperately crave, I discovered something truly wonderous. You can search books by descending order of customer ranking!

Much to Stephen's dismay I'm sure and contrary to the reviews he predicted, all the comments and reviews here universally stumbled over themselves to heap fawning praise on this work. I didn't actually read any of those reviews of course. Much in the way I can launch into a diatribe about the mean-spirited nihilism of 'Kick-Ass' without wasting my oh-so-valuable time actually viewing the book, once I caught the gist of the idea, I knew I would love this.

Pleased to discover six copies in stock (predictably filed under memoir) I scampered off, gollum-like with my new treasure... and what a treat it has been.

Honestly, it's baffling to me that anyone could fail to see the commercial potential of this. Asking if there's an audience for the hilarious, self-reflexive and often achingly beautiful prose held within is like asking if the younger generation are deeply self-absorbed narcicists who mask their insecurity behind a wall of ironic detatchment (here's a hint: yes)... which brings me to my first criticism.

Millenials? Seriously? Markley, are you out of your freaking mind? That is the douche-iest term ever devised to describe the generation who realizes there is more truth in a 23-minute comedy news routine than in days of full frontal immersion in Fox News. I suppose it does have a certain Star Wars sheen that lends it glamor, but if I ever refer to myself as a 'millenial' I do promptly request that I be shot on sight and put out of my abject misery. What the book did achieve is its hold a mirror up to me in which I saw much of myself (right down to the preoccupation with [...], something that makes even less sense for a Canadian).

While I'm at it, my second complaint is more serious and nearly forced me to drop a star. Markley's almost effortless ability to get attractive, interesting women to sleep with him deserves nothing less than my envy and contempt. Nevertheless, I will let it slide as it afford the book an authentically smutty, sweaty-palmed veneer that adds yet another reason this book is so compelling.

What separates this book from its contemporaries is how genuinely moving it is. Yes, Klosterman can drop snide pop-culture references at a more rapid fire clip, but I always feel slightly used by his work. It's like I've just fed my brain a CostCo-sized bag of Cheetos. Eggers shares certain qualities, but lost the ability to be funny after his first book, and is now intent on ensuring your children will need years of therapy after spending a couple hours with his impossibly dysfunctional muppets (which I loved!). Max Tucker is just somebody'd you'd punch in the face if you met him in a bar. Danielewski's over-intellectualized world view is fascinating but robs his work of immediacy. David Foster Wallace's meth-addled (I presume) scribbling just becomes so top-heavy and wearying you want to commit suicide yourself after an extended bout.

No, Markley is unique because this is the kind of book that justifies a non-word like 'unputdownable.' The mixture of humor, societal observations and grandstanding brutal self-honesty is so fresh, exciting and freeing from the bounds of prior literature that there is really nothing to compare.

The descriptive passages can be so alternately amusing and breathtakingly sincere that you're left gasping for air, wondering which voice is really Stephen, and wondering why the concept that perhaps they both are ever seemed irreconcilable.

The book is certainly unwieldly and requires a level of patience for it to unravel and reveal itself to you, but when it does, you can't help but be pulled in for ride. The approach is scatter-shot but it hits its targets more often than not. Truly, this is dazzling.

Be warned though, if the the title 'Publish this Book' is not of enough of a give away that at a meta-level the book is a commentary on circularity. It is like the Ouroborous, the snake eating it's own tail and the oldest symbol of infinity. This in itself is intellectually stimulating but what hits you at the gut level is what that snake has digested along the way. If that makes any sense to you, buy this immediately. If you're saying to yourself 'what a load of pretentious horse-doo-doo' (and Markley manages to get away without ever seeming pretentious, though doo-doo features regularly) then avoid, but just remember that the unexamined life is not worth living, and the over-examined life makes for fascinating reading.

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1. How to be a Super-Hot Woman was one of today's recommendations the astoundingly intuitive robots kept chained to the floor of Amazon's off-shore sweat shop determined was worthy of my investigation. Though I suspect that, sadly, no amount of surgery and penile inversion would accomplish the mission described in the book's title, it's nevertheless like they've shone their piercing gaze into the furthest chasms of my very soul.

I stayed up all night and read this in one sitting. Although this book has some things in common with reality television (and, believe me, I'm not a fan), Markley's voice draws you in and keep you entertained for 500 pages. I'm also twice Markley's age, but I spent most of the night laughing out loud and kept waking my husband up. This is not just a book for twenty-somethings; it's a book that all aspiring writers--whatever their age-should read. My creative writing group is ordering Publish This Book, and we may take Markley up on his offer to talk to us via Skype.

This is one of those books that when you get to the end of it you will want more. Despite it's length, there is not a moment that you want to miss in Stephen Markley's strange but entertaining journey. I laughed (a LOT) and even cried at parts. I had trouble putting this book down and can only hope he will write a follow up to this book.

Stephen has a relationship with a Love Interest which was was...just...so eye opening to read. As a 25 year old woman, I found it so interesting and valuable to read about what men think about women and their love for someone special. To read about how he felt about this woman just, honestly, gave me hope about life and love and also gave me a better understanding of men that I date.

Stephen has a strong distinct voice and you leave the book feeling like you have a new friend.