Hi, it’s not her — that’s the problem, it’s not her.

May 13, 2023 9:02 PM

Some yet-to-be-revealed celebrity is releasing a book in July that the publisher is promising will be a blockbuster. But Variety can report for certain that this mystery author is not, as rumored, Taylor Swift.
posted by Etrigan (15 comments total)

It's definitely BTS. The "book-related gossip account" is pretty legit and hasn't been wrong yet.

And btw, most of the "gossip" reported via that account so far has been about layoffs in publishing. So it is nice to have something less dire to report/speculate about.
posted by knotty knots at 10:10 PM on May 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

no it's becky
posted by The otter lady at 11:22 PM on May 13, 2023 [12 favorites]

no it's becky

Finally I find myself at the intersection of two things I know about but don't actually care about : T-Swift and golden-era Tumblr.

That said, that so many online bookstores are tripping over their own feet to issue refunds tells me this might be the biggest letdown for anyone hoping for something else. Though, admittedly, I'm on the sidelines curious about why whomever or whatever this is about hasn't just started a big PR tour.

Hell, maybe it's an otherwise boring book and the publishers are like "shush, shush, no press junkets - we're getting too many pre-orders from the conspiracy theorists to turn away sales" - which is my theory
posted by revmitcz at 12:22 AM on May 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

The U.S. publisher has already confirmed it's BTS. Apparently some fans are sad that this got out because they're pretty sure it was meant to be a "Festa" surprise; June 13th is when BTS marks their anniversary (with a celebration they call "Festa") and this year is their 10th. But it's going to be a little bittersweet, as it'll be the first time the whole group won't be together -- two of the seven have already started their military conscription and one is in the midst of a solo tour (he's in L.A. tonight but will be in SE Asia around Festa) .
posted by paperback version at 12:55 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

Apparently the publication date is significant to BTS too. I bet that any cancellations by Swifties will be more than matched by Army preorders, especially since they're about to be starved of content once the solo projects are done and remaining members enlist for mandatory service. I'm only fandom adjacent but damn they're big and terrifyingly organised.
posted by I claim sanctuary at 3:18 AM on May 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

why would you preorder a book when you don’t even know the subject of the book? contemporary fandom is wild. books aren’t like concert tickets swifties. they’ll just print more if they run out.
posted by dis_integration at 5:10 AM on May 14, 2023 [7 favorites]

they’ll just print more if they run out.

False scarcity and speculative bubbles: driving consumer culture since the early 1600s.
posted by LooseFilter at 7:33 AM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

A+ on the post title, Etrigan.
posted by johnxlibris at 8:39 AM on May 14, 2023 [2 favorites]

My first reaction to this was "wow, there are some smart publicists out there." But then I started to wonder if they've actually out-smarted themselves. A bunch of cancelled orders/refunds can't be good for business. Or can it?

Finally I find myself at the intersection of two things I know about but don't actually care about

This is my life. Except we're at way more than two things, and the list is only growing...
posted by rpfields at 9:54 AM on May 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

I heard that it might be Berl Ives or Tiny Tim
posted by DJZouke at 11:30 AM on May 14, 2023 [3 favorites]

I so want it to be a Rick Astley autobiography that surprises the hell out of everyone.
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:37 PM on May 14, 2023 [22 favorites]

♫ If you wanna pick it up
You're never gonna set it down ♫
posted by Greg_Ace at 2:01 PM on May 14, 2023 [4 favorites]

I am so out of it, I had to look up who or what BTS is. Since I am a very good contra indicator for pop culture, BTS is prolly right.

But I hope like hell that Greg_Ace is right.
posted by JohnnyGunn at 8:08 PM on May 14, 2023 [1 favorite]

Let me just tell you that not only are BTS Fans (ARMY) pre-ordering this in droves, but they are also making an effort to do so from independent bookstores rather than Amazon or BN. They are also checking with their local public libraries and determining the best way to either donate the book to the library or get the library to order a copy.

Trust me, the cancelled Swiftie orders are gonna be replaced and tripled if my Twitter timeline is any indication.

The original announcement was scheduled for the 10th anniversary of BTS's debut (06.13.23) and the release is scheduled for the 10th anniversary of the creation of their fan club (07.09.23). I do find it entertaining the amount of work the Swifties put into connecting those two dates with their fandom when the dates are simple and easy connections for ARMY to make.

Anyway, borahae and yay book!
posted by teleri025 at 8:48 AM on May 15, 2023 [6 favorites]

For those who do not like to link out, "K-pop stars BTS" AKA Bulletproof Boy Scouts i gathered from one link above. (Neither "By Taylor Swift" nor "Behind The Scenes" or myriad of others numbering so many Wikipedia has a long disambiguation page for it.)
posted by filtergik at 10:38 AM on May 15, 2023