Dude, where's my book?
Fratire: a new literary genre
Adam O'Hern
Issue date: 10/15/07 Section: Life & Style
- Page 1 of 2 next >
Until recently, publishers thought men between the ages of 18 and 34 just didn't like reading, but that view is beginning to change with the emergence of a new literary genre: fratire.
This fledgling literary genre is headlined by names such as Tucker Max, a lothario who writes about getting drunk and sleeping with women on his Web site www.tuckermax.com, Maddox, an angry pirate who writes on topics as diverse as beating children and why the iPhone sucks on his Web site maddox.xmission.com, and Neil Strauss, a self-admitted nerd who turned himself into a ladies man.
What do these diverse writers have in common?
"I honestly think there is only one thing we have in common," Max said. "We unapologetically write about the male experience. We're men who write honestly about what it's like to be a man."
"I'm saying things that people think but don't say," said Maddox, whose real name is George Ouzomanian.
And that strategy seems to be working.
All three writers have been on the New York Times bestseller list with little to no publicity.
In fact, on a self-promoted book tour, Max got turnouts most publishers dream about.
When asked about the success of his book tour, Max said, "my book is really good. Plain and simple. There are a lot of people out there who would read, except the publishing industry doesn't put anything out that appeals to their interests. It wasn't shocking to me."
This success wasn't easy, Max said.
Despite having more than 60,000 hits to his Web site each day, he received no interest when he first pitched his book deal, he said.
"There is a large and untapped segment of the American populace that want men to act like men, but the mainstream media, which is run by second wave feminists, doesn't get this yet. They aren't in touch anymore," Max said in an article for the Huffington Post.
However, with the booming success of the Fratire movement, other publishers are catching on, publishing books such as "The Average American Male," a tale about a man escaping a marriage he was sucked into.
This fledgling literary genre is headlined by names such as Tucker Max, a lothario who writes about getting drunk and sleeping with women on his Web site www.tuckermax.com, Maddox, an angry pirate who writes on topics as diverse as beating children and why the iPhone sucks on his Web site maddox.xmission.com, and Neil Strauss, a self-admitted nerd who turned himself into a ladies man.
What do these diverse writers have in common?
"I honestly think there is only one thing we have in common," Max said. "We unapologetically write about the male experience. We're men who write honestly about what it's like to be a man."
"I'm saying things that people think but don't say," said Maddox, whose real name is George Ouzomanian.
And that strategy seems to be working.
All three writers have been on the New York Times bestseller list with little to no publicity.
In fact, on a self-promoted book tour, Max got turnouts most publishers dream about.
When asked about the success of his book tour, Max said, "my book is really good. Plain and simple. There are a lot of people out there who would read, except the publishing industry doesn't put anything out that appeals to their interests. It wasn't shocking to me."
This success wasn't easy, Max said.
Despite having more than 60,000 hits to his Web site each day, he received no interest when he first pitched his book deal, he said.
"There is a large and untapped segment of the American populace that want men to act like men, but the mainstream media, which is run by second wave feminists, doesn't get this yet. They aren't in touch anymore," Max said in an article for the Huffington Post.
However, with the booming success of the Fratire movement, other publishers are catching on, publishing books such as "The Average American Male," a tale about a man escaping a marriage he was sucked into.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
Gerald Everett Jones
posted 10/15/07 @ 12:14 PM CST
Just as chick lit was nothing new (updated Jane Austen), male-centered coming-of-age stories have a long tradition in popular fiction--Portnoy's Complaint and Catcher in the Rye, or Great Expectations even. (Continued…)
Darren Bryce
posted 10/30/07 @ 8:39 PM CST
I have just published a book about the dark side of the college experience. Although I share the same market as so-called Fratire authors, I am offering something far more serious to the reader. (Continued…)
steve Wagner
posted 11/11/07 @ 9:04 PM CST
I have been reading this site http://www.thegmanifesto.com (The G Manifesto)for a while. Although not typical "fratire" it is geared towards the elusive 18-35 male market. (Continued…)
matt l
posted 12/16/07 @ 7:30 AM CST
I have been reading tucker max and Maddox for years now. Both are great, I actually bought both their books. I think it is interesting that the g manifesto is becoming a book also. (Continued…)
Post a Comment