Let's Discuss: Author Collaborations

 

Hoping to get back into the swing of this challenge! The last few months have been brutal. It's like my brain was done thinking of bizarre bookish things to talk about! But then last week I saw something that reminded me of something I felt like talking about! Lol.

Author Collaborations

So we've all seen when two authors (or maybe more) come together to write a book together! Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff, Kristin Cast & P.C. Cast, etc. There are so many duos! But then the other day I was seeing a new title that literally had me doing a double take because I was like, is this legit?

Apparently Nicholas Sparks and M. Night Shyamalan came together and wrote a book. The big time Romance writer and the big time Horror moviemaker came together and wrote a book. What even is this? Lol. Is this the horroromance that we've been asking for? I mean I really don't know! I started reading a bit of what it was about and it's definitely something like a supernatural mystery with life issues. Goodreads' contest was down to the last 10 hours and I thought, what the heck and entered. 

But a collaboration like this is definitely a head scratcher. I mean, did they really come together? Or did Shyamalan offer like suggestions or advice? I'm really intrigued by this collaboration more than the story itself, lol.

It made me think of other collaboration like books where you see that BIG author name and maybe a not so big one or even a newbie. Sometimes you see them on the media tie in books. So with those I'm wondering if the media person even offered consultation or if it was more of the acknowledgement that this writer got their permission to write about their TV show or movie. I'm betting more on the latter on that type.

But when you see those other big author names next to the debut ones or just "fresh" names, it still makes me wonder. How deep does the collaboration go? Are they trading chapters? Do they write for a certain set of characters? I've listened to other author duos talk before and I love hearing their methods, but when you involve the BIG names...I'm wondering if there's more to it than that and that BIG name is just to help the new name get some eyes on them.

So what's your take on these BIG name author collaborations? Do you think it's more of a "publicity" maneuver to help the newbie author or do you think there's actual collaboration going on? 

Or what's your take on this Sparks and Shyamalan collaboration? This seriously has me boggled! Lol.