Now that she is a published author, Snooki would prefer you call her by her real name, Nicole Polizzi. Wait a minute. Snooki is a published author? Excuse me, I meant to say Nicole Polizzi is a published author? Published?!
That’s it!
If Snooki can write and publish a novel, then there is absolutely no excuse for the rest of us not to write that one good novel that we all have burning inside of us. I said it before when reality TV star Lauren Conrad wrote and published a novel series and now I will say it again. If Snooki can write a novel and get it published, then we all can.
For those of you who have never heard of Snooki, I commend you. That means that you use your time wisely and don’t get sucked into watching reality TV or reading celebrity gossip magazines. Snooki made her fame (or I should say infamy) as a star on MTV’s Jersey Shore. There, she became a household name with her shenanigans, her tan, her love of pickles, and most importantly, her pouf.
Maybe the news of the Snooki’s first book is the swift kick in the rear that I need as a writer. It has always been a goal of mine to have a novel (or several) published and if Snooki can do it, why I can’t I? Sure, I haven’t made international (tabloid) headlines with my role on a hit reality TV show and I haven’t been arrested for public drunkenness, but I like to think I can write well enough to craft a novel that at least a few people would want to read. I have been an active writer since I was four. I won several scary story contests in the local paper when I was in elementary school. I even studied Creative Writing in college. Doesn’t any of that count for something?!
With the news of more and more celebrities publishing novels, I have come to realize that writing skill does not necessarily translate in to publication. It seems that to be published, you just need to know the right people. If you know the right people you can get published without being a good writer. If you’re famous enough, the right people will even contact you and ask you to write your novel. So if I want to get published as a writer, maybe I should focus my energies on making a viral YouTube video instead? Then maybe publishers will come knocking on my door, begging me to write a novel. No, I suppose if I want to get my work published, I’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way: hard work, dedication, and the ability to deal gracefully with rejection letters.
Ramblings 
I am sorry to say that your guess that quality doesn’t lead to publication but fame will is right. Publishing is a money making enterprise. Snooki’s name and infamy can sell books regardless of quality, so she gets published.
As I recall, this is the same issue Herman Melville was stuck on. He was bent out of shape that women who (in his bent brain) could barely tell a story were selling more books than he was.
Of course, there is a nice gateway here to discuss self-publishing I suppose…
Also, you still have your dignity. I don’t think Snooki can say the same thing.
You make many excellent points. I find myself in the same camp as Herman Melville (although I am unpublished as a novelist). For me, the jury is still out on self-publishing. I’m not sure if I want to go that route or not.
At least I still have my dignity 🙂
And really, how many people have ever bothered to read Moby Dick, anyhow?
(I have, you can skip all the chapters on whales. Yes, really)
I have only one thought: Do you REALLY want to be part of a world that publishes the works of a girl named Snooki? 😉
Wait, don’t answer that. I know that the urge to be published can be overwhelmingly great. Some comfort might be found in the fact that.. well, you’ve already been published in a sense. Right here on your awesome blog. For those who can’t see past your glamorous tan (acquired in Mexico, of course) and your expansive technological skill … well… you don’t care what they think anyhow. Do you?
You are absolutely right! Thanks for offering me some perspective. I wouldn’t want to be part of a world that publishes Snooki’s book. I suppose I will have to continue focusing my efforts on producing quality and seeing where I can get some exposure.