The 13 Most Obnoxious Publishing Stories of 2010 (SLIDESHOW)

I asked literary Twitterers to use the hashtag #WhyIDrink to raise a glass to the publishing stories that drove them up the wall in 2010. From Snooki's book deal to "write" a novel to James Frey's fiction "factory," here are the controversial stories that generated the most votes. Tell us what other publishing stories made you want to tip the bottle this year in the comments!

And today, Snooki's book is being published. Does it now become the most obnoxious publishing story of 2011? Let us know.

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Snooki Signs Contract to Write a Novel

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The cast of MTV's Jersey Shore caused a lot of heartburn in the publishing industry, led by Snooki's book deal with Simon and Schuster for a novel, A Shore Thing. "Snooki's book deal. The drink of choice in that case was lighter fluid," @cbbernard said. The pint-sized TV star admitted to reading only two books--in her entire life. "I'm not sure if this counts, but I ate a bottle of sleeping pills when I heard Snooki was writing a novel," @DanFriedman81 said. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

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The cast of MTV's Jersey Shore caused a lot of heartburn in the publishing industry, led by Snooki's book deal with Simon and Schuster for a novel, A Shore Thing. "Snooki's book deal. The drink of choice in that case was lighter fluid," @cbbernard said. The pint-sized TV star admitted to reading only two books--in her entire life. "I'm not sure if this counts, but I ate a bottle of sleeping pills when I heard Snooki was writing a novel," @DanFriedman81 said. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)

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sigh-ence said on 14 Tuesday 2010 pm31 4:31 pm: These truly are the End Days...

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Comments

[coolmom64]

08:10 AM on 01/06/2011

I, for one, am a lover of the Classics:

http://www.nemrits.com/gallery/pic/20101221160741

[Sol76]

01:25 AM on 01/05/2011

Johannes Gutenberg must be spinning in his grave. How low would the ghostwriter have felt when he or she took the job? I am hoping that whoever wrote this will one day write a great novel to make up for it.

[Benedictus70]

09:23 PM on 01/04/2011

Homer. Dante. Joyce. And now, Snooki.

[QueenOfViolets]

01:31 PM on 01/04/2011

Correction:

Go Snooki!!! I love the way she annoys those kinds of people who just live to be annoyed.

[QueenOfViolets]

01:30 PM on 01/04/2011

I love it when the lit snobs get their panties in a wad.

Go Snooki!!! I love how the way annoys those kinds of people who just live to be annoyed.

And she rises above it all, smiling.

[Pucifer]

05:23 PM on 01/04/2011

Looking to Snooki for your inspiration?  Stay classy!

[FinallyFreeOfGeorgeIII]

12:17 PM on 01/04/2011

Alternate Snooki titles: Jersey Snore, Snorehouse, Freedom...oh, wait, Franzen used that one.

Hey, as long as she's having fun, I don't care. NJ Reprezentz!

[4N6science]

09:39 AM on 01/04/2011

I saw The Situation's book at the store. Being curious to what was inside I opened it up. Oh my, the writing was absolutely horrible. It's one thing to be on MTV, it's another thing trying to "write" a book on GTL. Who in their right mind would purchase this?

[denbeath]

09:02 AM on 01/04/2011

Out of curiosity I read this article. I have no idea who any of these people are except for 'Snookie' as I've seen her on the News (I am still totally clueless how -or- why she made the so-called 'News' but she did and now my life has been diminished for the knowledge and I now have lost all respect for that so-called News Channel).

Reality TV with the help of Cable News/Propaganda Channels = The deliberate dumb-ing down of America.

[Valksy]

06:39 AM on 01/04/2011

Reality TV - Viewing for those who have a life so devoid of purpose or meaning, who are so absent of aspirations, who are so crippling dull, that they are more content to watch someone else live their (contrived) life than manage one of their own.

Buying books by Reality TV "celebrities" boggles my mind.

I hope that 2011 will herald the end of the "reality" fad and we can go back to praising people with actual talent.

[LifeIsSoScary]

02:23 AM on 12/23/2010

Snooki is for show, but not tell.

[Hnef Tafl]

11:31 PM on 12/18/2010

If I had a million dollars to spare, I'd pay her just to READ a novel.

[troyrobertdavid]

02:24 PM on 12/17/2010

Justin Bieber's memoir's could have fit into a pamphlet.

[Wrenn NYC]

07:02 PM on 12/16/2010

Okay, Andrew, now you're driving me to drink. I've spent the past year watching my boyfriend deal with editors, many asking him for pitches for books, comics, graphic novels... even for elaborations on pitches, sample chapters, sample scripts... and nothing, no new contract all year. He has more than 40 books published, edited more than a dozen anthologies, and a proven history of meeting deadlines and he can't land a contract... * Yet these people can...
Make mine a double.

*okay, okay, he's using the time to work on a couple of things on spec, and not letting it get him down, but, ghods, really? Snooki??

[LaurieAnn]

01:18 PM on 12/15/2010

I think you mean 'Snooki's ghostwriter gets book deal."

[Elizabeth Black]

01:26 AM on 12/15/2010

I guess I'm not as much of a hermit as I thought I was. I already knew what Snooki and Jersey Shore were. Now, I know what it looks like. Thanks, Andrew Shaffer, for adding to my nightmares.

[Andrew Shaffer]

01:57 PM on 12/15/2010

Muah ha ha ha ha....