Pippa Dropped Agent Over Unpopular Party Planning Book
Pippa Middleton has reportedly parted ways with her booking agent David Godwin this week after her entertaining guidebook fell short of a bestseller.
"Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families," penned by the little sister of the Duchess of Cambridge, was published by Penguin last year.
The book deal arrived with the help of Godwin and resulted in a substantial advance from publisher Michael Joseph, according to Daily Mail.
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Nevertheless, critics lambasted "Celebrate" for being basic and obvious, and it will be the last collaboration between Middleton and Godwin, according to reports.
"Theirs was a tricky relationship," explained one literary figure close to the situation, according to the Daily Mail website. "David was not an obvious choice for Pippa. His writers are heavyweights while Pippa's niche is fluffy and commercial. In the end it was clear that the union was not a happy one."
Meanwhile, Middleton, who is two years younger than her sister Kate, defended her party-planning book after its release last fall.
"I could have written a book that showcased the most extravagant or elaborate of occasions- after all, I spent three years working for an events company planning parties- but I wanted to produce something that was achievable; something that people would have on their shelves for years; something that was not too fussy- just simple and comforting," the entrepreneur wrote in an entry published to The Telegraph.
She added that writing the book was no easy feat.
"'Celebrate,' my book on entertaining, has been a labour of love," noted Middleton. "I have put my heart and soul into it, obsessing over every detail."
Middleton is no stranger to public scrutiny, though. The sibling of royalty admitted that her catapult into fame following her sister's wedding to Prince William was "startling."
"It is a bit startling to achieve global recognition before the age of 30 on account of your sister, your brother-in-law and your bottom," Middleton wrote in her book.
"One day I might be able to make sense of this. In the meantime I think it's fair to say that is has its upside and its downside," she continued. "I am by nature an optimist so I tend to concentrate on the advantages."
