Local Seattle authors Kerry Coburn and Worick run a series of ongoing workshops focusing on how to get publishing contracts; I haven’t yet had the pleasure of attending any of their workshops yet, but I am guessing that “act like an asshole” isn’t one of the pair’s recommendations on how to get published. Yet, the asshole strategy seems to work for several authors including Tucker Max and Dick Cheney.  The latest rumored writer/asshole to land a book deal is the CEO of American Apparel, Dov Charney. 

A Jezebel tipster alerted the online gossip site to the fact that Mr. Sexual Harassment himself just scored a $500,000 book deal for a tell-all tale called Confessions. If the rumor is true, I’m curious as to which of Mr. Charney’s sexual harassment lawsuits he is planning on focusing on or if he is just going to extrapolate on the many splendid wonders of walking around in the nude in the workforce. 

At this point, the Jezebel story about Mr. Charney’s possible book deal is just a rumor at this point, so it is difficult to say what the book will focus on. If the entire book is about his sexual exploits, of which I am sure there are many, no one will want to read it because of the ick factor involved in imagining Mr. Charney in bed with anyone. On the other hand, if he talks about the start of American Apparel, how he created such a successful brand, and explains his reasons for preferring briefs to jeans or Dockers in the workplace, Confessions might actually have a higher readership than it does already. 

Of course, Mr. Charney’s corporation American Apparel has also been under scrutiny for  decisions from the top requiring certain appearance standards for the American Apparel workforce. In addition, the American Apparel brand has been in the spotlight for their advertisements featuring young models in lewd positions. 

Nevertheless, Mr. Charney’s own attitude, weird charisma, and tendency to walk around naked are likely what generated him the sizable book deal. 

As much as Mr. Charney has been in the news over the past few years, he is a little camera shy. This NY Magazine feature on some of the pics of Mr. Charney shows why there is such an ick factor associated with Mr. Charney. The man is a sleaze bag. Which is another reason that he probably got the book deal.