As James Frey’s primary publishers have been in America, they do the editing on the books. Although James is always very accommodating to any of the few suggestions I make - few because that unique prose style, which looks simple, is incredibly finely wrought, and as soon as you remove or tinker with a word, the whole sentence collapses and loses it impact.
James has such an eye for art and a strong visual sense that we spend some time discussing cover approaches (the iconic and timeless Million Little Pieces cover came from his mentioning Damien Hirst, and the Bright Shiny Morning one from a conversation about Tracey Emin); then it’s on to marketing and publicity plans and all that goes with publishing such a major author. He did look a bit surprised to be taken to the Hay Festival for his first book, though….
Roland Philipps, John Murray MD and James’ Editor
Posted August 6, 2008
When we first started out with this website, one of the things we wanted most was to have James Frey talking about his new book; what it was like to write ‘A Million Little Pieces’ and, unashamedly, his run-in with Oprah. Similarly, when I attended a readers’ discussion group about James Frey (more on this in a future blog), everyone kept circling around the idea that what they really wanted was a film of James Frey talking about his experience and giving his side of the story. It became the holy grail.
So, one fairly blustery day in March, we did just that. James Frey was over for his first publicity trip and so while he was still recovering from jetlag, we scouted our building for any non-corporate location for filming in our office at 338 Euston Rd - a feat to say the least! But, one of the blessings of working in a tower block is the view and so in the end we settled on the balcony on the 16th floor of our building where you can see right across London - the London Eye, Battersea Power Station et al.
As Bright Shiny Morning revolves so tightly around the city life of Los Angeles, we wanted to incorporate the theme of ‘the city’ into our film. To further this, we also planned to head into Soho after filming the interview to get the requisite ‘in the back of black taxi cab’ shot and some more footage of James walking the streets. (Unfortunately me and my boss did not walk far enough behind him and so embarrassingly you can see us stalking behind James but I think it’s one of those things that only we notice.)
Leaning against the barrier of the balcony, battling against the wind, James Frey spoke out. As a Frey fan myself, what he said was everything I wanted to hear - he was the ‘hero’ I’d imagined, I was not disappointed. Im sure you won’t be either.
Polly Ho Yen, Publicity, Sales & Marketing Assistant
Posted August 6, 2008
If you’re a fan of James Frey you might be interested to know a bit more about how his new book is being published. My colleagues and I at John Murray - James’ UK publishers, are going to blog about the creative processes involved and the different stages in the life of the book.
I’m kicking off with a bit about the cover. Sara Marafini, our Art Director, commissioned the brilliant Jon Gray to design it, with a simple brief: something cool and brash. Jon has produced some amazing covers including Everything is Illuminated and A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, and we reckon this has classic written all over it too. He hired The Neon Sign Store in east London to make a … well, a neon sign:

… and photographed it for the book jacket. The result is highly colourful, but in a kind of sinister, almost seedy way which is totally in tune with the feel of the book. Sort of explosive and unsettling at the same time.

In May it was featured on the The Book Design Review blog, which regularly features comparisons between UK and US jackets. Click here to see the US version - a very different look, by celebrated artist Richard Prince
Let us know what you think …
James Spackman, Sales & Marketing Director, John Murray
Posted July 25, 2008
Everyone’s talking about Bright Shiny Morning at Waterstone’s Bookclub.
Posted June 4, 2008
“Bright Shiny Morning reads quickly, has great dialogue and some expertly placed dramatic moments, and teaches you more about L.A than you ever knew” - Washington Post
“(James Frey) became a furiously good storyteller … He stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park” - Janet Maslin, New York Times
“If, despite the scandal, you loved A Million Little Pieces, you might want to devour Bright Shiny Morning. Like its author, it can be called many things, but never boring. Or timid.” - Deidre Donahue, USA Today
“A sprawling ambitious novel about Los Angelos, written with all the broad-stroke energy that was so irresistable to readers in A Million Little Pieces. By turns satirical, tense and surprisingly touching, it is a portrait of a city onto which so many millions have projected so many dreams. Compelling, cinematic.” - Vanity Fair
“Relentlessly entertaining … It’s reminiscent of one of Tom Wolfe’s billion-footed beasts” - Lev Grossman, Time
Posted May 29, 2008
James Frey talks about his new book ‘Bright Shiny Morning’, Oprah Winfrey and how he has been treated by the world’s media. Watch this exclusive video here.
Posted May 19, 2008
‘Bright Shiny Morning’ published in US last week … here’s how people are finding Frey’s first novel:
Posted May 19, 2008
This is the neon sign that was made for the ‘Bright Shiny Morning’ cover.

Posted April 24, 2008
Tammy and Carl moved into the park in 1963. They were from
The job came first. It was teaching science to eighth graders at a public junior high school in Pacific Palisades, an upscale ocean community that lies between
The kids are gone now, grown and on their own, Earl is an entertainment lawyer in
Posted April 9, 2008
She is twenty-six years old. She is originally from
She had been in the garage many times, her office was down the street, it was in
Posted April 8, 2008