It seems that it is really over and over literally for the Meiland family, because their last book The family was an outright flop. “The timing was very bad,” said the writer.
After the books about Martien, Erica and Maxime Meiland, a book was published last summer about what happens behind the scenes of Chateau Meiland, namely ‘the family’. The sales figures for the book ‘Martien’ have never been exceeded anyway, but the sale of the last book leaves something to be desired, says Jan Dijkgraaf.
Worst sold
Jan, the biographer of the Meilandjes, admits that it is pretty disappointing. “On the evening of the book performance I was admitted to the hospital where I immediately had to stay for five nights. Then two more hospital admissions followed. As a result, I was unable to function properly for a long time,” he says in the Weekend.
And that was a big damper, he continues. “In the first, and most important, I couldn’t do anything about promotion, and not really afterwards. This makes it the worst -sold book of the Meilandjes.”
Bad timing
What is the main reason for flopping? “The timing was very bad. With the Meiland books you really depend on media attention. Moreover, the European Championship was on the day of book promotion, so that all press people wanted to leave as quickly as possible. Martien too,” says Jan.
He continues: “The enthusiasm with which the books of Martien and Erica were previously delighted was significantly less. However, it was not possible at a different time than on that day.”
Moderate book
It is what it is, according to Jan. “One can also find it a moderate book because it is different from the three biographies. I thought it would be just as successful as Maxime’s book, but I misjudged that. Sorry? No, I never regret anything.”
Wouldn’t he even want to portray another Dutch person? “If Frans Bauer calls me, I will drive to Brabant tomorrow. I think he is just as real as the Meilandjes. Or Gordon has to call me. He has released such a lick and bullbiography and I think he is a jerk. He me too, as far as he knows me. I would find that funny, a kind of fight biography!”