Opinion Express View: Taylor Swift’s fans spent millions on a memoir that wasn’t hers — another ARMY was the gainer
The publisher, like everyone selling to a gullible audience, will be encouraging the fanatics as it counts its millions
As it turns out, Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS is a memoir by members of the eponymous Korean boy band, written by Myeong-Seok Kang with the seven members of the group. 
The thing about fandom — especially when it evolves (or devolves, if you want to be crotchety) into a cult — is that it doesn’t even wait for the cover to judge a book. For fanatical followers of American pop star Taylor Swift — “Swifties” — their obsession with her music and persona is coupled with a penchant for conspiracy theories.
Swift is known to leave “Easter eggs” in her music, which prompts Swifties to try and solve puzzles that, sometimes, simply aren’t there. Earlier this week, this penchant led to millions of dollars of profits for a publishing company, and the Swifties losing out to another ARMY of fans.
The mystery began with a listing of an untitled book by publisher Flatiron Books, with a rumoured print run of over a million copies, which would have “global appeal”. In the few details that emerged, Swifties found reason to believe that it was authored by Taylor. The author and title were set to release on June 13, which is her favourite number. The book consists of 544 pages, which also adds up to 13. All this led fans to pre-order the book in large numbers, making the mystery title a bestseller.
As it turns out, Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS is a memoir by members of the eponymous Korean boy band, written by Myeong-Seok Kang with the seven members of the group.
The BTS ARMY is among the largest online fan groups, and will likely be disappointed that so many copies of this memoir have been bought up by the Swifties. Perhaps they can ensure a buy back. Or maybe, given their penchant for finding clues in random places, Taylor Swift’s fans will find something to obsess over in the BTS book. Either way, the publisher will be encouraging the fanatics as it counts its millions.
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