Twitter user takes down Trayvon Martin juror book deal

Reactions to the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin have run the gamut, but not many Americans have used their internet prowess to spring into action. New York native Genie Lauren has.

After the woman known as Juror B37 appeared on CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" and announced plans to write a book based on her experience with the case, Lauren decided to make her own feelings known by appealing to those directly involved.

"I just felt like it was really inappropriate," Lauren told AL.com. "I was disgusted that [Juror B37] would try to make money off this. Whether or not she thought that Zimmerman was defending himself, a child is dead. That child's family is still mourning. They had to grieve all over again when they heard the verdict, and she just poured salt all over the wound."

Lauren said she had been heavily invested in the trial since the beginning and that the verdict left her feeling powerless.

"When that not guilty verdict came down, I was crushed," she said. "It was like after all of that, we're still back exactly where we were with Amadou Dialo, Oscar Grant, Aiyana Jones and Rekia Boyd. I felt extremely defeated."

At the suggestion of one of her Twitter followers, she used Google to track down contact information for Sharlene Martin, the juror's book agent, and asked her to cease her involvement in the project.? She also encouraged her own followers to join in.

"We tweeted Sharlene directly, we tweeted her literary agent's business account, people sent her emails because I found her business email," Lauren said.

After that, she started a change.org petition to streamline the effort.

"I felt like if I could get everyone to sign a petition that would be something a little more lasting that anybody could go back and see, and also other people could join in as well," she said.

The petition gained over 1,300 signatures in less than 24 hours, most of which occurred within the first couple of hours, Lauren said.

She was also able to send the petition directly to Martin who contacted her privately.

"She messaged me to say that she understood how I felt, she was mourning Trayvon as well, she understood my passion," Lauren said. "The next message that I got from her was the statement that she was releasing Juror B37."

"After careful consideration of the book project with Zimmerman #JurorB37, I have decided to rescind my offer of representation," Martin tweeted that night.

Later on, Juror B37 also released a statement saying she'd chosen not to go forward with the book.

"Now that I am returned to my family and to my family in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury," she said.

But, how much would the memoir have made her?

A lot of money very quickly, according to University of Alabama Press Marketing Director J.D. Wilson.

Time is of the essence when trying to sell a book dealing with a high-profile case. Wilson said it would have been possible for the book to wind up on shelves as quick as four to six weeks from now and sell up to 200,000 copies. Revenue from the book could have been anywhere from $2.5 million to $4 million.?

Juror B37 herself could have received an advance of up to $100,000, he said.

"I think the juror would see a big check really fast," he said. "Then she would just have to finish the book."

Wilson said Juror B37 would have found a publisher despite the outrage, but it would have depended on the company's values.

"The University of Alabama Press would not at all even consider doing a book like that," he said. "It's considered sensational and it's not advancing scholarship, it's not contributing anything positive to the national conversation about race or law enforcement or anything of the sort."

As for Lauren, she says that what she and others accomplished is a lesson in the organizational power found on social media.

"Try to think ahead," she said. "What's the endgame? What do you want to see happen? In my case it was I want to see this agent drop Juror B37 and I wasn't going to stop until the agent dropped Juror B37."?

Source: http://blog.al.com/spotnews/2013/07/social_media_takes_down_trayvo.html

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