1. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

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    Celebrity Publishing

    Discussion in 'Traditional Publishing' started by SuperVenom, Mar 2, 2012.

    I'm beginning to see that a lot of Celebrities of various degrees of fame (not including famous authors) getting their books published pretty much straight away (disregarding Autobiographies) and seemingly without the usual bouncing around companies hoping that the grab that elusive deal. I wouldn't claim to have read them all and some might be good, but I wondered what the people of this forum, (published or unpublished) think about the possible ease they get to publishing because of their name or reputation? Even if its not a good novel.
    For the published ones here, did you have a struggle or was it easier than you thought?
    I just wondered what the struggling writer on the street thinks about it.

    PS. This isn't written with any bad feelings, it's just one of those things that made me think.
     
  2. superpsycho

    superpsycho New Member

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    Based on what publishers and agents have said to people I know it seems they see themselves selling authors not books. They want authors to have a name, a following or be an authority of the subject matter. A spy writing a spy novel etc. Can't blame them since it's an iffy business and they need every edge they can get.
     
  3. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    this has been going on for a very long time, is not just a recent thing... for instance, former president harry truman's daughter, margaret, wrote novels [political setting murder mysteries] and they at first sold on her name alone, not surprisingly, but later sold on their own merit... it will be ever thus, as long as societies remain celebrity-struck...

    it's not worth the time it takes to think about it, as it is just a fact of life... for non-celeb writers, that time is better spent thinking about their next piece of work and/or writing!...
     
  4. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

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    I see your point, it just made me wonder if much stronger stories are not being looked at because celeb's are being put first. I agree with the spy writing a spy novel makes sense, such as a model writing about a model (not mentioning names lol). But i heard a Radio DJ (wont say his name) writing a book heavy on chemistry, which he admitted he wasn't fully knowledgeable about. Now this is what made me think, was it the book or the name that they wanted, as he wasn't a scientist, and would he struggle if he wasn't a famous DJ (hint lol....B*C2).
     
  5. superpsycho

    superpsycho New Member

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    Right now it's a numbers game. If they advertise a mystery book what are you going to say that they couldn't say about any mystery book.

    The ads say read award winning "so and so's" lasted mystery. Over xxxxx books sold. so he must be good.
     
  6. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

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    LOL its such a mind field, no wonder people get a buzz from being published, well im keeping my fingers crossed for one day haha
     
  7. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Dog and pony show.

    See the celebrity. See the celebrity write. See her refrigerator art. See him walk AND chew gum.

    Whaddya mean "ghost writer"? Of couse she wrote it herself, even though she can't say a simple declarative sentence correctly on camera. Besides, I have to have it for my fan collection.
     
  8. superpsycho

    superpsycho New Member

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    :D Isn't that the truth more often then not.
     
  9. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

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    totally agree lol,
     
  10. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    this is a problem even where I live and it's gone as far as to people saying "it's practically impossible to get published if you're not already famous for something else." I have nightmares that one day all the traditionally published books out there will be written by celebrities and to get a chance to have your novels or whatever read by others you will HAVE to self publish... that would be a sad day.
     
  11. Nakhti

    Nakhti Banned

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    Of course that's what it means. For instance, Cheryl Cole just wrote a novel - so she says. If she wrote it herself I have severe doubts it's any good, but it means that someone else's even halfway decent novel isn't getting published.

    But more likely she had some substantial 'help' from a ghostwriter and a team of editors. Martine McCutcheon should have taken note and done the same for her novel 'The Mistress', which was the biggest pile of crap I've ever (partially) read. But they just saw a C list celeb (ex soap star, tv personality, regularly papped in trashy celeb magazines) and thought it was an easy sell. Turns out they missed their guess. She was reportedly contracted for a whole series of 'mistress' novels, which no one has ever heard of since. Probably because the first one was soon to be found tucked away on the back shelves of poundland.

    I hope this trend will come back to bite itself on the ass one day, but as Mamma said, it's been going on for a long time...
     
  12. Henning

    Henning New Member

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    In my opinion as long as there are people who love literature there is no way this will happen. Publishing when you're already famous will always be easier, yes, but for all talented writers to starve to death because they're not already famous? Maybe I'm too optimistic but I don't see it happening.
     
  13. Tesoro

    Tesoro Contributor Contributor

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    I hope you're right! :)
     
  14. SuperVenom

    SuperVenom Senior Member

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    It seems in some cases, publishers or agents at least are contacting the Celeb and asking if they want to write a book, i know life isn't fair but I suppose my own naive way thought that writing is where as long as you could write a good novel, you could be seen as equal and not on your looks or voice. I agree that the Celeb fetish our countries have is shadowing a lot of good talent. I dont know wither I would get published as its only a hobby for me (im dyslexic, so this takes a long time to write), but i see in this forum how so many that struggle and work hard, i would hate for these to be ignored.
     
  15. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    look at the numbers, folks!

    the junk put out under celebs' names is a miniscule percentage of the total number of books published per annum... the only reason it worries you is that they get so much publicity, you don't bother to see how many more non-celebs are also being published...
     
  16. Cogito

    Cogito Former Mod, Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Random definition:

     
  17. Yoshiko

    Yoshiko Contributor Contributor

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    In a way authors are like brand names: a retailer is going to have a hard time convincing consumers to purchase their own-brand coffee when Nescafé products are sat next to it on the shelf.

    A singer/actor I've been a fan of for years, Shigeaki Kato, had his debut novel published in January of this year. He asked a representative at the talent agency he belongs to to take his manuscript (specifically) to Kadokawa Shoten Publishing and they accepted it almost immediately. He began writing it in February 2011 and finished it on March 31st (yes, this time last year he was still writing it and it only took him two months). The first press editions of the novel have been sold out for weeks. In this case it was his name and reputation that sold the story.
     
  18. Nakhti

    Nakhti Banned

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    This is why it works - the first time, anyway. If the novel itself is no good, it won't work twice, which is why so many celebs only ever publish a debut novel, rather than turning it into a secondary career ;)
     
  19. Nakhti

    Nakhti Banned

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    This is why it works - the first time, anyway. If the novel itself is no good, it won't work twice, which is why so many celebs only ever publish a debut novel, rather than turning it into a secondary career ;)
     

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