How many more famous people are going to write childrens' books?

[Roussette]

Sick to death of it, it's just a money making exercise and they are no better than someone who can actually write. It's only their name that is getting the book published and the writing could be crap.

Alison Steadman is on BBC1 now with her childrens book, yesterday was Harry Hill on with his book he's written. Madonna, Russell Brand, Katie Price, Frank Lampard, David Walliams, Cara Delevingne - the list goes on and on.

What about talented childrens authors who have to get by on their talent and not their name? I'm probably being U and grumpy

Clare balding's done one too

Its so annoying and i am sure that the children just gravitate towards their books as they reconize the authors name rather than the content or if its any good and they are already in a position to advertise as they know people already and can pull a few strings!

It's not driven by children. It's driven by publishers and book sellers. Publishers have to pay money to book sellers to put certain titles on offer or prominently placed. Publishers will already a name people recognise. That name can get them into TV and radio to plug their book. Book sellers can publicise on a name. Parents will pick up a name.

Normal Authors and Illustrators are getting shafted. It will kill the industry in the end. Many authors and editors are doing the actual writing work behind the scenes but they won't be able to do this for long. The industry will die out for all but celebs. Believe me, most people in the book industry are despairing. I'm talking big names (not celebs).

It won't last - the backlash has started and they'll stop getting deals soon enough, I suspect.

From an ex-children's bookseller perspective I don't mind so much so long as the books are good quality (some are, some really, really aren't) because either way it's getting a child to read, and when they start reading, they usually don't stop. I felt the same way about the endless "factory-produced" lines (e.g. Rainbow Kittens) because you'd see the same kids coming in week after week and eventually they moved on to something else!

But I can absolutely understand why children's authors are peeved, and I think the deals offered to ghost writers etc are pretty atrocious. I'd also be annoyed if I were one of the celebrities who does actually write their own books - Tom and Gi Fletcher, David Walliams, Danny Baker etc).

I hope you're right peachGreen. 24 years of working in this industry and I've never seen so many people gritting their teeth.

It's not just children's books (she said, darkly). Celebrity name on the cover guarantees sales, the rest of us just fight for position underneath. And most of them don't write the bloody things themselves, they recruit other writers (who can't make a decent living because they aren't 'celebrities') to write their books for them.

It's a weird Catch-22 situation.

It's got on for year though. Didn't Geri Halliwell do a couple, Darcy Bussell (however you spell it) has those magic ballerina books (which are a blatent rip off of the Rainbow Fairies. I suspect she wrote them herself as the writing isn't quite there, but they're quite fun when you're 5yo!) and Fergi wrote one didn't she?

I don't think the children care, it's more the parents who do I think. As a child the only author I remember looking for was Enid Blyton. Dm was much more inclined to say "oh this is by

There are a few celebs who have gone into adult fiction over the years - i usually find the books awful though - tired one or two and I thought ' how the hell did they get that published? oh , because its so and so' so now I avoid.
must make the real authors that are scraping a living really mad.

My DS likes the Julian Clary ones and also has started on David Walliams. He doesn't have a clue who they are he just enjoys the books along with lots of other books.

My partner was talking about this yesterday
He wondered if there is a reason why so many are doing it, like you pay less tax or something
Who knows
But it's getting ridiculous

It's not child driven is it? Kids do the know who these people are. It's parents who buy the books

Yes it's the parents who buy the books and TBH unless I heard the book was fantastic, and my kids were still little I would avoid celebrity books like the plague.

This thread was because for the last 3 days running somewhere a sleb has been talking about a childrens book they've written, enough is enough!

I wonder if David Beckham wrote his book. haha, only joking, course he didn't!

I have bought David Walliams.
I have got baddiel out the library

Greg James and Chris Smith with the news have also just bought one out...it is annoying. But not as annoying as bloody lifestyle or parenting books by people like Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton...
They give me the rage....I'm sure they are great parents and amazing cooks etc etc...but they are hardly typical are they-I'm fairly sure they have access to nannies, paid help etc...so how can they possibly be in a position to advise 'normal' people on lifestyle.
Sorry for that thread hijack...but really!!

I bought my 4 year old DS the Dermot OLeary book last Sat, without noticing he was the author. DS absolutely loved it, to the extent that we had finished it in 2 days, and are now re-reading it. I actually looked up to see if there were any more out as he loved it so much.

Call me a snob but I won't buy them. I have three Dcs 16, 13 and 6, I've been buying children's books for years, if it's got a celebrity name on it I don't buy it.....don't get me wrong I love a Wimpy
Kid or Captain Underpants but David Williams leaves me cold....he's desperate to be the next Roald Dahl.

With the exception of Walliams do celebrities make much money from writing a kids book?

A lot of these writers are writers already just writing for a different audience.

And Clare Balding's jumped on the bandwagon. There's been a lot of fuss about the next World Book Day list of £1 books being dominated by celebrities – it sends out such a poor message to children that one has to be a 'celebrity' or famous for something else in order to write a book. www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/10/02/authors-hit-world-book-day-picking-many-celebrity-writers/

"Everyone has a book inside of them - but it doesn't do any good until you pry it out." - Jodi Picoult

or

“Everybody does have a book in them, but in most cases that's where it should stay.” - Christopher Hitchens

You don't have buy them you know.

Famous people writing mediocre books which sell big mean publishing houses and agents have more money to invest in better, less famous authors.

Book industry is dying slowly. Anything which keeps it afloat is a good thing.

David walliams books are utter shit. We had them in school for a short time but stopped using them as they are so awful. The language and content and the way they are written is just diabolical.

Yup. I raise you Holly and Kelly Willoughby's School for Stars series. Mediocre.

And Pippa Funnell's horse books - though dd likes those.

Nepotism exists in all walks of life sadly. Look how many children of slebs who are now child models, the wives of slebs who 'write' books and 'design' clothing ranges. I actually laughed out loud when I read that Katie Price was authoring a book. She has to keep the money coming in some how.

Iamcheese I totally agree, hate his books.