That only celebrities get books published these days

[Pawtucketbrew]

Just going through Amazon to get some books for DDs birthday. Just on one page of book suggestions we have

David Walliams
Tom Fletcher
Marcus Rashford
Ben Miller
Stephen Mangan

To add to the list are Dougie Poynter and Davied Baddiel.

I am not saying that these books aren´t any good but I am not sure some of them would have been published if the author had not been famous. Must be some female celebrity authors too. I wonder if it is harder now to get published as a childrens author due to the amount of celebrities who also try their hand at writing these days.

I am not saying that these books aren´t any good

I'd rather read almost anything than David Bloody Walliams so some of them aren't good. At all.

Agree they have a head start.

Celeb authors seems a particular scourge of children's publishing. Some of them have talent I'm sure, but most are there on name alone.

It’s the same with writers like Richard Osman. 'Oh that nice tall man from Pointless is writing some cosy crime novels'. I read his first book. It was not good. But he’s clearly shifting a lot of units.

I have to be honest, the only ones of these I have attempted are David Walliams (couldn't bear it so stopped reading it but DD says she quite likes reading them) and David Baddiel which was OK.

David Walliams is scum and celebrity advances and marketing is a huge problem in children’s publishing, but it’s also an issue with Amazon’s algorithm. Try looking in an indie or even Waterstones and you’ll find 1000s of other Children’s authors – it’s a hugely oversaturated market and fairly easy to get published. Children’s publishing model has long been “publish lots and see what sticks”. Shopping indie or Waterstones also puts more money in authors’ and publishers’ pockets than Amazon, and as a result more of those authors can keep writing. Whereas Walliams et al can carry on regardless of where you shop.

Yes, there are some aimed at adults too e.g. Richard Osman although I wonder if some people think writing for children is easier hence try and break into that market as there seems to be an awful lot of celebs right now doing childrens books.

Dermot O'Leary as welll

Add Giovanna Fletcher and Carrie Hope Fletcher to that, nepotism at its finest. Saccharine bollocks as well. I think one of carries goes;
a boyfriend was going to die in a plane crash before the heroine met him.

but he didn’t go on that plane.

so they met. And they love each other

That was my mum’s summing up of the plot line anyway.

This happens with "Miss X, singer, actress and model is here today to blah blah blah".

They seem to jump from industry to industry based on the name they're made in one and I often feel sorry for people who are trying to make it without that back door entry.

I suppose the thinking is that most kids’ books are bought by adults and an adult browsing is more likely to go for the book where they recognise the author’s name. And that’s why someone like Frank Lampard has a series of children’s books.

This does seem to be a real issue. Im not getting anywhere with agents for my book and some are actively telling me its because they are holding the doors open foe people who are already well known so newcomers don't get a look in. Not all of them sound talented as writers unfortunately.

YANBU

Yes to the David Walliams tripe.

See also The Bench ... 🙄

Not strictly a new thing though - Budgie The Helicopter? Would that have got any space on the shelves if it wasn't written by a royal?

Celebrity publishing (with or without ghostwriters) has always been and will always be a thing. It’s not always a bad thing for unknown writers. The revenue generated by celebrity authors who are guaranteed sales allows publishers to take risks on unknown authors whose sales might never earn back their advance.

Sali Hughes has a book out and part of it was featured in The Guardian. It's a lifestyle book. It's embarrassing and I'm still amazed it was published let alone anyone would think to buy it.

We'll always have the one off celeb authors like Madonna, Fergie, Meagan Markle etc but David Walliams et al seem to have really cornered a huge section of the market. Agree with pp about going in to Indie bookshops for better selections.