Celebrity authors

[Karlwho]

Please tell me if you think I'm just a grump. I need to rant.
Has anyone else noticed that celebrities have completely saturated the kids' book market? Walking through Waterstones, and on one of the little tables I noticed every single book was written by some famous person-turned-writer. And it all seems to be the sam e genre/storyline repeated throughout.
I 've read some of David Walliams' books, and it just reminded me of a poor Roald Dahl imitation.
Don't get me wrong, I think if it encourages a chi ld to read it's great. Always a positive. I'd just like to see more variety!

i agree so many just get book deals just off their name- however YABVVVVU re: Walliams- his books are brill. Dont get me wrong I love Roald Dahl but his books are a little fresher, modern, and very funny.

I really wanted to like David Walliams. I thought the slightly Annoying Elephant was ok, and the others... i think Blob did it for me lol. and Greg James writes now?! And Alesha Dixon.

It just seems that way because celeb turned author books are well marketed. Maybe the books by genuine writers such as michael morpurgo, cressida cowell, holly webb sell themselves because they are more interesting stories.

There was a long twitter thread fairly recently filled with children's authors saying how hard it is to get published now celebrities are preferred as they are a known name with ready followers.

I work in publishing. Celebrity authors are desired as they already have a name and s following - half the marketing is already done.

People have often snorted at me that Walliams doesn't write his own books. I'm can assure people that he does. Some of the celebs are 'heavily edited' (ie virtually ghost written).

Publishers pay to have books on the tables at Waterstones. It's big business. A celeb author gives them the best chance of making money. Sad.

Most other authors, Agents and indeed publishers hate that this is the case.

As a parent choosing a book, I would actively avoid a celebrity author.
But then my dc prefer more traditional books-ds' favourites* are around 1960s and earlier, so I tend to pick ones that I enjoyed as a child.

• Although he did enjoy Alex Rider and to a certain extent Cherub/Henderson Boys.