Celeb authors taking all the opportunities?

[Wearethetwirl]

I am a wannabe novelist but recently I have become more and more jaded.

I write mysteries and could not miss the success of Richard Osman's "The Thursday Murder Club".

I've read his book, it's OK, not a groundbreaking masterpiece, but it is a record breaking success selling over a million copies already.

Everything I've read has praised him and there seems to be little or no debate as to the repercussions of this.

I also heard Fern Britton talk about how she became a novelist in a jaw dropping interview. She said she didn't really want to write a novel but was offered a book deal. She told the publishers she did not know how to, they told her they'd guide her and lo and behold she has 7 novels under her belt! This from someone who admitted she never set out to be a novelist in the first place!

I feel as though celebs are pushing out other debut writers and the space for unknown new writers is diminishing. Richard Osmans success probably means more celebs will be offered more fiction deals ( Bradley Walsh writing a crime thriller? Tess Daley writing a suspense novel? Phil Schofield writing a coming of age story?) and the opportunities for new writers will decrease.

Can anyone put a positive spin on this? Or tell me I have got it wrong?

I entirely agree that it feels unfair that if you're famous in some way other than by writing, your chances of getting published are vastly increased. When the likes of the ghastly Sarah Ferguson can publish children's books, the world has gone quite mad. Makes me wonder if I could do something to make myself famous, would they then clamour to publish my books? But on another slightly different tack, when I first went on twitter I used to buy the books that were recommended and sounded good. I've yet to find one that way that I thought was any good. They come with huge praise heaped on them and they're just pretentious garbage. Such a disappointment. I've stopped doing that now as it's just a waste of money. Why anyone thought some of those books were worthy of publication is beyond me.

YANBU. DH is on a creative writing course right now, and every single author who has been in to talk to them (non-celeb), has either got their book deal because they were already a journalist and had contacts in publishing, or because their BIL/mum/husband’s friend worked in publishing and got their book in front of somebody.

Not one said they submitted their book to an agent completely cold, and just got taken on on their own merits. Even the agents who spoke to them said that doesn’t really happen because they get sent so much dross.

Not one said they submitted their book to an agent completely cold, and just got taken on on their own merits. Even the agents who spoke to them said that doesn’t really happen because they get sent so much dross.

It's happened to a fair number of people on this board, including me.

One thing: publishing is not a zero-sum game. In fact, popular books by celebrities help keep bookshops and publishing houses open so they can also sell the more unusual works.

Yes, non-famous authors will have to grind more to promote their book, and as expected sales are lower they will not get big advances, but you can still access the market, even if it takes non traditional routes. The more readers, the bigger your market.

@Changechangychange

YANBU. DH is on a creative writing course right now, and every single author who has been in to talk to them (non-celeb), has either got their book deal because they were already a journalist and had contacts in publishing, or because their BIL/mum/husband’s friend worked in publishing and got their book in front of somebody.

Not one said they submitted their book to an agent completely cold, and just got taken on on their own merits. Even the agents who spoke to them said that doesn’t really happen because they get sent so much dross.

I got an agent and a publishing deal through the 'normal' non-celeb submitting process. It's not easy and there were a lot of rejections along the way but it does happen.

It’s good to hear people can get book deals without being married to an agent! Very encouraging for DH.

But I do think it is significantly easier if you have “help”, and that the majority of people get published that way. I mean, the big creative writing MAs are literally sold on that basis, aren’t they? That if you do their creative writing MA, you will get useful contacts out of it, get your work in front of agents, etc, that you wouldn’t get on your own merits if you were a random sending stuff in. Which means that people who can afford to spend £11k on an MA are more likely to get published than people who can’t.

The celeb book is just an extension of a very nepotistic system.

Unfortunately this is the same across the creative industries, 'celebs' doing clothing ranges, releasing homewares etc, it's really sad for those who work hard to try and get a start in the industry. Sadly though, most companies will go with who draws people in and ultimately makes them money, which is invariably well known people.

@everythingcrossed

Not one said they submitted their book to an agent completely cold, and just got taken on on their own merits. Even the agents who spoke to them said that doesn’t really happen because they get sent so much dross.

It's happened to a fair number of people on this board, including me.

Me too. I've never done an MA or a writing course of any kind. I wrote a novel and sent it to agents, had a couple of offers of representation and went with one. I have literally no contacts in the agenting or publishing world. The friends I have now who are novelists or editors are people I've met since at literary festivals etc, I didn't know them before.

You’re not wrong, agents/publishers are taking fewer new authors on and instead actively seeking out celebs and begging them to put their names to ghostwritten books. Self publishing and the amount of free books / free online stuff to read like blogs is putting huge pressure on the publishing industry, they’re fighting back by taking far fewer risks on unknown authors and instead going for names that already have a huge fanbase so there’s a guaranteed return.

It is sad and the industry is shooting itself in the foot...