The curious case of celebrities turning authors
While celebrity status may open doors in the publishing world, the quality of writing remains paramount in determining a book's impact and critical reception.
On a rare sultry day in Bengaluru, the dust had laid siege to my book piles ditched unread, and I was adrift, scouring the web for a pool of new book releases. Little effort did it take to discover that Alia Bhatt has recently turned into an author with her children's book Ed finds a Home hot off the press. I soon learnt that Prajakta Koli's upcoming debut romance novel is to be published by HarperCollins later this year.
Memoirs, children's books, self-help books and even novels penned by famous faces are cropping up on bookshelves. A peculiar trend has swept through the literary world, where renowned individuals are landing book deals with the most celebrated publishing houses. Not only are these celebrity/influencer-authored titles getting increasingly commissioned, but they are also saturating the bestseller lists. This triggers a debate on whether writing books has become an elite celebrity exclusive phenomenon.
The publisher's point of view
Though it is art, and many consider it sacrosanct — in the end, publishing books is a business, and profits are paramount. The allure of celebrity-authored books is multifaceted. With the commercial pull of a celebrity name, fans are pre-sold, book tours become media events, and publishers salivate at the guaranteed sales boost. For publishers, these books represent a low-risk investment with high potential returns.
Speaking about the Indian market, Shreya Punj, an independent consultant and the former commissioning editor at Penguin Random House and HarperCollins, said: "Given the fact that we, as a country, have parasocial relationships with anybody who is even moderately famous, it makes sense for publishers to make money out of books that they know have a high demand."
This commercial appeal has led publishers to prioritise celebrity projects — because, ultimately, publishers too need to make ends meet, and a product with a guaranteed consumer base is a no-brainer. The final word of the flag-wavers of the 'celebrity-turned-author' trope seems to be that publishing is an already sinking ship, and anything that prevents it from drowning is perfectly acceptable.
Is publishing accessible to all authors?
Critics contend that celebrity books often overshadow works by dedicated career authors, potentially crowding diverse voices and literary innovation. There's a valid concern that name recognition, rather than literary merit, becomes the primary driver of book sales and publicity.
"I don't think that there's any debate there. The fact is that it is easy for them (influential individuals) to get a deal with the publishing houses. However, it took them years of building themselves in their field to reach a point where this is easy. But when I feel sad that influencers get (book) deals but regular people can't as easily, I remind myself that at the end of the day, (publishers are) commercial enterprises and for them, a book is a product. And there's no denying that obscure people get published, just the process is way trickier for them," said Nona Uppal, the author of Fool Me Twice, published by Penguin Random House India, 2024, who is now also an influencer.
The surge of celebrity books has made it increasingly challenging for traditional authors to break into the market. It is a widespread speculation amongst budding authors that publishers, driven by the need for profitability, tend to allocate more resources to celebrity projects, leaving fewer opportunities for new or mid-list authors.
"Getting published by a traditional publisher has always been a difficult feat for up-and-coming authors, and now, with the rise in the number of celebrities and influencers getting their books published, it has become even more competitive. I pitched to around nine traditional publishing houses before one of them accepted my manuscript. Some of the publishers didn't respond at all, one rejected my proposal, and one wasn't accepting manuscript submissions at the time. So, it is hard for emerging writers to get represented by prominent publishing houses. Often, the author's popularity overshadows their talent." said Anam Tariq, poet and author of A Leaf upon a Book published by Leadstart.
The element of ghostwriting in celebrity-authored books
While celebrities are the best marketers of their books, they are, at times, not the best ones to write them. The role of ghostwriters in celebrity-authored books is a contentious and often opaque aspect of this spectacle. While some celebrities openly acknowledge working with ghostwriters or co-authors, many present their books as solely their own work, raising questions about authenticity and credit.
In arts, the concept of credits is sacrosanct. Many argue this arrangement of ghostwriting is such that it puts the celebrity's brand appeal to the forefront, and the actual artist behind the work is left unknown in the shadows. But still, the stories of these prominent personalities should be told as well. A fair middle ground seems to disclose that a book has been ghostwritten.
"I would prefer if a celebrity hired a great ghostwriter. The life is theirs, but if I'm reading it, at least the writing should be good. So, if they understand that they're not great writers, I respect their self-awareness in entrusting the story's writing to someone good at the craft," said Punj, bringing up Spare by Prince Harry, who clearly states that his book has been ghostwritten. "However, this level of honesty and transparency is still underappreciated in Indian culture," she added.
Books: The brand builder?
Writing a book helps to build credibility for the celebrity, which is why many have started seeing books as a means to build their brand. Often, the trend of celebrities writing books is less about literary ambition and more about strategic extensions of their brand. In this view, authorship is just another tool in the modern celebrity's arsenal for maintaining relevance, expanding their audience, and diversifying their income streams.
This might not be true for the most established celebrities and influencers, but nascent ones are entrapped into thinking that writing a book would help elevate their overall appeal, which is perhaps why the internet is full of courses and workshops claiming to help one write a book in a week or so.
Many in the literary community would agree that if the sole resolution to writing a book is brand building, it is a disservice to the art of storytelling.
"I am not concerned when someone approaches it primarily from the perspective of brand building, because I would not classify it as art or literature. But from a purely artistic point of view, it's slightly contradictory. For instance, you wouldn't record a song if you didn't listen to music; you wouldn't make a movie if you weren't like a fanatic going to the theatre every Friday to catch the latest release. I find it disingenuous because if a person comes out and says that I've written a book, even when they don't read books, I would not read their book as creation cannot happen without the consumption of art,” said Uppal.
The pen remains mightier
While celebrity status may open doors in the traditional publishing world, ultimately, the quality of writing remains paramount in determining a book's lasting impact and critical reception. This fundamental truth serves as both a great equaliser and a stark reality check for celebrities venturing into authorship.
Critics and discerning readers are quick to distinguish between celebrity books that demonstrate true literary merit and those that seem to coast on name recognition alone. This scrutiny can be particularly intense for celebrity authors as their works are often held to an even higher standard.
Still, industry professionals such as Punj remain optimistic about writing and publishing as a democratic space and deny its absolute skewness towards celebrities. "Given the prevalence of social media and how these books are now marketed by celebrities or content creators themselves, it appears that everybody is talking about them — but that is all in the confines of a bubble and can't be generalised into a larger picture," Punj added.
Clearly, publishing books in the present day is a multi-tiered edifice of marketing, influence, relevance, etc, but what remains at its foundation is the very craft of writing.
Suvrat Arora is an independent writer based in Bengaluru, India. His words have appeared in Al Jazeera, Vogue India, The Hindu and elsewhere. Areas of his interest include society, literature, art, culture, books and technology. The views expressed are personal
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