Celebrity Children’s Authors: the saviour or foe of children’s publishing?
Increasingly, more and more celebrities are landing children’s books deals. One of the most recent being Richard Ayoade, with Walker Books confirming a two-book deal with the comedian, film director, screenwriter, actor and now children’s author.
In an already saturated market, it has been argued that children’s books written by celebrities are limiting opportunities for new children’s authors to affect the market. Yet, these celebrities seem to be encouraging a new audience of readers into the literary world. Through this, are celebrity children’s authors encouraging diversity in the children’s literary market?
New audience of readers
In a 2020 study, it was found that “in a survey of 60,000 UK children, a third felt they did not see themselves in the books they read, across class, race and gender”.
Celebrities can offer a new reader familiarity and an entry point into reading. Moreover, due to their established fanbases, celebrities can achieve a greater outreach. For example, James Daunt claimed that celebrity titles can be viewed as a “gateway” into reading for “boys who don’t read very well”.
But is a “gateway” into reading all that celebrity children’s authors can offer? Fiona Noble argues “at best, celebrities can entice non-readers, at worst they undermine the craft of writing itself”. Whilst celebrities can encourage a reluctant reader to pick up a book, this could be at the detriment of non-celebrity children’s authors and their work.
But what about the authors?
The children’s market is continuing to grow which has been largely accredited to the focus on celebrity authored books, which are often given big marketing budgets due to their established fanbases. But does this decrease the diversity of authorship in children’s books?
It is important to note that there are celebrity authors that do have a clear purpose and offer something new to the market. Nadiya Hussain’s children’s book, My Monster and Me, helps facilitate a conversation between children and adults around anxiety, taken from Nadiya’s personal experiences of anxiety since childhood.
But it becomes “distasteful” when the reason a celebrity may be publishing a children’s book is not entirely clear. Sometimes they are ghost-written and used to “further a brand, like a perfume or a watch”, making it harder for non-celebrity authors, whose writing is their livelihood, to affect the market. Instead, there needs to be a focus on helping non-celebrity authors get their work out there amongst a market of celebrity authored books, in order to “foster new talent and promote a diversity of authors beyond the cult of celebrity”.
Striking the right balance
Is it unfair to lump all celebrity children’s authors into the same category? Yes, but authors and publishers have a responsibility to ensure books being put out into the children’s book market are of value to children.
Joanna de Guia, a school librarian, noticed that if state schools have a library, they usually rely on donated books, many of which are celebrity authored. de Guia explains “the kids recognise the name, so they choose it — but they don’t always go on reading anything else”. Within such a saturated market, it is also important that literary gatekeepers “broaden awareness of what books are out there”.
It is an ongoing battle to increase the diversification of authorship and readership in the publishing industry. Whilst there are celebrity authored children’s books that offer something different to the market, it is important to evaluate for what purpose the book is being published. Ultimately, it is about putting stories out there that children can relate to, and understand other people’s experiences through, that is key to remember.
Cain, S. (2020) Famous first words: how celebrities made their way on to children’s bookshelves. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/12/famous-first-words-how-celebrities-made-their-way-on-to-childrens-bookshelves. [Accessed: 04/02/2021].
Comerford, R. (2021) Walker signs Ayoade’s first children’s books. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/walker-signs-ayoades-debut-childrens-book-1233501. [Accessed 05/02/2021].
Marks, A. (2020) The good and bad of children’s books by celebrities. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2020/dec/14/the-good-and-bad-of-childrens-books-by-celebrities. [Accessed 05/02/2021].
Noble, F. (2017) Finding a balance on celebrity authors. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/blogs/finding-balance-celebrity-authors-646056. [Accessed: 04/02/2021].
Page, B. (2018) Nadiya Hussain picture book to tackle childhood anxiety. [Online] Available at: https://www.thebookseller.com/news/nadiya-hussain-tackle-childhood-anxiety-hodder-childrens-picture-book-793576. [Accessed: 05/02/2021].
Tappin, F. (2020) The Influence of Celebrity Authors on Children’s Publishing | The Bookseller Children’s Conference. [Online] Available at: https://publishingdegree.co.uk/2020/10/09/the-influence-of-celebrity-authors-on-childrens-publishing/. [Accessed 04/02/2021].
