There is no doubt that an author with a celebrity status and who is in the public eye will have a huge impact on the success of a book, just by knowing who they are. This is irrespective of the merits or otherwise, of the book's content.
Non-celebrity authors
As a published author, my life has changed to the life I had before. My writing has brought a new-found confidence that wasn't there before. But for non-celebrity authors, their writing is a different experience.
Where they may have success in writing to get their books published, non-celebrity authors are not in the public gaze, and it generally speaking, is difficult to get noticed. Celebrities don’t have to try. There are some good celebrity authors out there, but generally when their biographies are written for them, their books sell just by the nature of them being in the public eye.
Celebrity authors
Celebrity authors are guaranteed their books will sell. For the rest of us, we live in hope. Given the fact we’re in a global pandemic and the UK did Brexit, finding success in the writing industry has become even harder for people like me.
Challenges for non-celebrity authors
The world is status based, and it's even more of a challenge for non-celebrity authors. It's difficult to kick start anything resembling a successful professional writing career, without the status to match.
By the nature of being a Celebrity, they are able to secure larger incomes, just by the fact they are famous, which has nothing to do with their writing. It isn't the same for non-celebrity authors.
Status shouldn't matter
But books are books, and status shouldn't matter, and merit should have everything to do with books, regardless of status. If it's a good read what does it matter that a celebrity hasn't written it, as long as there is a demand. The world has changed and the book industry is changed. What is staggering is that in the twenty-first century, a name and status sell, with non-celebrity authors continually playing catch up. Their books should matter too.
Given the industry is already struggling, isn't it time we all changed and support on merit, not on status? If a book catches your eye, and it is written by a non-celebrity author, give the author a chance to prove they can write. You may get something out of reading their books.
If you are interested in sourcing a copy of my books, you can order kindle or paperback copies on Amazon and through the following link https://linktr.ee/Ilana_Estelle
Great writers like yourself, often paint themselves as non celebrity authors, because you don't feed your own ego.
You write to the existence of the spirit in people, helping them with pains of reality.
So let's be real about this, your readers get the best of literature and logic in print, no doubt about that.
As for celebrity status, that will eventually happen, but your works are more regarded than that.
Thanks Tim. It helps to have that conversation. Thank you... it is important for any writer to take a breather and ask the questions, to understand just how much of an impact their writing has on the audience they write for.
Through 12-years of writing for my blog, and as I continue to write in what is very much a changed world, it is difficult to know just what impact my writing has on my readers. I never have to sway or worry I'm saying the wrong thing and I also never have needed to question my integrity or morality around what I write, so that's all good.
As you say, I have never worked from my ego also, but I do have self-doubt, because it's human nature to second guess what other people may think of me, my blog, or my success. While some may be in awe of what I have managed to achieve, my experience is others may not be happy at my success and that can unfairly have a bearing on future success.
As for success itself, all writers crave a little success and a status to match, whether they are a celebrity writer or not. It may not be why they started to write, but like all careers, they would want to recoup some success. They're no different to anyone else.
I know that when I rewind back to when the world was easier, say 6 or 7 years ago, these self-doubts I have, weren't self-doubts at all. Times have changed and as a result, it's getting harder to write.
Well said, Tim! Sometimes Ilana can be too self-effacing and needs a reminder of her achievements from someone on the forum, other than me, so thank you for posting this.
Well, I have never been paid a compliment in my life, so finding this difficult.
It upsets me that it has also taken me a long time to comprehend and own my achievements and now that I have, I couldn't be more proud!