From Richard Osman and Millie Bobby Brown to the upcoming book by Keanu Reeves, celebrity novels are everywhere. What’s behind the boom? And how do non-famous writers feel about it?I understood that if I was going to do it, I would have to put 100% of myself into it,” says Richard Osman about writing his debut crime novel The Thursday Murder Club, which was an immediate bestseller when it was published in 2020. He had attempted a novel before, but “I wasn’t giving it everything, I had too much on. And this was the first time where I thought: No, I’m able to focus on this for a couple of years now.” Osman’s agent, Juliet Mushens, adds: “He told me he was working on a novel, but he didn’t want to show it to anyone until he finished the whole thing.” When he did, “we did a couple of drafts and submitted it to publishers”. The rest is history: since The Thursday Murder Club was released, Osman has published three further novels and sold more than 10m books worldwide.He is the most successful example of a phenomenon that is more prominent than ever: the celebrity novelist. Of course, famous people have written novels for decades – from Alan Titchmarsh to Ben Elton. And the children’s market has become saturated with celebrities, including David Walliams, Geri Halliwell-Horner, Paul McCartney and Jamie Oliver. But sales of adult fiction by celebrities have remained relatively low, until recently. According to Nielsen BookScan data, in 2018 the Top 100 paperback fiction... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'
[ The Guardian | 2024-01-13 09:00:12 UTC ]
Management have moved to reassure staff and writers that selling the 47% holding will not affect business, but authors and agents express uneaseAuthors and staff have reacted cautiously to news that Pearson is to sell its stake in Penguin Random House (PRH), the world’s biggest publisher and... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In 18 months, the Instagram star’s three titles have sold more books than any other UK weight-loss title since records beganInstagrammer turned publishing sensation Joe Wicks is now the author of the UK’s biggest-selling diet books since records began.The Body Coach’s three Lean in 15 books have... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2017-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Unit sales of print books declined 5% in the week ended Jan. 8, 2017, compared to the similar week in 2016, at outlets that report to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-01-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anne Perry is set to join Simon & Schuster UK as editorial director of adult fiction from her role as commissioning editor at Hodder. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The book market has seen strong Christmas trading, with the week leading up to the big day ranking the highest in value since 2007, figures from Nielsen BookScan have shown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After sales of print books were down almost 6% between Thanksgiving week and the week ended December 18, 2016 compared to the same period in 2015, units jumped 21% in the week leading up to Christmas, according to figures from Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-12-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Workers from Unite and NUJ fear move heralds industrial strife at company that publishes one in four books sold globallyPenguin Random House, the publisher of hits including The Girl on the Train, Fifty Shades of Grey and Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks, has terminated its collective agreement with... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-12-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams’ The Midnight Gang (HarperCollins Children's) has struck (number) one for a fifth consecutive week, shifting 80,968 copies for £466,987, according to Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sally Whitaker, one of the key figures behind the inception of Nielsen Bookscan is remembered, with her time as m.d. of J Whitaker & Son notable for its many groundbreaking advances. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Beano Annual 2017 (D C Thomson) is on track to be the biggest selling children’s annual this Christmas, with sales of 13,401 units (£52,549 in value terms) to date, according to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-12-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams has once again secured the UK Official Top 50 number one spot, with The Midnight Gang (HarperCollins Children's) shifting 81,216 copies for £467,852, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams has clinched the UK Official Top 50 number one spot for a third week running, as The Midnight Gang (HarperCollins Children's) sold 78,950 copies for £449,629 through Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Walliams has put the brakes on The Girl on the Train’s 12-week run at the top of the chart, with The Midnight Gang (HarperCollins Children's) striking the Official UK Top 50 number one spot with a resounding chime, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-11-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'The Magnolia Story' by Chip and Joanna Gaines, stars of HGTV's 'Fixer Upper,' sold more than 121,000 print copies in its first week on sale, according to Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-10-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Figures show that game-playing vloggers’ print debut sold more than 26,000 copies in its first three days on sale last weekA week after the starting gun was fired on the race to the top of the Christmas book charts, YouTube superstars the Sidemen have emerged in front of the likes of Jamie... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sidemen: The Book (Coronet), authored by the supergroup of gaming YouTubers, has become the biggest-selling title of Super Thursday 2016, via Nielsen BookScan. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie Oliver and Phil Collins go up against Ladybird parodies and Danish coziness on bumper publishing day Jamie Oliver and Phil Collins will do battle against Ladybird and the Danish concept of hygge in the race to be Christmas No 1 in the UK book charts, which begins in earnest with the... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2016-10-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booksellers are preparing for this year’s Super Thursday (20th October), with anticipated blockbusters from Jamie Oliver, Phil Collins and Martina Cole among a host of titles released that day with hopes of securing the Christmas number one. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bruce Springsteen has thundered into the Official UK Top 50 number one spot with his memoir Born to Run (Simon & Schuster), which sold 37,518 copies for £437,540, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-10-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Girl on the Train (Black Swan) has run away with both first and second place in the Official UK Top 50, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2016-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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