Keanu and co: how celebrities became bestselling novelists

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 ]
News tagged with: #geri halliwell-horner #paul mccartney #jamie oliver #adult fiction #celebrity author #tom hanks #including books #dolly parton #novelists #nielsen bookscan #upcoming book

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Keanu and co: how celebrities became bestselling novelists'


Chronicle Restyles 'Letters to My' Bestsellers

Chronicle Books has redesigned four of its popular "Letters to My" gift packages for 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-30 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chronicle books


The week's bestselling books, Dec. 3

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, December 3 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-29 14:00:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling books #independent bookstore


Apple Books Names 2023 Bestsellers, Launches 'Year in Review' Feature

A new feature on Apple Books gives users Spotify Wrapped–style insights into their reading habits in 2023—a year in which Jack Carr, Prince Harry, Britney Spears, and Rebecca Yarros topped the Apple Books charts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-28 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #reading habits #jack carr #prince harry #britney spears #apple books


The week's bestselling books, Nov. 26

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, November 26 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-22 14:00:26 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling books #independent bookstore


Herbert Gold, Postwar Novelist of Love and Marriage, Dies at 99

He emerged in the 1950s as a promising young writer exploring the emotional lives of ordinary men and women and the complexities of Jewish identity in America. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-20 23:46:03 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young writer


Mick Herron’s Surprise Career as a Blockbuster Spy Novelist

The author of the “Slow Horses” series says he relates more with failures. With millions of books sold and the third season of the series airing next month, he may have to wrap his head around success. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-19 10:00:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mick herron #books sold


This Week's Bestsellers: November 20, 2023

BookTok sensation Rebecca Yarros has the #1 book in the country with 'Iron Flame,' sequel to 'Fourth Wing,' which appears twice on our top 10 list. Plus Christopher Paolini returns to the world of Eragon with 'Murtagh,' and Ali Hazelwood makes a foray into YA with 'Check & Mate.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fourth wing


The week's bestselling books, Nov. 19

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, November 19 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-15 14:00:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling books #independent bookstore


Spotlight on Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 Bestsellers

Want to learn more about other 33 1/3's latest titles? Here's a smattering of bestsellers from Bloomsbury's line of short books about popular music. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-15 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #latest titles #short books #popular music


‘It is a beast that needs to be tamed’: leading novelists on how AI could rewrite the future

Novelists and poets, Bernardine Evaristo, Jeanette Winterson, Stephen Marche and others, consider the threats and thrilling possibilities of artificial intelligenceChatGPT seems to have blindsided us all. In less than a year it has proved that it can make writers redundant, which is one of the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-11-11 09:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bernardine evaristo #jeanette winterson #stephen marche #writers guild #jodi picoult #creative writing #novelists


This Week's Bestsellers: November 13, 2023

Erin French has the #7 book in the country with 'Big Heart Little Stove,' which follows her cookbook 'The Lost Kitchen' and memoir 'Finding Freedom.' Plus the Fonz writes about 'Being Henry,' and a new hockey romance skates onto our list. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: ##7 book #finding freedom #memoir #cookbook


The week's bestselling books, Nov. 12

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, November 12 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-08 14:00:12 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling books #independent bookstore


The 'Wall Street Journal' Drops Its Bestseller Lists

With this past weekend's edition, the 'Journal' has ended running weekly bestseller lists. The paper had carried a total of seven lists. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestseller lists #past weekend


This Week's Bestsellers: November 6, 2023

Britney Spears tops the bestseller list, two third novels in series see sales breakthroughs, a book on Mitt Romney does notably well, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-11-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestseller list


Celebrity Narrators: The ‘Matchmaking’ Behind Britney Spears and Michelle Williams

Snippets of Michelle Williams’s narration of Britney Spears’s new memoir have proved explosively popular online. But what goes into selecting a celebrity reader for an audiobook? Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-11-01 22:47:54 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #britney spears #michelle williams #memoir


The week's bestselling books, Nov. 5

Southern California Independent Bookstore Bestsellers list for Sunday, November 5 Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-11-01 10:00:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bestselling books #independent bookstore


Trauma and drama: Britney Spears and the risky business of celebrity memoirs

The celebrity memoir is booming. But while such books have become part of entertainers' brand management, the focus on salacious details poses risks. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-10-28 08:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #britney spears #risky business #celebrity memoirs #celebrity memoir #memoir


This Week's Bestsellers: October 30, 2021

John Grisham is #1 and Rachel Maddow is #2 as their new books bring them back to the bestseller list, plus solid showings from Dolly Parton, Jada Pinkett Smith, and an ever-popular manga. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john grisham #rachel maddow #bestseller list #dolly parton #ever-popular manga


This Week's Bestsellers: October 30, 2023

John Grisham is #1 and Rachel Maddow is #2, plus Dolly Parton, Jada Pinkett Smith, and an ever-popular manga all have a good week. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-10-27 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #good week #john grisham #rachel maddow #dolly parton #ever-popular manga #manga


Bologna at Frankfurt: Tour, Audio, and Bestseller Awards

Those busy Bologna Book Fair(s) rolled out a trio of announcements at Frankfurt Book Fair, ahead of the April show in Italy. The post Bologna at Frankfurt: Tour, Audio, and Bestseller Awards appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-10-26 02:47:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #post bologna #bologna book