The Celebrity Factor

There seems to be a deluge of celebrity authors entering the world of crime fiction, some of whom are writing their own books, and some of whom might not be. What are your thoughts on the celebrity author phenomenon, including those utilizing ghosts?

Brenda starting off the week.

I've wondered on occasion about celebrities who switch from working in their chosen profession to authoring a crime fiction novel. Writing a novel isn't easy, and most people spend years gaining the skills to write a good one. They might start with short stories, have first manuscripts in a drawer never to be published, struggle to improve, and take years to finally have a book solid enough to attract a publisher. My sense - rightly or wrongly - is that celebrities get a free ride when it comes to the years of toil needed to land a publisher and possibly a readership. The question is: should they? Is this akin to jumping the queue?

Many celebrities use creativity and imagination in their primary work, and these skills can translate into new art forms, so it's not a stretch to have some of them turn their hand to penning a book. Many have written autobiographies, often with ghost writers. Some turn to crime fiction, often with lesser success. Personally, I've spent a lifetime reading in the genre, and writing a decent mystery is not as easy as it might first appear. (I haven't read a great deal of science fiction and would be less self-assured penning a book in this genre, which has its own conventions and trends.) But I digress.

I think of prosecutor Marcia Clark, whom I remember from the O.J. Simpson trial. I was at a book event where she was promoting her first crime novel. In my mind, she had a lot of first-hand knowledge about cases and the justice system from which to draw as well as expertise. She likely had good writing skills. Each trial is like a story arc, so she'd have experience with these too. Marcia turning her hand to crime fiction seems like a logical progression and she appears to be successful.

James Patterson has written books with famous people, notably Bill Clinton. Recently, Hilary Clinton wrote a political thriller with Louise Penny. This is the only one of these celebrity unions that I read. It was good with lots of inside knowledge evident in the storyline and characters. Could Bill or Hilary have written a crime thriller on their own? Possibly, but joining up with established crime fiction authors certainly fast-tracked their learning curve.

Publishers welcome celebrities who write crime fiction because they already have a fanbase that will likely buy their books. They also have the media's interest making promotion a no-brainer. I can't fault anyone for taking advantage of their celebrity to launch a book. This is a tough business and one should employ every connection to make their novel have a leg up. Many former journalists also use their connections for promotion. Ultimately, if their book isn't good, the public will choose not to buy it or their next book (because word does get out) . 

Even as I wrote the last paragraph, I found myself thinking about not great books that become bestsellers because publishers put resources behind them while better books don't sell as well because the publishers haven't paid for adequate publicity. I also think of media that promote journalists' books while not giving equal access to other authors. None of this is fair, but then we all learn quickly enough, that fairness isn't a factor in the book business. Yet, I honestly cannot fault anyone - celebrity or not - who uses every advantage and connection they have to get their book into the hands of readers. Ultimately, the book has to be good enough to attract and sustain a readership. Crime fiction readers will prove to be the final judges in this regard.

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