Week 7 Prompt
(Strayed, 2013).
When Reese Withspoon’s book club recommended Maria Hummel’s
novel Still Lives, her book sales
jumped 103 percent over three months (Nichols, 2019, para. 2). Celebrity
Inspired Books Clubs like those of Andrew Luck, Emma Roberts, Sarah Jessica
Parker, Emma Watson, Barack Obama, Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon can do a lot to
help publishers, authors, and even independent book stores. I believe that some
celebrities recommend books based on the greater good, sharing diverse voices,
and highlighting fresh and original content like they say they do.
Nichols (2019) said “Celebrity book clubs are also helping
draw customers to local bookstores (para. 10). One Boston based bookstore call
Papercuts JP saw an increase in sales since being featured by Emma Roberts’
Belletrist book club that picks an independent book store each month.
I do not believe that all celebrities recommend books out of
the goodness of their hearts. I believe that there is some behind the scenes
dealing. I think that companies like Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine reach
out to publishers before recommending books for their book club. It could be
about getting something in return.
Tannenbaum (2020) said of Witherspoon’s production company
by the same name “Founded in 2016, Hello Sunshine is focused solely on telling
women’s stories” (para. 3). I do not think that is all that is going on here. Look
how Reese Witherspoon herself stared the movie Wild after recommending Cheryl Strayed’s book by the same title. I
feel like Reese got more out of this book than the author.
In conclusion, as an author, having a celebrity pick up your
novel could significantly help you promote your book, but there could be a down
side. Your book may be always associated with that celebrity, even though they
did not really do anything but recommend it. Also, a powerful celebrity might
carry your book places that you are not ready to go, like optioning it to be
made into a movie. At very best, I do not know that celebrities are qualified
to recommend the books that people should be reading, so it really matters who
they have helping them choose the books.
References
Nichols, M. (2019). How the new celebrity book clubs are
boosting literary sales. Variety. https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/reese-witherspoon-celebrity-book-clubs-little-fires-everywhere-1203279897/
Strayed, C. (2013). Wild:
From lost to found on the Pacific Crest Trail. Thorndike Press.
Tannenbaum, E. (2020). Reese Witherspoon’s production
company, Hello Sunshine, is behind so many projects. Glamour. https://www.glamour.com/story/reese-witherspoon-production-company-hello-sunshine
I did not realize that Reese Witherspoon had her own book club. Every time I see Witherspoon on TV, I think back to when she and her husband were pulled over. She told the officer, "Don't you know who I am?" That just rubbed me the wrong way. I don't think I would want her to promote my book if I was an author.
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
DeleteHi Jackie! While I agree that Witherspoon benefitted by starring in the screen version of the book that her book club promoted, I don't think that she specifically is a villain. She is a celebrity, but she also has a business to run- many celebrities are involved in ventures beyond just the media that they "star" in. As for if celebrities are "qualified" to recommend books, that seems a little bit like gatekeeping- I think if someone has read a book then they can recommend it.
ReplyDeleteHi Haley! If Reese Witherspoon were just claiming to recommend books she enjoyed, that's one thing, but I think gatekeeping (or at least a more critical eye) might be a little more appropriate for a book club that comes from a company that purports to have any kind of mission, however benevolent
ReplyDeleteFantastic response!
ReplyDelete