Podcast – Celebrity Picture Books
We tackle the touchy topic of celebrity picture books in today’s Picture Book Summit Roundtable discussion,
So, what’s the truth about celebrity picture books? Do celebrities get to cut the line when it comes to publishing? Are they held to a lower standard than lesser-known writers? Is it the celebrity’s fault or the editor’s fault when a celebrity picture book is poorly written? Do they help or hurt the industry?
We have the opportunity to hear what it’s like to be and/or work with a celebrity author as Emma Walton Hamilton shares her experience of writing with her mother, actress Julie Andrews. You might be surprised what it’s like on the flip side of the celebrity book coin.
Then we discuss the frustrations that come when hard-working picture book authors see yet another celebrity picture book author making their way to bookshelves and soaking up all the publicity dollars of their publisher.
There’s lots to say on both sides of the great celebrity picture book debate. Let’s jump right in!
Articles mentioned in this episode:
- The Guardian View on Celebrity Authors
- The Guardian: “It’s quite galling”: Children’s Authors Frustrated by Rise in Celebrity-Penned Titles
Listen here:
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Elayne Crain
March 4, 2025 at 4:48 pmThese are always interesting, but this one was particularly so! I love that Emma shared her experience, too! 🙂
Audrey Ades
March 4, 2025 at 7:05 pmAn editor at one of the Big Five publishers told me that the agent of a celebrity once brought her a ziplock bag filled with slips of paper on which were written IDEAS for a “great pb.” The stated expectation was that the editor would pull it together into a book. I was astonished when she told me she called her staff and interns into her office, dumped the slips of paper in the bag onto a work table, and worked on it for about a month until it was a “great pb” by this celebrity. This was about 15 years ago. I hope that kind of thing doesn’t still happen.
Susan Burdorf
March 4, 2025 at 9:47 pmWhile I realize this podcast is to encourage discussion and thoughtful consideration of the topic, I have to admit that this one touched a chord with me – a bit of a jangly chord at that. I have long felt that celebrities get the fast pass when it comes to publishing, whether in PBs or other literature, and nothing will change my mind on that. At conferences I have heard agents actually say they live for the celebrity book they might one day publish because even if it bombs, they can say they did it and that they have that in their inventory and one agent even went so far as to say most celebrity books start as a novelty and then disappear into the woodwork (with a few exceptions they didn’t mention) but in the meantime they make money and have the book’s publication as part of their company’s reputation. I agree a good book is a good book no matter the author, and I hope some of those awful books you mentioned will have their author’s thinking twice about publishing again. without doing the homework. Thanks for a fun podcast.
Sharon A. Fox
March 12, 2025 at 8:41 pmIn regards to Meghan Markle’s book, “The Bench” it was not first written as a book…it was originally a poem she wrote for her husband, Prince Harry, on his first Father’s Day, a month after the birth of their son Archie. Pat Zietlow Miller’s picture book “When You Are Brave” was not first written as a picture book but as a pep talk that the author wrote to herself.. The author’s words are paired with beautiful illustrations that tell an emotional story. And this combination works. Jane Yolen’s picture book, “How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?” was not first written as a book but as a poem the author wrote for her editor’s 2 year old son who loved dinosaurs and hated going to bed at night. When Yolen faxed the poem to her editor, her editor responded back with not only a big thank you you but an offer to buy the poem and turn it into a book. The book ended up being Yolen’s most awarded book and quickest to write..
Not every poem or pep talk is going to make a great picture book. Not everyone is going to like the same book. ( I happened to like “The Bench” because I have an emotional attachment to a couple of family benches and I am a giant Christian Robinson’s fan) …..and not every celebrity is going to write as well as Jamie lee Curtis and Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton.
I understand it may appear that well known people get to cut to the front of the line but as Emma has shared that isn’t always the case…just look at the 7 years of revisions and rewrites it took to finally get a green-“light on her book, ” The First Notes: The Story of Do, Re, Mi” .
I have bought a handful of picture books from some celebrity authors that I thought would to be very promising due to the reviews I read but turned out to be big disappointments. I’m not going to complain though because in my opinion any book getting made is a miracle….Some miracles are shinier than others … and the world needs more miracles.
Gigi Matlack
March 13, 2025 at 2:14 pmWhat an animated and informative discussion on a controversial topic! It was great to have two articles from The Guardian as reference and to further expand on this discussion. There are many lessons here, not the least of which is the importance of marketing…which as Emma pointed out, may be something an author has to entirely own. Even if that is not the case, some editors are asking authors to propose concrete marketing ideas right along with their manuscripts. Thanks for such a punchy podcast!