Among the details on Target’s product page for the official Taylor Swift Eras Tour commemorative book—256 pages; Buried beneath the header are 500 photos and personal reflections written by Swift. “Specs” This part is definitely overlooked by most Swift fans. which provides less relevant information than the book’s price ($39.99) and release date. (in stores on Black Friday and online the next day), but the book industry took notice. Her publisher is listed as “Taylor Swift Publications.” This superstar is bypassing traditional publishing and releasing her own books. This might not be too shocking. She likes to cut out the middleman, Swift her out. Era Concert films were sent directly to AMC Theaters and early albums were recorded. Her new after ownership dispute She also has a long-standing retail relationship with Target, which will be the book’s exclusive retailer.
For the company that produced and sold this book can was interpreted as a warning sign, because every dollar spent on what was sure to be a wildly successful product (Swifties was such a big spender that economists feared her trip would cause power surges European inflation rate) is the dollar that publishers miss. But her decision did not benefit him at all. Focus on big names The industry is more than a sign of the times. This is a symptom, not a cause, of changes in the relationship between these businesses and celebrities.
The day after Swift announced her book, David Shelley, CEO of Hachette, one of the “Big Five” book publishers, say Something that has received much less attention at the Frankfurt Book Fair, he says, Hachette will focus on introducing readers to the author’s existing catalogue, to”There are businesses that do not rely heavily on popularity.– Bestsellers, a cornerstone of the industry, have become “the icing on the cake,” he explains. The book industry continues to welcome the buzz and sales that superstars can bring. But publishers are also relying more and more on what they already have, such as old books that have passed down generations of value. What they call it is in the reserve account.
Shelley’s sentiments reflect the long-term trend of famous writers. Swift isn’t the first star to reverse the publishing landscape to her own advantage. It means money, followers, notoriety. Have you discovered yourself or created your own work? non-traditional management– Colin Kaepernick and Donald Trump has released his own series of books in 2022. Brandon Sanderson is a well-known and prolific sci-fi and fantasy author. Raise a million Dollar through Kickstarter to publish four of his own novels. Colleen Hoover, best-selling novelist Continue to self-publish. Books, although it has entered into a relationship with Atria Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster (with upcoming book deals signed with two additional publishers).
But even there is a profit motive from doing everything yourself. But it seems unlikely that every celebrity will follow in Swift’s footsteps – publishing a book is difficult and expensive. And it takes more than public relations expertise. Just a few celebrities Especially those who want to polish their personal brand. Will have the strength or interest of editors, lawyers, designers, proofreaders. rights expert and other experts Everything you need to create, distribute, and sell books. The editing process in particular is useful for many people. “Regardless of their stature,” Jane Friedman, who reports on the publishing industry, told me, among other things, the less glamorous parts of publishing. How do you get your name into the local bookstore in Des Moines or Munich? What happens if you ship a book? fell into the sea?—Better let it be someone else’s problem. Many celebrities who aren’t as enthusiastic as Swift about building an empire might, as Friedman put it, think. “Do I really need to do this?” (Swift, with its Target relationship and product placement expertise, are ready to discuss this matter)
If the value a publisher provides to a publisher may vary. The value that celebrity provides to publishers has always been important. Shelley, CEO of Hachette and avid Swift fan, told me, “Of course I’d be lying if I said it wouldn’t be my dream to. We’re going to publish a Taylor Swift book.” Big, big sellers can build businesses. At the 2022 Antitrust Fair test Regarding the proposed merger of Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, executives explained: “Printing is a portfolio business. with little book-driven profitability.” This setup means that substantial resources are still being pooled for projects for established writers. Many of whom are famous
But “celebrity isn’t a financial saving grace for traditional publishers,” Friedman told me. They can be a significant contributor to a company’s bottom line, she said, but “they need enough work to sell as well as most names.” Slapping a famous name on a book doesn’t make the product impressive. always Sometimes celebrities talk about their fame and follow big sales and buzz. Although of course not everyone. Not all players (or their projects) are created equal. Britney Spears’ 2023 book woman in meIt has sold nearly 1 million copies, according to Circana Bookscan, which tracks sales figures. In other cases, the performance has been less impressive—this of Billie Eilish With 2023’s self-titled book, which has sold only about 81,000 copies, readers want something new and interesting to delve into. Especially when they can view pictures and posts from their favorite stars online at any time. The variance in sales for big-name authors is also part of the reason publishers are doubling down on new (old) revenue.
The “Vegas” format of betting on some of the big games each year is being toned down to focus on what the company has already released. (or received from acquisition (competitor backup list), printing industry analyst Thad McIlroy tells me, is long. smaller worry of publishers. Interest in backlists is increasing rapidly, as are Amazon and social media Disrupting the way books are sold and discovered (See Chris Anderson’s 2006 book long tailpublished by Hachette for more information on this phenomenon). People buy a lot of books. Many of which are old And this has accelerated change: in 2020, two-thirds of book sales were secondary books, and by 2022 that number is closer to 70 percent. Shelley reaffirmed to me what he said at Frankfurt: Although one win is “always fun”, the focus is on the reserve list and working with the writers on the book. Many are Hachette’s mainstays, he said, adding that TikTok in particular has “fundamentally changed” the way people search for books. By allowing works that are decades old. He cited the novels of the late sci-fi author Octavia Butler as an example. To find new audiences and engage online
Nothing happens very fast in the publishing world. and is unlikely to suddenly fall out of the popular trend Swift’s new book is more likely to become a relic than a classic. In the next few years Simple project More from the singer could result in a more traditional book deal that any publisher would be happy to do. The industry is waiting for her next work—Memoir? A novel that has been rumored for a long time?—and guessed, or at least hoped, that she would turn to them.
Still, one of the most promising courses. The best (and most prudent) solution for the Big Five in the long run is to spend less energy chasing after the giants, says Maris Kreizman, a writer with deep experience in the industry. tells me she’s optimistic about the shift in priorities. “I hope this helps draw attention. Some (publishers) get away with attracting celebrities,” she said. “The time and energy they spend on that type of book can be used to help make other books. grow and find an audience.” This virtuous cycle can only happen if publishers have the same faith in other writers that they have given their celebrity. When there are fewer celebrities in the picture Maybe they could focus on the quirky, lively work of smaller writers, that kind of exodus far from the coldness of the book world. Might make it more interesting.
