#40 Why Are Publishers Attracted to Influencer-Written Books?
From celebrities like Rani Mukerji to content creators like Sana Grover and MostlySane, more and more influencers are becoming published authors. How are publishers benefiting from this?
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Recently, HarperCollins acquired Rani Mukerji’s memoir– a candid, deeply personal narrative, and a “sure-shot treat for her fans and readers”. Although celebrities and influencers writing books is not a new phenomenon in the US, this trend has been rising in India in the past two years and it definitely cannot be overlooked. Most of these publications have been nonfiction focused on the influencer’s area of expertise, like Shivesh Bhatia’s (shivesh17) cookbook or Dr Tanaya Narendra’s (dr_cuterus) book on health and sexuality, or the array of Bollywood celebrities writing about their journey.
In a world where content is typically bite-sized and fleeting, a book can be a relatively permanent medium that also allows influencers to tap into different demographics.
Leeza Mangaldas, a sexuality educator, content creator, and author of ‘The Sex Book’ says that writing a book is the best way to have all the information she wants to share in one place, and “unlike an Instagram reel, [I] have more than 90 seconds to make [my] points”. A book can also be a powerful tool in building a personal brand, which is “the next big thing to capitalise on”, according to Sharan Hegde, author of ‘Zero to Viral’- a book on successful content creation.
From a publisher’s perspective, there is the undeniable role of influencer marketing that provides publishers guaranteed sales and revenue owing to an established loyal audience.
In fact, a report released by a group of media companies in 2023 showed that 70% of Indians believe that they can be swayed by influencer endorsements.
Satish Gulati, owner of Chetna Prakashan– a Punjab-based publication, addressed the recent boom of influencer-written books in Ludhiana. “Having a large number of followers on social media platforms surely impacts the demand for books and also makes promoting them much easier, as Instagram marketing is much more effective than that on Facebook and WhatsApp”.
When it comes to debut authors, sales are likely to be more predictable with an influencer’s established audience. Big publishing houses, like Penguin, are even opening up roles for influencer marketing to benefit from this pre-existing audience.
But what does this mean for debut authors who don't have an established fanbase?
At the end of the day, publishing is a business and influencers have the market that publishers seek. While publishers do acquire non-influencer authors as well, their book sales might face competition from those authored by influencers.
While we don't know yet whether this trend is growing or is merely a passing fad, the publishing industry and emerging authors are likely to feel its influence.
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