Publishing influencers has always been a touchy subject for some, both in and outside of the publishing industry. A lot of assumptions are made when an announcement is made of an acquisition of an influencer’s book, and it’s often assumed that they’ve only received a book deal because of their audience and not their abilities to write.
From my perspective, as a senior marketing and publicity professional in publishing, I predict that 50% of all books deals with influencers are as a result of their followings rather than their writing capabilities or ideas. This is based purely anecdotally on my experience of working in corporate publishing across fiction and non-fiction alike.
Someone with a ready-made audience is a practical, sure-bet for the publishing industry which is a business at the end of the day. Whilst influencer book deals might not be popular for some, particularly traditionally published authors who have been published based entirely on their skill – usually after many years of effort - it is a lucrative string to the publishing industries bow.
However, with the latest controversy between Chidera Eggerue, aka The Slumflower and Florence Given, another question has been brought to light about influencers being offered book deals to utilise a previously published author and/or book influencers space. In this case, claims that a woman of colour’s platform was used to boost another influencer’s book.
The controversy stems from the similarities between Given’s recent book Women Don’t Owe You Pretty and Eggerue’s previously published book What a Time to Be Alone.
Eggerue has accused Given, her publisher and their joint management, of stealing and utilising her own ideas from her book published in 2018 for Given’s recently published self-help book which has outsold Eggerue’s books by over 50,000 copies. Eggerue has shared WhatsApp conversations between herself and Given on her Instagram account which appear to show Given conceding that she was approached to write the book to reflect her Instagram content and experiences which has been produced in a very similar, but not previously unseen, style of design though Given said the look of the book was a reflection of her historical Instagram grid and that she didn’t design it or its layout.
I have yet to read either Given or Eggerue’s book so cannot comment on the legitimacy of the Eggerue’s claims as to plagiarism of her ideas or utilisation of her platform. However, I know from experience that when a book, or even a genre of book, performs well in a certain market other books will likely appear in the same vein shortly thereafter. Usually with a very similar design, in order to draw comparisons to a big hit, and also with a similar message or style of writing.
That doesn’t however mean that they are plagiarised or use similar content; this is something that should be called out if discovered to be true, particularly in the light of Eggerue’s claim of taking the mic from people of colour. In the current climate of the world, and the fact that that the publishing industry is predominantly white, it is an accusation that needs to be heard and to be discussed in detail.
However, with regards to the argument towards influencers receiving book deals in response to a trend or success in the market, this is something that is going to continue and I believe should continue within reason.
As someone that works in publishing I regularly contribute ideas to office discussions about books, stories and ideas that we would love to publish. Not to mention our dream authors and audiences. For the most part these ideas come to nothing, but occasionally an editor or a literary scout will run with an idea and take it around the masses to literary agencies, management companies and even direct to influencers to see if they would be willing to try their hand at writing. It is a tactic as old as publishing itself.
Sometimes a similar book that is thriving may be pitched to an influencer of a different demographic in order to reach similar but different readership
Many wonderful and beloved books have come from acquisitions of influencers, including recent books by Carrie Hope Fletcher, Louise Pentland, Joe Wicks and many more. They bring with them not only a mass audience of personal followers but new readers, not only of influencer titles but in general. A reader of a book by cosmetics influencer Tanya Burr in 2014 may now be an avid reader of books by Sally Rooney, Adele Parks and Mike Gayle, as a result of reading Tanya’s book as a new reader.
Just like fans of popular TV shows may turn to the books that they were adapted from and lead on from there into a wider world of fiction, a reader of influencer-faced literature may turn to other writers to fulfil their new need for stories or advice. That is the hope, anyway. And with that hope comes strategically designed, pitched and publicised books within a similar genre to the latest hit.
Sometimes, as it may be the case between Eggerue and Given’s publications, a similar book that is currently thriving in the market may be pitched to an influencer of a different demographic in order to reach similar but different readership. This could be based on anything from gender, race or age; anywhere there appears to be a gap in the market for a book perfect for that audience.
However, in my experience of influencer publishing I have only ever worked with influencers that have previously been published in some format, be it in journalism, non-fiction, memoir, poetry or even short stories. The reason for this being that my company does not hire ghost writers to write a story with, or on behalf, of an influencer. This, however, is a common occurrence and another controversial aspect to influencer publishing.
Publishers are often paying for their influence upon contracting them, not their writing abilities, and that is a typical risk of the business.
In 2014 it was intensely reported that Zoella, the leading cosmetics influencer on YouTube, had used a ghost writer for her Girl, Online book series, the first of which sold over 78,000 in its first week of publication. The backlash was huge, but not unexpected.
Many celebrities and influencers use ghost writers for a variety of reasons, stemming from the basics of their writing abilities to their time. When approaching influencers with a book deal based purely on their following, without any indication of their writing abilities, a ghost writer is often waiting in the wings. However, that doesn’t mean all influencers do not write their own books, many of them do. But more often than not those influencers have some background in writing, or a very patient editor.
With regards to the announcement of an influencer book deal, it often depends purely on zeitgeist and timing. Just as celebrity memoirs will appear after pivotal moments in their career or in their establishment, for example Barack Obama’s recent autobiography published shortly after the US Election. Influencer books are often published in response to a new trend, be it a popular genre or a news item.
However, since trends often begin and end very quickly if an influencer is brought in to quickly publish in response, they’re often only offered a one-book deal. This is not out of the norm even for non-influencer authors. If you’re brought in specifically to write a book but have never written or been published before, it is an easier bet for a publisher to offer a one-book deal to see how it goes and then factor in the results to decide on whether a second deal is profitable for both the business and the author. Unlike a traditionally published author, who will usually have a complete or almost complete book before being contracted, an influencer often has nothing but a sample chapter to prove their worth as a writer. As such, publishers are often paying for their influence upon contracting them not their writing abilities, and that is a typical risk of the business.
Many influencers are paid a substantial amount compared to a traditionally published author
However, if sales are disappointing or the return on investment is low – the return being calculated by the sales divided by the cost of publishing the book overall, including any advance to the author – then it’s unlikely the publisher will want another book from that influencer, or writer in general. Which, since many influencers are paid a substantial amount compared to a traditionally published author many influencers are paid a substantial amount compared to a traditionally published author, means that many are often only published once.
This increases the sense that influencers are brought in as one-hit wonders, with a purpose that once fulfilled relinquishes them from their writing careers. Again, this is a misconception. Many influencers continue to have long and varied careers in the publishing industry, from writing books with other influencers or established authors, changing genres to writing children’s or poetry, to simply contributing to short stories or non-fiction collections.
Whilst the Eggerue and Given’s controversy continues to spread light to the underlying issues of race within the publishing industry and influencer community, the issue of influencer publishing is a moot point. It is a going to continue, and it should continue in my professional opinion. However it should be done respectfully and not at the expense of other writes, but as a contributing factor to the growing demographic of readers worldwide and the growth of a pool of writers whose voices – when well produced and maintained – are listened too.