If It’s That Easy For Them To Do, Maybe You’re Not As Good As You Think You Are?

"A modern classic by Keira Knightley" reads the provisional cover of the actor’s debut children’s book, I Love You Just the Same. Set to be published next October, the 80-page volume, written and illustrated by Knightley, is about a girl navigating the changing dynamics that come with the arrival of a sibling. The Pirates of the Caribbean star is the latest in a long list of celebrities to have turned to writing children’s books. McFly’s Tom Fletcher and Dougie Poynter have been hovering at the top of the bestseller chart since the publication last month of their latest book The Dinosaur that Pooped Halloween!. Earlier in the year, David Walliams dominated with his newest book Astrochimp. The entertainer has sold 25m copies of his children’s titles in the UK alone, according to Nielsen BookData.

And? So what? Well, it seems there's a big upwelling of jealousy... 

“These celebrities do not need any more money or exposure, but plenty of genuine writers do,” says the author, poet and performer Joshua Seigal. When news broke of Knightley’s book deal, authors expressed frustrations online; in one viral tweet, the writer Charlotte Levin joked about deciding to become a film star.

Well, go for it, girl!  

Authors say that stars wading into children’s publishing discredits the efforts and talents of non-celebrity authors. “Writing for children is an art,” says Seigal. “It requires skill, practice and discipline. I work really hard on my art, and it’s quite galling that people seem to think it is something that’s easy to do.”

Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. But they are producing something the audience wants. If you aren't, maybe the fault is within you. 

“Before landing a publishing deal, I had sent over 180 queries across three manuscripts over four years,” says the author James A Lyons. “Non-celebrities face hundreds of rejections and ghosting, and not a fast-tracked ticket to the front of the queue.”

Writing is a business. Give the audience what they want is the key to success. It seems that this is indeed what they want. Crying about it isn't going to help.