In my view celebrity book clubs are a positive trend because they promote books and authors that otherwise might get overlooked and they promote reading to people who might not consider themselves readers. As we discussed just a few weeks ago, publishers have so much control over which books get promoted and which books go under the radar. I'm sure celebrities are subject to marketing tactics just like the rest of us, but I like to hope they aren't actually on the publisher's payroll. A quick look their lists points to a trend of lesser-known authors and titles. I say congrats to the authors who receive this boost!
The other positive impact of celebrity book clubs is the spread the culture of reading in general. The article by Nichols (2019) states that these book clubs draw customers to local bookstores. I am sure they are also drawn to libraries. When television personalities like Jimmy Fallon include a book recommendation segment in their shows, it validates those who already enjoy reading and could spark an interest in those who don't yet have a reading habit. Celebrity books clubs could also expose non-readers to a wider array of titles than they knew existed.
Library staff picks are actually quite similar to celebrity book picks, the scale is just way smaller. When patrons get to know a librarians tastes, they are likely to follow their recommendations. I often talk up books I like with my library book club and patrons in general and as a result see higher circ numbers for those titles. I think librarians could use this influence more than they currently do to help patrons (and smaller authors!). For example, getting a James Patterson reader to try Tana French for a change. Again referring back to the discussion on book reviews, people only have so much attention to give to buzz. So the fact that celebrities are willing to use their influence to promote books is a positive movement in my book. ;)
Nichols, M. (2019, August 14). How the new celebrity book clubs are boosting literary sales. Variety.
I have often dreamed of being on a celebrity's payroll to choose their recommended reads for them. I wish the book selection process were more transparent--why not feature a celebrity librarian's picks on your show? I'm relatively new to my branch, but one of the old-timers enjoys relationships with several patrons (all men!) as their resident reader's advisor. I like the idea of librarians as small-scale "influencers."
ReplyDeleteI find it interesting how you compared staff picks to celebrity book clubs. I've never looked at it that way, but our staff picks are all over the place at the library where I work, and very rarely are any of them on the best-sellers lists or any celebrity book lists. I just find it hard to take stock in the celebrity lists, because a lot of the time, they do feature popular authors or they don't have a wide variety of genres that they endorse. It seems almost like it caters to a niche market, because they're leaving out a whole other side to genres and reading.
ReplyDeleteThank you for comparing staff picks to celebrity book clubs - makes me feel important and famous to my patrons, LOL. I'd like to think that some patrons go "oh Katie recommended that, it's probably a good one, let's read it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about these book clubs being a great thing, especially for reading. If it gets people to read, who cares how they find it or who suggested they read? This is a debate I've seen a lot in relation to graphic novels with people thinking they're "less than" standard novels because of the images, but some graphic novels are absolutely amazing (Heartstopper always comes to mind). So who cares how people read as long as they are doing it at all?
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ReplyDeleteGreat points, Karis. I'd agree that, as far as I've been able to tell, the most popular celebrity book clubs do support and promote authors who have been or might otherwise be overlooked. However, I am made a bit nervous by the idea of individuals with a lot of power making such impactful decisions about who and what should be read. It's possible that a revered celebrity might start a book club that actively avoids books from certain minority groups, which would end up being quite damaging to the literary world overall.
ReplyDeleteI liked how you started by saying that publishers have a lot of control over which books get promoted. I agree! Especially with big publishing companies who promote their best-sellers over lesser-known authors. I do think social media has allowed a lot of authors to promote their stories themselves which does require a lot of extra work by the author. Like many rewards, lesser-known authors and BIPOC authors/stories are being promoted! Wonderful, authentic stories are being promoted and talked about, showcasing stories that would otherwise be pushed aside or ignored. Staff picks are definitely a great promotor! Readers feel like librarians or booksellers spend a lot of time reviewing/reading books and therefore know what we are talking about. Let's not tell them that we're just going off what we like to read. ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat prompt response! You certainly generated a lot of discussion in the comments!
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