Stars Turn to Publishing: The Latest Celebrity Imprint Trend

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Being granted my very own publishing imprint isn’t quite equivalent to an Oscar or having a sandwich named after me at the Stage Deli, but let’s face it, it still carries a certain allure – however fleeting that may be. Oprah, Lena Dunham, and even Johnny Depp have held

Jenna Bush Hager, a well-known figure in the entertainment industry, recently secured a partnership with Random House for book publishing. Given her success with “Read With Jenna” book club segments on the Today show, which has seen around 70 books reach best-seller status over the past six years, it’s no surprise that she’s found herself in this realm. Interestingly, even celebrities who haven’t traditionally recommended historical biographies or poetry collections are now signing book imprint deals.

Jenna Bush Hager has partnered with Random House for book publishing due to her success with the “Read With Jenna” segment on Today. Even celebrities who don’t usually recommend historical books or poetry have been getting book deals lately.

Indeed, a novel publishing startup named Zando has established its business strategy on the potential influence of celebrities from film and television to spark interest in reading books. This company, initiated a few years ago by former Crown editor Molly Stern (with early investment from Elisabeth Murdoch and Stacey Snider’s Sister), has formed imprint partnerships with several notable figures such as Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP Lit), John Legend (Get Lifted Books), Lena Waithe (Hillman Grad Books) and lifestyle influencer Ayesha Curry (Sweet July Books). It is possible that one of these celebrities could unearth and publish the next Gillian Flynn, who interestingly enough, also has her own imprint with Zando.

As a gamer, I’m curious to see how each platform will showcase their unique identity when it comes to publishing. For instance, would basketball star Stephen Curry’s fans be drawn towards a YA fantasy that combines elements of “Iron Chef” and “The Hunger Games” (Celestial Banquet by Roselle Lim, out in June)? Or would “Sex and the City” enthusiasts be intrigued by a historical epic about a wealthy Latvian Jewish family (The Story of the Forest by Linda Grant)? The answers to these questions will unfold as these platforms reveal their publishing slates.

As a gamer, I’ve come to realize that having a popular celebrity endorse a game can significantly boost its visibility, something that traditional marketing often struggles with. In our publishing house, we firmly believe that authors should focus on writing, not building their social media empires. Our approach is different – six to eight months before the book hits the shelves, we’re reaching out to retailers, saying “This is Lena Waithe’s book. Here’s what she’ll be doing when it goes on sale. Here are all the promotional activities you can expect.

However, there’s a fair amount of skepticism within the publishing world. For instance, literary critic Sarah Manley has derided these pursuits as the modern equivalent of celebrity-endorsed vodka. On the other hand, Robert Gottlieb, a veteran executive in publishing and chairman of Trident Media Group, offers a more restrained viewpoint. He notes that while there’s initially enthusiasm, these projects often peter out because they require effort, and traditional publishing is a time-consuming process.

For about 15 years, both Hollywood and the publishing industry have attempted to establish celebrity-led imprints, with Grand Central Books kick-starting it in 2010 for Chelsea Handler. This was before Oprah’s imprint deal with Flatiron by five years. Many stars like Gwyneth Paltrow, Derek Jeter, Mindy Kaling, Anthony Bourdain, Rachael Ray, and Michael Mann have given it a shot. However, most of these endeavors have ultimately failed to sustain themselves. For instance, Johnny Depp’s imprint, Infinitum Nihil, which focused on music, published only two books: a novel by Woody Guthrie that was rediscovered and the reprint of the cult classic “Narcisa”. Similarly, Lena Dunham’s imprint, Lenny Books, published a few novels and a short story collection before shutting down after just over two years.

Celebrity-backed imprints, such as Andy Cohen’s with Henry Holt, have been slow in releasing a significant number of books. Established in 2017, Cohen’s imprint published its first book in 2020, switched to Crown in 2023, and only recently announced the release of its next book, “The Rules of Culture Volume 1,” by Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers from the Las Culturistas podcast. This book is described as a sort of “Guinness World Records” for the queer community. Gwyneth Paltrow’s publishing house, Goop Press, appears to still be active. It published a few books with Hachette before shutting down and reemerging with more limited goals — have you heard about “Intuitive Fasting”? — at Rodale, a niche publisher.

As a passionate reader, I’ve come to realize, following Gottlieb’s insights, that celebrity-backed publishing imprints often don’t yield significant returns for publishers and can be a considerable letdown for the celebrities themselves. In his words, “The income a rock star generates from being a musician is substantial.” He further clarifies that the potential earnings from having a book imprint are practically insignificant in comparison.

You can find this story in the April 2nd edition of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To get future editions, consider subscribing.

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2025-04-04 19:55