Celebrity Authors Children's books written by celebrities have become a rapidly growing trend in book publishing lately. The trend has less to do with overblown egos than you might expect. Her big thing is, these aren't celebrity books, these are books for mommies. At the end of the day, Deborah has a whole family and that's really the priority in her life. The bottom line, however, is fueling the trend.
Big names make money for publishers and attract attention.
In a publishing arena where, if a book doesn't earn a medal or award, it has a short shelf life, that's crucial. If they don't sell, they are gone. A famous name on the cover can keep a children's book around longer than most, says Smolkin. If it is going to be bought, it is a parent who is going to buy it. . . . Children generally don't pay a lot of attention to Katie Couric and Deborah Norville.