[책 쓰는 연예인②] Rebellion of celebrity essays treated as ‘fandom business’

“I was surprised when I asked, ‘Did your brother write all of the (books)?’”

Comedian Kim Young-cheol, who wrote the essay ‘Crying and Laughing’ in February, said that he heard it from Song Seung-heon at a press conference to commemorate the publication. The remark ‘Did your brother use it all?’ must have been an exclamation of Kim Young-chul’s writing skills, but at the same time, it is also in contact with the public’s view of celebrity writers. Similarly, when an idol member is listed as a ‘composer’, it is in the same vein as the view that ‘you must have composed only melodies’.

In fact, in the past, when a celebrity published a book, it was often evaluated as a ‘fandom business’, and the suspicion of ‘a scriptwriter’ was not boring. It is true that celebrities’ books have served as goods rather than evaluations as works. And even now, it is difficult to say that all these perceptions have disappeared.

Kim Kyung-hee (35, female), an office worker who reads one book a month steadily, said, “I read a wide variety of books to the extent that I can confidently say that I am not a picky eater, but I have never come across a book written by a celebrity.” “I think there was a prejudice against celebrity writers and celebrity books in my heart without knowing it,” he said.

There is also concern about the twinkling publishing boom riding on the popularity of celebrities. It is said that the level of the publishing industry may be lowered as a book with no substantive results becomes a bestseller, or a bubble may form in the publishing market. An official said, “Not all books of famous celebrities sell well. What is important is the level of content contained in the book.” He said, “Unlike marketing-type books in the past, which sold only through fandom, books that are consistently popular have a high level of content. Readers also do not respond to books that are not complete enough.”

It is also pointed out that, in an era where anyone can publish a book, the writing work of mainstream writers tends to shrink. Another publisher’s official complained, “There is also a concern that the market price will be destroyed, such as an imbalance in the publishing industry’s royalties naturally when recruiting celebrities who make money.”

However, recently, as celebrities have begun to publish books with a clear identity as writers, there is a slight change in the perception of the public and the publishing world. Gone are the days of writing a book with a scriptwriter. Even if a publishing company borrows the name of a celebrity for marketing, it is said that the content itself is becoming more sophisticated and different from the past when it was nothing more than a ‘face madam’.

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Kim Soo-mi, who is famous for her ‘hands’ in usual broadcasting, collaborated with star chefs Yeo Kyung-rae, Choi Hyun-seok, and Michael, and released the book ‘Sumine’s Side Dishes’ (2018), and actress So Yu-jin, who married Baek Jong-won and had two children, ‘ Many celebrities use their minimal expertise, such as writing ‘Soyu-jin’s baby food that is fun for both mother and child’ (2018), or ‘Alien’ (2022), which was made into a picture book by Chan-hyeok Lee of AKMU, who has usually presented self-composed songs. For example, books are popular.

Lee Yu-ri (36, female), a housewife with two children, said, “Early this year, after receiving a book called ‘Write your name on the breath of dawn’ written by actor Kim Ji-seok from an acquaintance as a gift, that prejudice disappeared after reading it. In fact, she had a prejudice against celebrity writers, and I knew that she had a lot to sympathize with and receive comfort from. “He said.

It is undeniable that the celebrity’s name has a significant influence on book sales, but in the end, the book is evaluated as the content in it. Moreover, it is even more so in today’s era when word of mouth exerts a strong power regardless of the field. It is up to the readers to decide whether a book is worth reading or not, but it is ultimately up to the author himself to break the prejudice against ‘books written by celebrities’.

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