Why do we need a celebrity to launch our books? Jasmine D'Costa an FB friend has this to share on the SASIALIT group:
"I was asked when launching my bookCURRY IS THICKER THAN WATER in Bombay last year, when seeking a booking in Crosswords bookstore who is the celebrity I intended to invite to the launch so that the press and the audience would come. Now call me vain, but I think I am the star of my own book launch and so I said I did not have any celebrity available. I found it hard to get a date for when I was in town. So I took control of the situation and booked the Press Club.
"I was told by Journalists, friends, other writers etc. that I would not get any press out if I did not have a celebrity and served booze - both of which I did not do. I was also asked by some of the press who dropped by thinking that there would be one, who the celebrity was. Me, Me, me I wanted to shout, but thought better of such impulses. As it turned out the first 5 rows were press, three cameras for t.v. and sold over 100 books.
So let us stop this celebrity culture in books and take the shine back on the the authors rather than everyone who is really unconcerned about books,(possibly will expect a free copy and not read it) and say no to this kind of situation unless the celebrity is your friend and would be there by
virtue of it."
I have seen this trend of inviting celebrities to launch books. I have this to say about this. The author is the star of the launch and should remain so.
1 comment:
I agree - the author is the star and his readers the "celebrities".
The focus of a book launch must be on the author and his writing than distractions of glamour
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