Celebs Who Landed Major Book Deals And Got Paid Insane Amounts Of Money To Write About Themselves
That's way too much money.
We all have a story to tell, but unless you are a big-shot celebrity, no one will really care about what you have to say. People are interested in everything celebs do, even the minor details that often go unnoticed, which manage to make the headlines and capture public interest. Unfortunately, that is the world we live in today.
Celebrities and publishing houses understand the value of this obsession and know how to monetize it. People will buy any content related to their favorite celebrity, so if publishers want to access that market, they must strike a good deal with the artist or public figure themselves, allowing them to later cash in on the hype and fan craze.
Many celebrities have been awarded huge sums of money to retain the rights to their stories. The names of these stars hold significant value, and publishing houses know exactly how to turn that into a lucrative opportunity.
Scroll down and check out the astonishing figures that these celebs and politicians received as mere advances after signing book deals with publishing houses. It is a considerable amount of money to pay someone to write about themselves.
1. The Obamas (2017) - $65 million advance for a joint book deal.
The two books are Barack's "A Promised Land" and Michelle's "Becoming." It's the most expensive presidential book deal in history, won by Penguin Random House, which was the highest bidder.
Scott Olson / Getty Images, Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images2. Prince Harry (2021) - $20 million advance for his upcoming memoir.
John Lamparski / Getty Images,3. Britney Spears (2021) - $15 million advance for her upcoming memoir.
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4. Hillary Clinton (2014) - $14 million advance for "Hard Choices."
Paul Zimmerman / WireImage / Getty Images
5. Bill Clinton (2003) - $10 million advance for "My Life."
The book sold 400,000 copies on its first day on the shelves, making it a huge success.
Ian Waldie / Getty Images
6. Bruce Springsteen (2016) - $10 million advance for "Born to Run."
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7. Amy Schumer (2015) - $8 million advance for "The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo."
Gary Gershoff / FilmMagic / Getty Images, Simon & Schuster
8. Keith Richards (2007) - $7 million advance for "Life."
It sold one million copies in its first year and later became one of the most successful rock books in history.
Ian Gavan / Getty Images
9. Tina Fey (2008) - $6 million advance for "Bossypants."
Marcel Thomas / WireImage / Getty Images
10. Russell Brand (2008) - $3.5 million advance for a two-book deal for "Articles of Faith" and "Booky Wook 2: This Time It's Personal."
This deal also included Russell's popular first memoir, "My Booky Wook."
Beck Starr / FilmMagic / Getty Images
11. Lena Dunham (2012) - $3.5 million advance for "Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's Learned."
Stuart C. Wilson / Getty Images
12. Aziz Ansari (2013) - $3.5 million advance for "Modern Romance: An Investigation."
Slaven Vlasic / Getty Images
13. Gabourey Sidibe (2015) - $2.5 million advance for "This Is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare."
Brandon Williams / Getty Images
14. Demi Moore (2010) - $2 million advance for "Inside Out."
Jamie Mccarthy / Getty Images for ABA
If they are paying celebrities this much money, they must be making inconceivable amounts of income from the sales of these books. People enjoy reading about their favorite celebs, and they will gladly spend their money to get to know them better and on a deeper level.
It must be the biggest flex ever to say that you get paid insane amounts of money just to talk about yourself and your life. If any of us mere mortals tried to pull that off, no one would be interested in reading about our boring lives.
