Internet stars to pen books
LOS ANGELES — Simon & Schuster is making a big bet on YouTube personalities — an undertaking that could either open a blockbuster publishing market or reveal the limitations of Internet celebrity.
In the latest mashup of old and new media, a division of Simon & Schuster, the Atria Publishing Group, has teamed with Hollywood’s United Talent Agency to create an imprint to publish books by Internet entertainers. Five deals have already been made with YouTube stars such as Shane Dawson and Justine Ezarik.
Keywords Press, as the endeavor is called, aims to release six to 10 titles annually, both in print and digital formats, ranging from “serious to comedic, fiction to nonfiction, practical advice to personal memoir,” said Judith Curr, president and publisher of Atria.
The deal represents an acknowledgment by traditional media companies that YouTube celebrities are more than just niche entertainers with quirky appeal and can be marketed to a broader audience.
In addition to Dawson and Ezarik, who is betterknown as iJustine, Keywords Press has made deals with Connor Franta, Joey Graceffa and Shay Butler, the creator of The ShayTards. Together, the five entertainers have about 20 million YouTube subscribers and have posted videos generating 2 billion views.
For United Talent, which operates a respected and aggressive digital division, Keywords Press is about finding ways to make money by helping YouTube clients expand their brands.
Most Keywords books will be crowdsourced.
“I’ve always wanted to write a book, but the proposal process is kind of crazy,” said Ezarik, who has parlayed YouTube stardom into an acting, endorsement and fashion career.
What will her book be about? The details are still fuzzy.
“I have so many random, behind-the-scenes stories to tell, and I really want it to be inspirational,” she said.