Children’s authors have hit out at Meghan Markle for seemingly thinking it would be an easy venture, despite The Bench only selling 8,000 UK copies.
Meghan Markle has been slammed by fellow authors for her “flop” book, The Bench, as they argue celebrities should stop trying to pursue side-hustles in literature.
Children’s authors have taken an issue with the Duchess of Sussex one day choosing to become an author, seemingly thinking it would be a walk in the park.
Meghan’s attempt was branded a “flop” by The Guardian, noting it “made a lot of headlines but didn’t sell at all well”.
According to figures for Nielsen BookScan and reported by the outlet, only 8,000 copes of The Bench have been sold in the UK since its release in 2021.
Author and poet Joshua Seigal hit out at the former royal for not appreciating the “skill, practice and discipline” required to be a professional children’s author.
→ Swipe to see more articles
Meghan Markle has been slammed by fellow authors over her ‘flop’ book, The Bench. (Image: YouTube)
The Bench reportedly only sold 8,000 copes in the UK. (Image: Getty)
He wrote: “These celebrities do not need any more money or exposure, but plenty of genuine writers do … Writing for children is an art.
“It requires skill, practice and discipline. I work really hard on my art, and it’s quite galling that people seem to think it is something that’s easy to do.”
Meghan reportedly bagged £500,000 for The Bench, despite it only being 40 pages.
Author James A Lyons vented his frustration, saying: “I sent out 180 queries across three manuscripts over four years. Non-celebrities face hundreds of rejections and not a fast-tracked ticket to the front of the queue.”
Author Katherine Rundell also expressed her fatigue with “those celebrities who put their names to ghostwritten children’s novels”.
She further commented: “We would be shocked if you put your name to a concerto you hadn’t composed; we would find it supremely embarrassing if you signed a painting you hadn’t painted.
“It poisons the water. It makes it harder for parents and teachers to find great children’s fiction, and it makes children’s fiction look like something cheap and thin, instead of what it is a literature with its own strangenesses, its own rigours, its own power.”
It is believed that the Duchess of Sussex penned The Bench herself. The book is a collection of thoughts and poems about the bond between a son and his father (who bears a striking similarity to Prince Harry).
Meghan is reported to have written it shortly after the birth of Prince Archie.
