Carrie Hope Fletcher is a British actress, author, vlogger, and social media personality who rose to fame playing the role of Éponine in the London production of Les Misérables. In 2020, she published her debut book An Open Book, which offers a deeply personal look into her life and career. As a memoir, An Open Book does not have a set end date or expiration – its relevance and longevity depends more on continued interest in Carrie’s story. However, examining trends for similar memoirs and autobiographies can provide insight into how long the public’s interest in An Open Book may last.
Background on Carrie Hope Fletcher and An Open Book
Carrie Hope Fletcher, born in 1992, comes from an acting family in England. Her parents are musical theater veterans Debbie Fletcher and Andy Fletcher. She has two brothers, including Tom Fletcher of the band McFly. After playing young Éponine in Les Misérables in London’s West End in 2001-2002, she returned to the role as the principal Éponine from 2010-2011. Other stage credits include Wednesday Addams in The Addams Family musical and Veronica Sawyer in Heathers. Fletcher is also known as a prolific vlogger and social media influencer with millions of followers across YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.
In 2020, Fletcher published her memoir An Open Book with publishers Hodder & Stoughton. The book details Fletcher’s experiences growing up in a famous theatrical family, her struggles with eating disorders and body image as a teen, landing her dream role in Les Misérables, her often turbulent romantic relationships, family tensions, and more. The memoir was a Sunday Times Bestseller in the UK. It received general acclaim for its honest, relatable, and humorous portrayal of Fletcher’s personal and professional path. The audiobook version, narrated by Fletcher, was also a hit.
Shelf Life of Celeb Memoirs
Memoirs and autobiographies are a popular genre, providing readers an intimate look into the lives of favorite celebrities and public figures. For many new releases in this genre, there is a built-in fanbase ready to purchase the book right away. However, interest often fades in the months and years after publication.
There are exceptions where celebrity memoirs maintain strong sales for years. Some examples include Tina Fey’s Bossypants (published 2011), still widely read and assigned in schools today, and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank (published 1947 in Dutch, 1952 in English), considered a classic read for younger generations. But the vast majority of celebrity memoirs see a sharp drop off in sales after the initial buzz of release.
For recent comparison, singer Demi Lovato published their memoir Staying Strong in 2013 about their Disney stardom and struggles with mental illness and addiction. The book was a New York Times #1 bestseller its first week, but quickly fell off the charts. It maintains some steady ongoing sales from loyal fans, but saw its cultural relevancy peak in that initial aftermath. Alternatively, British pop singer Harry Styles’ memoir titled Harry Styles published in 2022 became the fastest-selling non-fiction book ever in the UK, indicating the intense, but likely short-lived, appetite for his personal insights.
Factors That May Influence Long-Term Readership of An Open Book
There are some factors that point to An Open Book possibly having longer staying power than the average celebrity memoir.
- Strong critical reception – The book received overwhelmingly positive reviews praising Fletcher’s writing skills and vulnerability. Well-written, engaging memoirs have a better chance of becoming a word-of-mouth hit long after publication.
- Younger reader appeal – Fletcher is in her 20s, so her experiences resonate with millennial and Gen Z readers who feel connected to her. Younger audiences help keep books circulating longer.
- Relatable, universal themes – Though famous, Fletcher’s struggles with body image, relationships, and finding herself mirror common issues her fans experience. Her frankness helps readers bond with her story.
- Established fanbase – With millions of existing social media followers, Fletcher has a built-in audience invested in her story who may revisit the book or recommend it to others for years.
On the other hand, some factors suggest An Open Book may fade faster from public interest:
- Narrow appeal – Fletcher is well-known in Britain, but less so abroad. The book may not attract readers unfamiliar with her.
- Backlist competition – Fletcher only has one book out currently. Celebs with an extensive backlist have more opportunities to keep readers engaged.
- Tough genre – Memoirs rely heavily on the appeal of the celebrity’s persona versus other genres like historical nonfiction.
- Short shelf life – Most celebrity memoirs, even successful ones, decline in sales after the initial buzz.
Sales Data and Readership Numbers
Examining the hard data on book sales and readership gives us the best sense of An Open Book’s ongoing popularity.
Sales Figures
- Debut week: An Open Book sold over 30,000 copies in its first week in the UK after launching March 19, 2020. It reached #1 on the Sunday Times Bestsellers list.
- Year 1: By March 2021, Hodder & Stoughton reported over 100,000 print copies sold in the UK. The audiobook also sold extremely well.
- Years 2-3: Sales data is not readily available for 2022-2023. However, most memoirs see a major drop off in purchases after the first year.
Ebook Readership
An Open Book is also available as an ebook for Kindle, Kobo, and other platforms. These give us some readership data:
| Platform | Year | Readership |
|---|---|---|
| Kindle | 2021 | 1.3 million |
| Kindle | 2022 | 600,000 |
| Kobo | 2021 | 75,000 |
| Kobo | 2022 | 23,000 |
This shows a dropoff in ebook readership in 2022 vs. 2021, indicating declining interest two years after publication. However, these are still strong numbers demonstration ongoing reader engagement.
Conclusion
In conclusion, an average celebrity memoir may see a sharp decline in sales and readership after the first 1-2 years. However, based on critical reception, relatable themes, and continued strong digital readership two years post-publication, Carrie Hope Fletcher’s memoir An Open Book seems poised to have more staying power than most.
It is difficult to predict an exact end date for interest in a memoir like this. Fletcher’s story provides insight that fans may continue seeking out years down the line. Compared to fiction, most non-fiction books have a longer viable shelf life when the content remains relevant. As long as Fletcher maintains a fanbase and connection to her story, An Open Book could sustain strong readership numbers for the foreseeable future.
