We live at a time when the cult of the celebrity has become so normalised and strong that it has spilled out of show business and into the domain of publishing. No longer is a career choice to be a writer one that guarantees you a nice, quiet life writing alone in your romantic garret: to be an author, these days, is to be ‘out there’, interacting with readers and other writers. It is also, once you reach a certain pinnacle of success, a job that can earn you a range of accolades, from the highly respected to the weird and wonderful.

Following are some examples of author accolades. I wonder, which of the following would you, as an author, most like to have? Which, as a reader, do you think is the highest honour? Which would you add to the list, real or fantasy? I would love to hear your thoughts!

The special edition book

Fans of the Twilight series already owned all of Stephenie Meyer’s novels. So what to do when the publishers republished them all, but this time with white covers, not black, and red-edged pages? Well, flock out and buy the books all over again is the answer!

The award

Whether it’s a Booker Prize or a book voucher from a local newspaper’s book competition, what author doesn’t love an award?

The film adaptation

Take the recent City of Bones film based on Cassandra Clare’s bestselling novel series. Cassandra told interviewees that when she found out her book was getting published, she went out for a drink with friends. And when she found out a film was to be made of her book? She flew all her friends toFrance for a huge party!

The ‘music inspired by’

Whether it’s a book soundtrack, or simply a concept or line from your book that inspires a musician, what a way to be immortalised. For example, consider these book-inspired songs: ‘Don’t Stand So Close to Me’ by The Police (inspired by Vladimir Nabokov’s Lolita); ‘Animals’ by Pink Floyd (inspired by George Orwell’s Animal Farm); and ‘All Along the Watchtower’ by Bob Dylan (inspired by Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein).

The doll of your character

On Amazon, for example, for a mere £119 (!) you can purchase a Barbie Galadriel doll from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings.

The quote on a mug…

… or a t-shirt, or a cushion, or a poster, or a chocolate bar. Take a look at http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com for a vast array of such merchandise.

The honorary degree

JK Rowling, for example, received an honorary degree fromHarvardUniversityfollowing the success of the Harry Potter series.

The namesake

Whether a college, a library, a street, a park or – if you’re Scottish sci-fi author Iain Banks, an asteroid!

The national day

In the UK, for example, popular children’s author Roald Dahl is remembered fondly on his birthday, 13 September, with events held nationwide. See http://www.roalddahlday.info/.

The tourist attraction

A museum, a visitors’ centre or perhaps even a ride at a theme park.

A festival

Rochester, England, for example, is home to two annual festivals each year honouring local writer Charles Dickens: the Dickens Summer Festival and the Dickensian Christmas Festival, set around the streets and castle.