Candy Spelling, Barbara Streisand and Kate Gosselin are all touting new book projects - and that’s to name only a few. Over the years, many small and big screen stars have put their name on a cover and sold millions (and millions) of copies. One good example is Stephen Colbert’s I Am America (And So Can You), which went straight to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. It’s always been a personal peeve of mine, and it has never failed to distress me. Now I find myself almost continuously wondering, watching and wanting to sort it out.

Why, oh why, do celebrities (read: actors) think they are writers?

They’ve found success and made millions in one area of entertainment, gaining praise and attention for their work in television and/or movies. Yet, for some reason, this is not enough for them. They want to tackle another market and make themselves even more marketable in new territory. These days, the Hollywood phrase “triple threat” has all-new meaning. Loving a star of the screen? Then there’s a great chance they’re going to come out with a book sooner or later. If all goes well - and it always does - they’ll just keep flooding the market with more and more books.

Which will be purchased, because of the name emblazoned on the cover. Bestsellers from celebs are not necessarily a mark of great writing, wonderful storytelling or fascinating insights. It’s just another way to rank star power.

And, it sucks. Not to put too fine a point on it, but some individuals make the bulk of their income through writing. There are plenty of cover-worthy names you’ll recognize as being pure writers - Stephen King, for instance - but so many others do not reach this noteworthy status. In this time of economic crisis, in fact, it’s harder than ever to get a book published.

Unless, of course, you’ve already established yourself as a star in some other area of entertainment. When established stars break into the book business, they’re really just driving other (real) writers out of it. The public is inundated with books about parenting eight babies at once, what Paris Hilton’s dog thinks about living with an heiress and how extremely right-wing individuals view the country. In some cases, readers are given little more than a name and bold, bright pictures that break up the (probably ghostwritten) text.

Why do celebrities think they are writers? In some cases (I said some!), they probably realize they are not. But why waste an opportunity to expand their star status, make a little bit more money and keep themselves in the public eye? Why not take something away from those who really do nothing but write for a living, when these celebes have already managed to create fine careers for themselves in another area?

Why not, indeed?