Jessica Simpson Sells First Photos Of Baby Maxwell For $800K, A Low Sum Compared To Yesteryear

Jessica Simpson has sold the first photos of her newborn baby daughter, Maxwell Drew Johnson, for $800,000.

Women's Wear Daily reported that Jessica Simpson completed a deal with People magazine for about $800,000 to run the exclusive photos of baby Maxwell, born May 1. No bidding war for the photos occurred, as has happened with celebrity baby photos in the past. Instead, competing publication Us Weekly magazine is featuring Simpson on its cover with a story about her $4 million weight loss deal and her fiancé Eric Johnson's fear of diaper duty.

WWD noted that the sum of $800,000 isn't too significant in the world of celebrity baby photos.

Simpson's deal with People isn't too significant, at least compared to celebrities such as Matthew McConaughey, who sold photos of his newborn son to OK magazine for $3 million, according to reports. When Jennifer Lopez gave birth to twins, she pocketed $6 million from People and, although it's probably unfair to compare, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt famously received around $11 million for the exclusive on their twins, wrote WWD reporter Amy Wicks.

Was this low sum due to the overexposure of the 31-year-old's pregnancy? Possibly. But professionals in the industry say that publications offering millions for celebrity baby photos is a thing of the past.

The market for celebrity babies simply doesn't exist anymore. Magazines realized that it doesn't benefit them to pay over a million, Jo Piazza, veteran celebrity journalist and author of Celebrity, Inc.: How Famous People Make Money, told Fashionista. Unlike WWD, Piazza thinks that the offer Simpson got is significant for today's market. $800,000 is high for the baby pic market today. Obviously it is low in comparison to the baby picture bull run of yesteryear where even Nicole Richie got a reported cool million for her pics.

It's never benefited sales enough to pay the millions. The mags never made up the marginal cost of the pics in sales. That's why they don't do it anymore, Piazza told Fashionista.

Adding, Everyone sees them online anyway.

Of course, no one would scoff at $800,000; but for a woman who runs a reported $1 billion branded empire and who has been in the spotlight since she was 19-years-old, the sum does seem a bit low for her first baby's first photos.

Jessica Simpson can make up the cash in other areas. It has been said that baby Maxwell Drew Johnson could be worth as much as $14 million.

How?

FOX News' Jo Piazza thinks Jessica Simpson could score that sum in multiple ways, including extending her Jessica Simpson Collection to include baby and maternity items as well as from social media endorsements.

In December, Entertainment Weekly reported that Simpson supposedly signed a $3 million deal with Weight Watchers. The blonde country crooner will join other celebrity moms Mariah Carey and Jessica Hudson as a spokesperson for the company. Since Simpson's weight gain and pregnancy diet have been popular topic of conversation, her weight loss will take center stage in the months after Maxwell Drew's birth.

I had a great pregnancy. Eating and not having to worry too much about it has been fun. Taking a break from working out has definitely been fun. But I'm ready for it to be over. I'm ready to have my body back! she told Hello! magazine in March.

Jessica Simpson seems to be loving motherhood, regardless of any price tags associated with it.

On May 8 the new mama tweeted, I am so in love with baby Maxwell. I want to cry every time I look at her. Motherhood is by far the best thing I've ever experienced.