As celebrity books boom, professional authors are driven out of full-time work

Novelist Donal Ryan is the latest name forced to seek an income outside books, while children’s writers complain that stars from other media monopolise advancesDespite scoring three bestsellers in five years and a clutch of awards, The Spinning Heart author Donal Ryan has been forced to return to his day job in the Irish civil service in order to pay his mortgage.Ryan has become the latest casualty of tumbling incomes for writers. Despite receiving advances and signing a deal to write three more books with his publisher, the Irish novelist said he had found it impossible to earn a living wage as a full-time writer. “You need to have something else on the go,” he told the Irish Sunday Independent. “You could take a chance and scrape a living through bursaries and writing books, but I’d get too stressed out. It just isn’t worth it. I have two kids in school and I have a mortgage to pay.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2017-02-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #living wage #day job #irish novelist #full-time writer

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E-book Sales Up in in May, for First Time in Two Years

E-book sales at trade houses rose 2.4% in May 2017 for the first time since 2015, according to new figures released by the Association of American Publishers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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National Book Foundation Names Its ‘Five under 35’ Debut Fiction Authors

An all-female group of authors has been selected for the US' National Book Foundation's 'Five Under 35' program, honoring fiction debuts. The post National Book Foundation Names Its ‘Five under 35’ Debut Fiction Authors appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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EIBF Conference at Frankfurt Book Fair Features Author Alain Mabanckou

Author-bookshop relations are a key focus of the European and International Booksellers Federation conference at Frankfurter Buchmesse in October. The post EIBF Conference at Frankfurt Book Fair Features Author Alain Mabanckou appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2017-09-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Comic Book Letterer Work?

This season on Working, we’re talking to the people who make Batman comics, leading you through the artistic production process. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Vintage crime authors celebrated with 'killer cocktails'

Vintage hosted an evening of “killer cocktails” on Monday night (18th September) to introduce debut crime writers Emily Koch, D B John and Jo Jakeman in the company of bestselling crime writers such as In A Dark Dark Wood's Ruth Ware. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2017-09-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The “How Does a Batman Comic Book Penciler Work?” Transcript

This is a transcript of the Sept. 10 edition of Working. These transcripts are lightly edited and may contain errors. For the definitive record, consult the podcast. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Batman Comic Book Inker Work?

This season on Working, we’re talking to the people who make Batman comics, leading you through the artistic production process. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Free Food for Millionaires author Min Jin Lee releases second book in 22 years

"It's funny, as people ask me that all the time, and I just wish I was more interesting." Min Jin Lee is talking about the similarities between herself and the main character in her 2007 debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires. Published again this month after the success earlier this year of... Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-09-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author J.P. Donleavy, who met scorn and then celebration with 'The Ginger Man,' dies at 91

J.P. Donleavy, the incorrigible Irish American author and playwright whose ribald debut novel "The Ginger Man" met scorn, censorship and eventually celebration as a groundbreaking classic, has died at age 91. Donleavy, a native New Yorker who lived his final years on an estate west of Dublin,... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The “How Does a Batman Comic Book Writer Work?” Transcript

This is a transcript of the Sept. 3 edition of Working. These transcripts are lightly edited and may contain errors. For the definitive record, consult the podcast. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #definitive record #lightly edited

Do celebrity book blurbs 'blackmail' readers?

Man Booker prize judge Colin Thubron has complained this week that star endorsements bully readers into admiring books, but it’s long been standard practiceSetting cats among pigeons has long been an unofficial part of the contract for judges of the Booker prize. Remember Chris Mullin’s... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2017-09-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Batman Comic Book Penciler Work?

This season on Working, we’re talking to the people who make Batman comics, leading you through the artistic production process. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Batman Comic Book Writer Work?

This season on Working, we’re talking to the people who make Batman comics, leading you through the process from initial scripting to fully finished art. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2017-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books: Daniel Handler goes Philip Roth, Nora Ephron is celebrated and a look at the controversial history of John Smelcer

Welcome to books this week! First, a couple of stories that you can find only online: THE BIG STORY John Smelcer’s YA book “Stealing Indians” is a finalist for the recently announced PEN Center USA awards. Questions about Smelcer have been raised since 1994, when he was teaching at the University... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Did a YA book buy its way to the top of the New York Times bestseller list?

For a few hours, a debut author shone at the top of the N.Y. Times bestseller list Thursday. But after online commenters questioned how the book got there, the paper removed "Handbook for Mortals" by Lani Sarem. What happened? Author Phil Stamper thought it was strange when "Handbook for Mortals"... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beijing Book Fair 2017: Changing with the Times and Market Demands

Traditionally, the Beijing International Book Fair (BIBF) has focused on educational books, STM titles, and children’s books—in that order. This year’s event, which opens today and runs until August 27, is markedly different with many more categories represented. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The ‘New York Times’ Books Desk Will Make You Read Again

Its chief critic took a buy-out. It's consolidating like crazy. But the Gray Lady's books team is neither flailing nor failing. Here's what it is doing. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon rejects advertisement for Kapiti author's book for being 'too provocative'

Amazon has rejected a Kiwi author's advertisement for her debut novel, stating the cover and content is too provocative. Continue reading at Stuff

[ Stuff | 2017-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Books in America are full of swear words: the more recent, the more profane

It's not just your @#%& imagination: American books have gotten a lot more profane over the last six decades, according to a study led by a San Diego State University psychology professor. A team of scholars reports that there's been a “dramatic” increase in curse words in American... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2017-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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