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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'Adventure Time's' Ice King is getting his own comic book series

His crown keeps him alive, but it also drove him crazy. A new "Adventure Time" comic book miniseries is on the way and it's centered around a truly heartbreaking character, the Ice King. "Adventure Time: Ice King" will be the first comic book series to focus exclusively on the princess-obsessed... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2015-10-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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UK Authors, Publishers Donate Book Sales to Syrian Refugees

Some of the UK’s most famous authors and publishers are donating their earnings from book sales to raise £1m for Syrian refugees. The post UK Authors, Publishers Donate Book Sales to Syrian Refugees appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Banned Books Week: How it's being celebrated across the country

Banned Books Week, which celebrates works that have been challenged or banned, is being held this year from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. The number of challenges reported this year is low in comparison to recent figures, according to the American Library Association. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2015-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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PW Asks: What 'Book' Author Do You Wish Would Write A Comic?

Lately, lots of traditional book authors have been writing comic books. What author do you wish would write a comic? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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At 10th Brooklyn Book Festival, Authors and Fans Share Literary Love

A sunny, blustery day gave Brooklyn a chance to show off its literary chops, with A-list panelists and celebs discussing the writing life and craft. The post At 10th Brooklyn Book Festival, Authors and Fans Share Literary Love appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Spark Joy,' New Book from Bestselling 'Tidying Up' Author Kondo, Coming in January

The follow-up to the worldwide phenomenon will answer reader questions and offer advice on moving, packing, and dealing with other less than joyful topics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nielsen Summit Shows the Data Behind the Children's Book Boom

The book team at Nielsen held its second-annual Children's Book Summit, to discuss the current children's publishing market, presenting data that showed a wide range of sales and demographic trends. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A manifesto on working with authors

In his article, Those magnificent manifestos, The Bookseller editor Philip Jones reviews his call for the FutureBook audience to reflect on five years of digital "to challenge the customs we have begun to adopt." The response is so robust that I've extended our deadline for submissions of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2015-09-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Exposing Yourself As a First-Time Author

Jay Keefe wrote a memoir about recovering from alcoholism and realizes, upon publication, that it a huge personal risk it was, albeit one with rewards. The post Exposing Yourself As a First-Time Author appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2015-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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VIDEO: Celebrating books in Mogadishu

Somalia is holding its first international literary festival in the capital Mogadishu. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2015-08-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-Publishing Is Good for You … and Authors and the Book Industry

The real beneficiary of the DIY book boom is the publishing industry itself. The post Self-Publishing Is Good for You … and Authors and the Book Industry appeared first on WIRED. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2015-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Does a Book Editor Work?

We’re posting transcripts of Working, Slate’s podcast about what people do all day, exclusively for Slate Plus members. What follows is the transcript for Season 3, Episode 6, in which Slate culture writer Aisha Harris talks to Jordan Pavlin, a book editor at Knopf, about how she identifies... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2015-08-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Soup’s On, For a Cause: Big Time Authors Unite for Syrian Refugee Food Relief

Anthony Bourdain, Alice Waters, Mark Bittman, and Yotam Ottolenghi are among the cookbook authors who contributed recipes to 'Soup for Syria: Recipes to Celebrate Our Shared Humanity.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Russian publisher prints books about Putin under names of western authors

Writers consider legal action against Moscow publishing house after discovering series about president circulated in their names. The Moscow Times reportsA Russian publishing house has printed a series of books about Vladimir Putin under the names of prominent western analysts and journalists –... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-08-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Oh, the Parties You'll Throw: Celebrating the New Dr. Seuss Book Across the Country

Bookstores across the country threw parties to celebrate the release of the latest, never-before-seen Dr. Seuss picture book, 'What Pet Should I Get?' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-08-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Nat Geo Rolls Out Big Pope Book, Timed with U.S. Visit

In September, Pope Francis will make his first papal visit to the United States, stopping in Washington, D.C.; New York City; and Philadelphia. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Urges More Book Contract Changes

The Guild addresses time limited book contracts, subrights, and the out-of-print clause in the latest installment of its Fair Contract Initiative. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors call on the US to investigate Amazon's book business

Just because Apple is on the hook for allegedly anti-competitive book sales doesn't mean that Amazon is above reproach. As promised, groups representing both authors and booksellers are calling on the US Department of Justice to investigate Amazon fo... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Times Defends Excluding Ted Cruz Book From Best-Seller List: 'We Are Confident'

The New York Times on Monday defended its decision to exclude Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz's book "A Time for Truth" from its bestseller list after discovering "strategic bulk purchases," though it did not offer any further details behind the decision."The Times's best-seller lists... Continue reading at Advertising Age

[ Advertising Age | 2015-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Slams 'Inadequate' E-book Royalty

The Authors Guild is asking bestselling authors to push back against the industry's reigning 25% ebook royalty rate "on behalf of all authors, as well as themselves.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2015-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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