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

Other news stories related to: "As celebrity books boom, professional authors are driven out of full-time work"


‘There’s an industry-wide mental health crisis’: authors and publishers on why the books sector needs to change

After a survey revealed the stresses that authors face when placed in the spotlight for the first time, publishing houses and industry bodies have pledged extra training and pastoral careAuthor and publisher welfare has been a hot topic in the books industry of late. Publishing houses, trade... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-18 15:13:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #publishing houses #bookseller #independent publisher #english pen #communications director #anna frame #mental health #hot topic #books industry #industry bodies #survey revealed


Elliott Bay Book Co. Celebrates 50 Years in Seattle

Known for its soaring rafters and walls of staff picks on every flavor, Seattle’s Elliott Bay turned 50 years old this June—just a year after an ownership change. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #staff picks


Authors file a lawsuit against OpenAI for unlawfully ‘ingesting’ their books

Mona Awad and Paul Tremblay allege that their books, which are copyrighted, were ‘used to train’ ChatGPT because the chatbot generated ‘very accurate summaries’ of the worksTwo authors have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, the company behind the artificial intelligence tool ChatGPT, claiming that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-05 14:33:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #copyright law #books include #paul tremblay #mona awad


Authors of ‘And Tango Makes Three’ Sue Over Florida Law Driving Book Bans

The authors of a picture book about a penguin family with two fathers sued the state and a school district that removed the book from libraries. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-20 14:25:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #picture book #school district


Video: Watch Elliot Page discuss 'Pageboy' at the L.A. Times Book Club

Actor Elliot Page joined the Los Angeles Times Book Club to discuss his new memoir, 'Pageboy,' in Hollywood. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-06-15 17:06:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #times book


The ‘New York Times Book Review’ Mixes It Up

Gilbert Cruz, the new editor of the 'Review,' plans to keep experimenting to find the perfect formula for books coverage at the paper of record. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-09 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #times book #books coverage #gilbert cruz


Reading at Full Volume: Seven Books That Feature Rock Music

I’ve been working on a theory about novelists lately: most of us wish we were rock stars. I’m basing this on a few things, like, for example, who wouldn’t want to be a rock star? Also, with all our anonymity, social anxiety disorders, and how we tend to be at our best while wearing sweatpants […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-06-07 08:52:59 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #novelists #rock star #rock stars


Book Review: ‘Code Red’ and ‘Calling the Moon: 16 Period Stories From BIPOC Authors’

Decades after “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret,” an anthology and a novel let readers see periods through the eyes of diverse protagonists. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-02 09:00:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #anthology #bipoc authors #book review


U.S. Book Show 2023: Jacqueline Woodson Works from Memory and Empathy

At a lunch-hour keynote on May 24, National Book Award winner and former National Ambassador for Young People's Literature Jacqueline Woodson sat down with bookseller Miwa Messer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #national book award #bookseller #national ambassador


How to watch LeVar Burton at the L.A. Times Book Club

On May 24, actor and author LeVar Burton discusses the State of Banned Books with Times readers in Los Angeles. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-05-24 20:15:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #times book #banned books


New Books Find Voices of Faith in Fraught Times

Religion publishers address many of the most challenging social issues facing a polarized nation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-19 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


U.S. Book Show 2023: Debut Authors in Conversation

First-time authors Alice Carrière, Tereh Shelton Harris, and Kelsey James will discuss their forthcoming books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #forthcoming books #debut authors


U.S. Book Show 2023: Authors in Conversation

In a series of intimate discussions, authors, comics creators, and artists will give readers an inside look at their latest titles and forthcoming books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #forthcoming books #latest titles #give readers


Sorry, Swifties: BTS revealed as authors of mystery book that intrigued the internet

Beyond the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS will be out on 9 July, ending feverish speculation that the previously untitled book was a Taylor Swift memoirThe guessing game began this week when a mysteriously untitled book, scheduled for publication in July and known only as “4C Untitled Flatiron... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-05-12 01:34:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #mystery book


Child authors discuss books, world records

Four-year-old author Saeed Almheiri discussess his book, The Elephant Saeed and the Bear, and his sister Aldhabi, 8, discusses hers, Here Was the Beginning — waxing poetic about its effect on classmates. Saeed has the Guinness world record as the... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-05-11 21:11:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #female author #world records


Author of children’s book about grief charged with murdur-durdur.

“How’d you become a children’s book author?” The answer for Kouri Richins, a Utah mom of three who wrote Are You With Me?, a children’s book about coping with grief, is that she allegedly poisoned her husband, then wrote a book about loss. The Associated Press reports that Utah police arrested... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-09 14:02:02 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #children’s book #press reports


'They can't ban all the books': Why two banned authors are so optimistic

"Banned Books," one of the most popular panels at the Festival of Books, featured Angie Thomas, George M. Johnson and some sharp students from Fairfax High. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-04-24 19:40:50 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #fairfax #fairfax high #banned books


Los Angeles Times Book Prizes Winners Announced

The 43nd annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were awarded tonight at the University of Southern California's Bovard Auditorium. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-04-22 04:49:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #times book #bovard auditorium #southern california


Celebrating 100 Books in the MIT Press’s Essential Knowledge Series

The broad-ranging series, which provides fundamental basics on complex, pressing topics, is hitting a major milestone and looking to the future. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-21 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #pressing topics #mit press


As London Book Fair Opens: Authors Seed a ‘Tree to Me’ Campaign

Authors are asking their publishers in the UK 10 questions about the climate crisis and what it takes to get a book from the 'Tree to Me.' The post As London Book Fair Opens: Authors Seed a ‘Tree to Me’ Campaign appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-18 05:42:45 UTC ]
More news stories like this | All news stories tagged with: #london book fair #climate crisis #campaign appeared