Publishers are paying writers a pittance, say bestselling authors

Philip Pullman, Antony Beevor and Sally Gardner call for fairer share of profits, as survey shows full-time writers earn below minimum wagePhilip Pullman, Antony Beevor and Sally Gardner are calling on publishers to increase payments to authors, after a survey of more than 5,500 professional writers revealed a dramatic fall in the number able to make a living from their work. The latest report by the Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society (ALCS), due to be published on Thursday, shows median earnings for professional writers have plummeted by 42% since 2005 to under £10,500 a year, well below the minimum annual income of £17,900 recommended by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Women fare worse, according to the survey, earning 75% of what their male counterparts do, a 3% drop since 2013 when the last ALCS survey was conducted.The word exploitation comes to mind. M​any of us are being treated badly Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #antony beevor #sally gardner #latest report #professional writers #male counterparts #3% drop

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Publishers are paying writers a pittance, say bestselling authors

Philip Pullman, Antony Beevor and Sally Gardner call for fairer share of profits, as survey shows full-time writers earn below minimum wagePhilip Pullman, Antony Beevor and Sally Gardner are calling on publishers to increase payments to authors, after a survey of more than 5,500 professional... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-06-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Writers and publishers trade blows over plummeting author pay levels

Responding to a survey that found the median author income had dropped to £10,500, Publishers Association said the figures were ‘unrecognisable’The Society of Authors has issued a sharply worded challenge to the UK’s biggest publishers after the chief executive of the Publishers Association... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2018-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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This Bestselling Author Says Publishers Rejected His New Thriller Because He’s White. I Read It, and I’m Not So Sure.

If you believe that the role of a novel is to instruct readers on correct moral positions, then Trial is a masterpiece. Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2023-06-20 16:38:36 UTC ]
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Rebuck pays tribute to 'writer's publisher' Stephen Johnson

Penguin Random House UK chair Gail Rebuck has paid tribute to Stephen Johnson, the former m.d. of Exclusive Books and Random House South Africa, who died earlier this week. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How Much Do Writers Earn? Society of Authors and ALCS Present Talking Points to Publishers

Naming issues on which 'we are in almost complete alignment,' the UK's author-advocacy organization and revenue collection agency lay out talking points to the Publishers Association in an open letter. It's a new call 'to give everyone a bigger share of the pie." The post How Much Do Writers... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-07-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bookouture signs two thrillers from bestselling self-published author

Bookouture has struck a deal for two new psychological thrillers with the author of number one ebook bestseller Silent Child. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA challenges publishers to reveal how much they pay authors

The chief executive of the Society of Authors has challenged publishers to reveal how much they pay writers in their annual financial accounts. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-03-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors called David more likely to be on bestseller lists than BAME writers

The Bookseller magazine has published analysis finding a ‘shockingly low’ number of BAME authors in the UK top 500 titles of the yearA writer has more chance of making it into the bestseller charts if their name is David than if they are from an ethnic minority, according to new analysis from... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-11-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pay-back time for publishers: authors forced to return their advances

This week, it emerged that Pride and Prejudice and Zombies author Seth Grahame-Smith was being sued by his publisher to return his advance. From Julian Assange to Amy Schumer, he isn’t alone...Though he’s fallen out spectacularly with his publisher, Seth Grahame-Smith at least has the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2016-09-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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July Religion Bestsellers: Self-Published Authors Take Over, Wanda Brunstetter Stays #1

For the first time, a pair of self-published authors, Aaron and Jennifer Smith, took two spots on PW’s Religion Nonfiction Bestsellers list. Plus, Wanda Brunstetter topped the fiction list with the latest installment of her Amish Milionaire series. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2016-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon May Pay Self-Published Authors No More Than $0.006 Per Page Read

So much for writing short.Last month, Amazon took a page out of Spotify's playbook, electing to start paying its self-published authors by the page rather than per download. The new model was put into action Wednesday—and it looks like the e-commerce giant may now pay writers no more than $0.006... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon set to pay self-published authors as little as $0.006 per page read

Writers of shorter works could lose out on revenue as company’s Kindle Owners Lending Library and Kindle Unlimited no longer pay per copy downloadedSelf-published authors could be paid as little as $0.006 per page read under new rules planned by Amazon.Writers who make their works available... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Comics Publishers Lure Bestselling Book Authors

Bestselling authors George R.R. Martin and Chuck Palahniuk and director Quentin Tarantino, along with their respective comics publishers Avatar Press, Dark Horse, and Dynamite Entertainment, generated a lot of attention at the recent Comic-Con International about their forthcoming comics projects. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-08-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In the UK, Traditional Publishing’s Pay for Authors “Not Fair”

In the UK, the Society of Authors’ chief executive claims that traditional publishers’ terms 'are no longer fair or sustainable' for author's to make a living. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ether for Authors: Can Turning Publishing Into a Competition Pay?

Our weekly round-up of web buzz looks at Italy's RCS Libri / Rizzoli Lab effort in co-publishing; self-publishing in Germany; author contracts; and more. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-11-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Amazon launches Kindle Worlds publishing platform for fan fiction, will pay royalties to writers and rights holders

Amazon's taken a number of steps to bring different types of content to the Kindle Store, and it's now venturing into an area that has a long history with the internet: fan fiction. The company's today announced Kindle Worlds, a new publishing platform that promises to pay writers royalties for... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-05-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Self-published authors on Kindle bestseller list

Amazon has revealed that 15% of its bestselling Kindle books in the UK last year were written by... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
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How low pay and low pay transparency undermine the publishing business

it is impossible for publishing to fulfil its own diversity agenda while continuing to pay low wages to most workers and to maintain its decades-long secrecy over pay and progression Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-11 23:48:14 UTC ]
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Are Self-Published Authors Still Indie Authors?

The publishing landscape is rapidly changing—as is the way self-published authors are viewed. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Society of Authors renews calls for TV shows to pay authors

The Society of Authors (SoA) has renewed its calls for TV companies to pay and credit historians and authors for their research work after a rise in complaints from members. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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