Struggling as an author? Stop writing only what you want to write

Earning a living as a writer is as likely as winning the lottery. Instead of writing books and persuading others to buy them, find out what people want to write, then do it for themPhilip Pullman: professional writers set to become ‘an endangered species’ due to low wagesI left school with a burning urge to lead the life of a writer: travelling like Byron, feted like Wilde before his fall, creating laughter like Wodehouse and crafting sentences like Nabokov. I had no professional contacts, so I wrote my masterpieces speculatively, and every path I went down ended with a rejection slip or total silence. The perceived wisdom then, as now, was that earning a living as a writer was about as likely as winning a lottery.Then I discovered the secret of marketing: instead of writing things and trying to persuade people to buy them, I would find out what writing services people needed and offer to provide them. So, at the same time as begging publishers and editors for commissions, I made myself available to anyone who might want to write an article or a book but did not feel able to do it for themselves. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2016-01-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #rejection slip

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Author says the Apple TV+ 'Tetris' movie ripped off his book

The Apple TV+ film Tetris was copied from a book written years ago, according to a lawsuit filed against the tech giant and the Tetris Company. Dan Ackerman, the editor-in-chief of Gizmodo, has accused the plaintiffs of ripping off his book The Tetris Effect, which tells the history of the game... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-08-09 06:17:44 UTC ]
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Prince Harry and Meghan buy film rights to Canadian author Carley Fortune's romantic novel

A Canadian author says a production company belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex has bought the screen rights for her romantic novel. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-08-08 18:39:04 UTC ]
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What the sale of a major American book publisher means for authors, the industry — and you

Book publisher Simon & Schuster's sale to investment firm KKR is novel in many ways, but also part of a long-term trend. History tells us to expect the unexpected. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-08 17:35:35 UTC ]
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‘A smorgasbord of unlikability’: the authors helping ‘sad girl lit’ grow up

In this post-Fleabag world, publishing has become obsessed with the inner turmoils of messy millennials – but isn’t it time they pulled themselves together? Meet the novelists subverting the clichesYou’ve probably come across this woman: she is unfulfilled in her career, has been abandoned by at... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-08-08 15:19:43 UTC ]
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In an Open Loft in Gowanus, Six Authors and Artists Collaborate and Commune

For the children’s book creators Doug Salati, Brian Floca, Sophie Blackall, Rowboat Watkins, Johnny Marciano and Dasha Tolstikova, the light-filled space has become much more than just a place to work. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-08-03 09:01:00 UTC ]
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Paul Reubens was writing a memoir that his team is 'hoping' to publish posthumously

Paul Reubens 'finished a first draft' of a memoir about his life and career before he died, a representative for the Pee-wee Herman actor has confirmed. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-08-01 18:13:09 UTC ]
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Medical advances typically begin with a study. Now, universities are struggling to afford them

The rising costs university libraries are paying to access journals have implications far beyond the ivory tower. From new cancer treatments to debates about foreign policy, new information enters the public domain through academic studies. Now... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-31 08:00:00 UTC ]
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Actor Richard E. Grant processed his grief by writing and name-dropping

Richard E. Grant, star of 'Loki,' 'The Lesson' and much more, on how writing his memoir 'A Pocketful of Happiness' helped him grieve for his wife. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-28 19:53:27 UTC ]
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Bruce Handy on Becoming a Children’s Picture Book Author in His 60s

“Writing for kids had long been an ambition of mine, but until recently I didn’t know it had long been an ambition.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-28 09:00:25 UTC ]
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Bruce Handy on Becoming a Children’s Picture Book Author in His 60s

“Writing for kids had long been an ambition of mine, but until recently I didn’t know it had long been an ambition.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-07-28 09:00:24 UTC ]
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Google testing AI tool that writes news articles

Tool is said to have been pitched to several US news outlets as an aid for journalists rather than a replacementGoogle is testing an artificial intelligence tool that can write news articles, in the latest evidence that the technology has the potential to transform white-collar professions.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-20 12:04:29 UTC ]
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Children's Author Becomes a 'Loudmouth' for Banned Books

Author Leah Johnson isn't simply speaking up against censorship—she's putting banned books into people's hands, and will open Loudmouth Books in Indianapolis in late September. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
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How to watch bestselling author Luis Alberto Urrea at the L.A. Times Book Club

Luis Alberto Urrea, author of 'Good Night, Irene,' joins L.A. Times Book Club readers live on July 19. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-07-19 20:38:21 UTC ]
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An A-Z Alphabet of Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors of Color

Looking to diversify your reading list? Then this alphabet of SFF authors of color is a great place to start! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-07-19 10:37:00 UTC ]
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Margaret Atwood among thousands of authors demanding compensation from AI companies

Margaret Atwood, James Patterson and Suzanne Collins are among thousands of writers endorsing an open letter from the Authors Guild urging AI companies to obtain permission before incorporating copyrighted work into their technologies. ... Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-07-18 21:52:26 UTC ]
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‘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 ]
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Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming

From Bono to Jarvis Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Cosey Fanni Tutti, the last decade has seen an explosion of books by artists from every walk of musical life. Why is this once-rare genre striking a chord with stars and readers alike?By her own admission, Miki Berenyi was not a woman itching to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-15 08:00:25 UTC ]
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Authors Join the Brewing Legal Battle Over AI

Two new class action copyright lawsuits ramp up the growing scrutiny of large language models and other generative artificial intelligence tools. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-07-14 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Rest is History: Andrew Ridker on Writing About the Recent Past

For years I refused to read historical fiction. It seemed to me that there was something artificial—dishonest, even—in summoning a time and place that hadn’t been experienced firsthand. I couldn’t see past the affected dialogue, the funny hats, and my suspicion that the author was making it all... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-07-12 08:51:46 UTC ]
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YA author shoots to No 1 on Amazon bestseller list after viral TikTok video

TikToker Jerrad Swearenjin approached Shawn Warner during a book signing because he looked ‘super defeated’A debut author struggling with sales became Amazon’s No 1 bestseller this week after a video of the writer at a quiet book signing went viral on TikTok.58-year-old Shawn Warner was sitting... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-07 13:47:16 UTC ]
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