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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Struggling as an author? Stop writing only what you want to write'


VIDEO: Teenage author's publishing success

A 19-year-old student from Kent has landed a publishing deal for a book that she wrote while studying for her A Levels. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #teenage author #publishing success #publishing deal


Authors on the Air July 29, 2014: Andrea Q. Robinson, Douglas Brinkley

Andrea Q. Robinson, author of "Toss the Gloss: Beauty Tips, Tricks & Truths for Women 50+" (Seal Press, 9781580054904), will appear on "The Dr. Oz Show" on Tuesday, July 29. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #beauty tips #seal press #oz show


Stanfords to hold travel writing festival

Stanfords is to hold a Travel Writers Festival at the Destinations Show in London next year.... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Here's a book about people tweeting about writing their novels

Sorry guys, I can't tweet this picture of a cat wearing a party hat right now, because I'm #amwriting. I'm in a coffee shop, you see, with my laptop and notebook proudly displayed so that anyone who walks past will know that I'm #amwriting a novel.... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2014-07-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coffee shop


Authors on the Air July 25, 2014: Stanley B. Prusiner

Stanley B. Prusiner, MD, author of “Madness and Memory: The Discovery of Prions—A New Biological Principle of Disease” (Yale University Press, 9780300191141), will appear on “Tavis Smiley” on PBS on Friday, July 25. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #tavis smiley


Literary Agent to Re-Publish Author's 2004 Novel

Literary agent Marly Rusoff is re-releasing, through her publishing imprint Maiden Lane Press, a debut novel by Jonathan Odell. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #literary agent


Author Chuck Palahniuk reveals more details about his 'Fight Club' sequel

Palahniuk is writing a sequel to his 1996 novel that will be in graphic novel form and released in 10 parts. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #fight club


Top-Authors Lobby for Long-Term Strategy Against Amazon

Numerous top authors are enlisting fellow writers to formulate a "long-term" strategy to combat Amazon's dominance of the market, writes The Bookseller. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #long-term strategy #combat amazon


Amazon Makes Plea to Authors to Quiet Down

Amazon has extended an olive branch to the newly formed Authors United group, and asked that the organization stop making statements that paint the e-tailer in a negative light as its terms dispute with Hachette drags on. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #olive branch #terms dispute


Doubts raised by indie authors over KU terms

Independently published authors have responded with caution to Amazon’s launch of its new... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #indie authors


Authors on the Air July 22, 2014: Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson

Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, author of "Mama Doc Medicine: Finding Calm and Confidence in Parenting, Child Health, and Work-Life Balance" (American Academy of Pediatrics, 9781581108378), will appear on "Katie" on Tuesday, July 22. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #finding calm #work-life balance #american academy


'Authors United' promises long-term Amazon strategy

Authors United, the group of writers who signed a letter calling on Amazon to resolve its dispute... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #authors united #letter calling


Authors on the Air July 18, 2014: Lisa Bloom and Annabelle Gurwitch

Lisa Bloom author of "Suspicion Nation: The Inside Story of the Trayvon Martin Injustice and Why We Continue to Repeat It" (Counterpoint, 9781619023277) will appear on "Dr. Phil" on Friday, July 18. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #lisa bloom #annabelle gurwitch #suspicion nation #inside story


Welcoming the Stranger? New Books Tackle Immigration Struggle

With tens of thousands of children attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border in what Pope Francis has called a humanitarian emergency, illegal immigration has become a more divisive topic than ever, even within Christian churches. Now several new books tackle the issue. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pope francis #humanitarian emergency #christian churches


Okwiri Oduor Wins 15th Caine Prize for African Writing

Kenyan Okwiri Oduor has won the 15th Caine Prize for African Writing, often described as Africa’s leading literary award. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-07-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #african writing


Authors on the Air July 15, 2014: Hillary Rodham Clinton

Hillary Rodham Clinton, author of "Hard Choices" (Simon & Schuster, 9781476751443), will appear on "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" on Tuesday, July 15. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hard choices #simon schuster #daily show #jon stewart


'The Mockingbird Next Door,' a portrait of author Harper Lee, garners critical praise

The story of how journalist Marja Mills came to know the 'To Kill A Mockingbird' writer Lee is being called 'witty' and 'charming.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


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 ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #longer fair #traditional publishing #traditional publishers


Amazon tells authors 100% royalty offer was 'sincere'

Amazon has hit back at the American Author's Guild for calling its offer to temporarily give... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-07-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hit back #american author


Children's book author refuses award backed by Amazon

Allan Ahlberg refused a lifetime achievement award because it was sponsored by the internet bookseller Amazon. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-07-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |