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 ]
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Will Young writes mental health guide for Ebury Spotlight

Will Young has written an accessible A-Z guide on mental health, Be Yourself and Happier, for Ebury Spotlight.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-10 07:27:21 UTC ]
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Authors’ mental health MOT

The Christmas decorations are down, the tin of Quality Street is empty and now I’m planning my author goals for the year. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-08 10:21:55 UTC ]
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Galley Beggar pays tribute to author Uschi Gatward

Independent publisher Galley Beggar has paid tribute to author Uschi Gatward, who has died following a battle with cancer.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-05 01:03:10 UTC ]
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Join the #FReadom Letter Writing Campaign to Combat Censorship!

The #FReadom campaign is asking you to write your school board with provided templates to support school libraries and access to information. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2022-01-04 11:39:00 UTC ]
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New Librarian-Moderated Author Series to Celebrate AAPI Voices

The AAPI Communities in Conversation series launches on January 4 at 1 p.m. ET. The series is a joint effort between the University of South Carolina's Augusta Baker Endowed Chair and Penguin Random House Library Marketing, with additional media support from Publishers Weekly. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Our Favorite Essays about Unconventional Writing Teachers

For those of us who want to become real writers—whatever that means—the countless resources available can feel a bit dry and uninspired, ranging from tired but true clichés to well-lauded craft books (Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir on Craft sits dustily on my shelf). Many of us find... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-12-31 12:00:00 UTC ]
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Howard named Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland

Award-winning author and illustrator Paul Howard, whose recent work includes Joe Wicks' debut picture book The Burpee Bears (HarperCollins Children's Books), has been appointed the new Children’s Writing Fellow for Northern Ireland. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-31 03:43:57 UTC ]
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Authors Win $7.8 Million Default Judgment in Global Piracy Lawsuit

A federal judge has issued a default judgment against a major overseas e-book piracy operation known as the KISS Library. In addition to a permanent injunction barring the service from operating, the court also awarded the plaintiffs the maximum amount of damages under the law, totaling some... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-29 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This village was a book capital. What happens when people stop buying so many books?

Redu, Belgium, was for decades a destination for book lovers. But now more than half of its bookstores have closed. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-26 14:43:23 UTC ]
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Joan Didion, American journalist and author, dies at age 87

The unsparing observer of US culture, politics and public life won huge acclaim for her memoir The Year of Magical Thinking• Read Alex Clark’s interview with Joan Didion from February 2021• Obituary: Joan DidionJoan Didion, the eminent journalist, author and anthropologist of contemporary... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-12-23 17:19:56 UTC ]
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Waiting list for LBF as rollovers and reduced space leave some firms struggling

Some agents and publishers who chose not to roll over their London Book Fair bookings from 2020 have reported struggling to get tables at next year’s event, with organisers admitting there is now a waiting list amid high demand and construction works at the Olympia venue. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-20 16:42:18 UTC ]
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CrimeFest offers bursary for crime author of colour

CrimeFest is offering a bursary for a writer of colour to attend its festival in May 2022 and appear on a panel. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-19 23:32:15 UTC ]
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The Author Behind ‘Maid’ Has a Room — and a Voice — of Her Own

Stephanie Land’s best-selling memoir inspired the popular Netflix series. She’s not done fighting for people navigating the red tape of poverty. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-12-16 10:00:03 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Fights School Book Bans

The Authors Guild has launched a National Letter Writing campaign, asking its 11,000 members and supporters to send emails and letters to school boards, lawmakers, and newspapers arguing that banning books harms students. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-16 05:00:00 UTC ]
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PRH Fires Back at the DoJ's Effort to Stop Its S&S Purchase

Penguin Random House is disputing the U.S. Department of Justice's main argument in the government's lawsuit to block PRH’s acquisition of S&S, namely that the merger would lead to "substantial harm to authors of anticipated top-selling books and ultimately, consumers.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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'Interview with a Vampire' Author Anne Rice Dies at Age 80

Rice, whose books have sold more than 150 million copies worldwide, died of complications from a stroke on December 11. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Greg Tate, Celebrated Author, Critic, Musician, Dies at 64

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[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-13 05:00:00 UTC ]
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'True one off' author Anne Rice dies, aged 80

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-12 22:02:56 UTC ]
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Akala, Wheatle and McNicoll among books for New Writing North schools project

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[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-11 02:47:53 UTC ]
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Bookshop-publisher-author

It is almost exactly a year since I rode into Barcelona on a second-hand bicycle I had bought in Lisbon a thousand miles earlier. As well as all the normal enjoyment of seeing your book on a shop shelf, I’m also slightly amazed when I stop to think that it was only 12 months ago that Iberia was... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-08 22:47:22 UTC ]
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