The Desmond Elliott prize reminds us that authors need long-term support

With her prizewinning debut, Claire Fuller could be following in the footsteps of Ian Rankin and Hilary Mantel who found success with their later work – but only with the support of her publisherAs one of the judges for the Desmond Elliott prize for best debut novelist this year, I couldn’t help reflect on some of the challenges still to come for the authors. With three such accomplished novels on our shortlist, there was some hard talking in the judges’ room, but in the end we decided, by an honourable 2:1 vote, to award the prize to Claire Fuller for Our Endless Numbered Days. It is a dark and perfectly poised account of a survivalist father hiding out in a remote forest with his increasingly embattled daughter that recalls the early work of Ian McEwan in its brooding slow build to a dramatic climax. But nobody could dispute the literary skill evident in the other books on the shortlist: Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey and Carys Bray’s A Song for Issy Bradley.The vital thing now is that these writers are offered long-term support from their agents and publishers. The amount of publicity given to those first novels that become instant bestsellers distorts the reality for the majority of debut novelists, even very gifted ones: a moderate advance, a small amount of acclaim, a continuing battle to get their next book written and then published. This is the reality for authors who want a sustained career in books. Related: Desmond Elliott prize goes to Claire Fuller's... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-07-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #emma healey #carys bray #debut novelists #book written #sustained career

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Authors Guild Responds to Second Circuit Ruling

The Authors Guild released a statement in response to the Second Circuit's affirmation of Judge Harold Baer's October 2012 decision in the Authors Guild v. HathiTrust. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Medium Relaunches Matter, Devoted To Long-Form Journalism

An experiment in digital publishing continues to evolve.Medium, the publisher-platform hybrid backed by Twitter cofounder Ev Williams, is relaunching Matter today. As you may recall Matter was a successful Kickstarter project for in-depth reporting that Medium acquired last year.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2014-06-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors on the Air June 9, 2014: Kenneth Turan

Kenneth Turan, author of "Not to be Missed: Fifty-Four Favorites from a Lifetime of Film" (PublicAffairs, 9781586483968 ) will appear on the "Diane Rehm Show" on Tuesday, June 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hillman, Carson Awarded $65,000 Poetry Prizes

When poetry pays...U.S. poet Brenda Hillman and Canadian Anne Carson each receive $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Foyles partners with Green Carnation Prize

Foyles has partnered with the Green Carnation Prize for LGBT writers.   The two-year... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S Adds InkedIn to Author Portal

Simon & Schuster has launched InkedIn, a new online community for S&S authors that lets them hold one-on-one or group discussions on publishing related topics. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jaron Lanier to Receive 2014 Peace Prize from German Book Trade

Jaron Lanier will receive the 2014 Peace Prize of the German Book Trade for his writing and advocacy about 'the dangers involved when human beings are reduced to digital categories.' Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Eimear McBride wins Baileys prize

Irish author Eimear McBride wins the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction with A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing, the debut novel she spent nine years trying to get published. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors on the Air June 5, 2014: Thom Shea

Thom Shea, author of "Unbreakable: A Navy Seal’s Way of Life" (Clovercroft Publishing, 9781940262376), will appear on the "Sean Hannity Show" on Thursday, June 5. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Byliner, an Online Publisher of Long-Form Writing, Seeks Partners

Byliner, a company that publishes long, literary journalism and fiction online and as ebooks, told its contributors Tuesday that it has been struggling and is seeking partners to ensure its future. The company started in 2011 with some fanfare. It ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One Direction fanfic author inks worldwide book deal

Following the success of Anna Todd's After series, the wildly popular stories starring the boy band will be published at the end of the year Is fan fiction something to be feared? And where did it all begin?Simon & Schuster have inked a deal for worldwide rights to One Direction fanfic.... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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McBride wins Bailey's Women's Prize

Irish author Eimear McBride’s A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing (Galley Beggar/Faber &... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-06-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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'Diary of a Wimpy Kid' author Jeff Kinney says he will open a bookstore

Jeff Kinney says he plans to open a bookstore in his town of Plainville, Mass., aimed at breaking even within five years. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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“A Footprint on the Convention Floor”: BEA’s Author Hub

BookExpo America's uPublishU Author Hub created self-published authors' own 'footprint on the convention floor' for the first time, setting a strong precedent. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-06-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors on the Air June 2, 2014: A.J. Baime

A.J. Baime, author of "The Arsenal of Democracy: FDR, Detroit, and an Epic Quest to Arm an America at War" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 9780547719283), will appear on NPR’s "The Takeaway" on Tuesday, June 3. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-06-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: Stan Lee: From Comic Book Legend To Children’s Author

With X-Men: Days of Future Past and The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man 2 taking top box-office this month, one might presume that the co-creator of all these classic superheros is sitting by a pool somewhere sipping mai tais. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors on the Air May 30, 2014: Jessye Norman and Joseph Hallinan

Jessye Norman, author of "Stand Up Straight and Sing!" (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 9780544003408) will appear on "PBS Newshour" on Friday, May 30. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Kirkus Reviews Offers Three New $50k Book Prizes

Book review magazine Kirkus Reviews has announced three $50,000 book prizes to be awarded for fiction, nonfiction and young adult literature. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BEA 2014: New Opportunities for Agents and Authors in Today’s Publishing

A panel of veteran literary agents discussed the ways in which they now approach their jobs in the Thursday BookExpo panel “Beyond Authors: Self-Publishing & the 'New' Agents.” Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Support for statutory school libraries grows

Authors, librarians and trade bodies have spoken out in support of the campaign to make school... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-05-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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