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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Desmond Elliott prize reminds us that authors need long-term support'


Campaign to end gender-specific children's books gathers high-profile publishing support

Waterstones, children's laureate Malorie Blackman, poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy and Phillip Pullman among supportersA national campaign to stop children's books being labelled as "for boys" or "for girls" has won the support of Britain's largest specialist bookseller Waterstones, as well as... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-03-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #early years #work directly


Authors on the Air March 14, 2014: Ralph Reed

Ralph Reed, author of "Awakening: How America Can Turn from Moral and Economic Destruction Back to Greatness" (Worthy, 9781617952876) will appear on "The Sean Hannity Show" on Monday, March 17. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


North Korean dictators: also successful children's book authors?

North Korean dictators Kim Jong-Il and Kim Il-Sung were credited with writing children's books featuring thinly veiled metaphors for North Korean political theory. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2014-03-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #successful children #book authors #writing children


“Self-Published Authors = 50% of the EBook Market by 2020″

Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, has made the prediction that self-published books will account for 50% of ebook sales by 2020. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebook market #mark coker #self-published books #ebook sales


More authors added to YALC lineup

Sally Green and Charlie Higson have joined the line-up for the UK's first YA literature... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sally green #charlie higson #ya literature


Authors on the Air March 13, 2014: Melissa Wardy and Jenni Pulos

Melissa Wardy, author of "Redefining Girly: How Parents Can Fight the Stereotyping and Sexualizing of Girlhood, from Birth to Tween" (Chicago Review Press, 9781613745526) will appear on NBC's "Today Show" on Friday, March 14. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jenni pulos #today show


Saunders’ “Tenth of December” Wins Inaugural Folio Prize

George Saunders has been announced as the winner of The Folio Prize 2014 for Tenth of December (Bloomsbury), sponsored by The Folio Society. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #george saunders #december bloomsbury #folio society


Print: A Shorter-Term Bet?

Print these days is a medium of diminishing returns. There are pockets of brands where print revenues are increasing, but physical magazines are largely now kept around as a sometimes-important part of an integrated buy. And many executives have written off any notion of a return to print-based... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #diminishing returns


Authors on the Air March 12, 2014: Paul Brinkley

Paul Brinkley, author of "War Front to Store Front: Americans Rebuilding Trust and Hope in Nations Under Fire" (Turner, 9781118239223), will appear on MSNBC's "Morning Joe" on Thursday, March 13. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #morning joe


Thomas King Wins Canadian Nonfiction Prize

Thomas King's "subversive, hilarious, enraging" re-examination of Canada's history with aboriginal people wins $25,000 non-fiction prize Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Saunders awarded first Folio Prize

US writer George Saunders has won the inaugural Folio Prize for his short story collection Tenth... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #folio prize


Authors on the Air March 7, 2014: Jenni Pulos and Lisa Bloom

Jenni Pulos, author of "Grin and Bear It: How to be Happy No Matter What Reality Throws Your Way" (St. Martin's, 9781250028198), will appear on the "Today Show" on Monday, March 10. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #jenni pulos #lisa bloom #today show


Libraries, Authors and Publishers Head to SXSW 2014

SXSW Interactive (March 7-11), the annual tech festival, opens today in Austin, Tex. and expect to see a wide range of publishers and publishing-related events. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #publishers head #opens today #wide range #publishing-related events


Crace, Aslam, Forna win $150k Windham Campbell prizes

Man Booker shortlisted Jim Crace is one of eight recipients of this year’s $150,000 Windham... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Tony Robinson wins kids' book prize

Weird World of Wonders: World War II wins Tony Robinson a Blue Peter Book Award, as World Book Day organisers reveal the top 50 life-changing teen reads. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2014-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book prize #weird world


History focus for Pushkin House Russian Book Prize shortlist

The books on the shortlist for the Pushkin House Russian Book Prize 2014 cover a wide range of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #wide range


Authors on the Air March 6, 2014: Pat Williams

Pat Williams, author of "The Mission is Remission: Hope For Battling Cancer" (HCI, 9780757317828), will appear on "CBS This Morning" on Friday, March 7. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pat williams #battling cancer


Catton, Tartt and Atwood on Baileys Women's Prize longlist

Six debut novelists will compete against writers at the “top of their form” on the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2014-03-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #baileys women #prize longlist #debut novelists


Saunders Wins 2013 Story Prize

The author's "Tenth of December" was fittingly the tenth winner of the short fiction award, which came with a $20,000 prize. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2014-03-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


London Author Fair’s Debut: Change Agents

Porter Anderson reports on the inaugural London Author Fair conference in Covent Garden and looking at the role agents might play for self-publishers. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2014-03-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #covent garden