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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Richard Desmond appoints Barclays to explore sale of Channel 5

Process at a very early stage and follows owner taking soundings from television rivals including ITVRichard Desmond has appointed Barclays to advise on a possible sale of Channel 5, after turning the loss making Big Brother broadcaster into a profitable operation.The process is understood to be... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2014-01-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors Guild Appeals Google Decision

In a filing with the district court, the Authors Guild gave notice that it is appealing Judge Denny Chin’s to dismiss its copyright suit over Google’s library scanning program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Treat online abuse of women and girls as robustly as offline, authorities urged

Call on police and prosecutors by women's group EVAW comes as report reveals extent of sexual harassment on social mediaWomen's groups are calling on the police and prosecutors to treat abuse of women and girls online as "robustly" as they do offline, as a report published on Thursday reveals... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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BBC 'took too long to realise DMI project was in trouble'

Report finds flaws in tech project could have been identified two years before it was shut down in May at a cost of almost £100mRead the full PwC report on the BBC's DMI failureThe BBC should have identified that the Digital Media Initiative was set to fail as early as July 2011, almost two... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Pennsylvania Legislators Support Tax Fairness

The state urges Congress to pass the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 or similar legislation. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Prizes for book-lovers in Got it Covered competition

The Bookseller's consumer sister site We Love This Book is inviting book-lovers to test their... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Independent bookstores and self-published authors are increasingly teaming up

Previously, independent bookstores tended to stay away from marketing self-published authors, but in the age of Amazon, some are embracing local authors no matter how they released their work. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Authors draw fans to ... a casino?

A program at Connecticut's Mohegan Sun titled 'Winning Authors' brings bestselling authors to the casino, drawing crowds of hundreds. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What authors pick as the best books

Australian authors and critics sift through the piles of books they read in 2013 to highlight the treasures they found.     Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indie Booksellers, Authors Team Up

Many independent booksellers have begun to have a change of heart about self-published books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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What authors are reading in 2013

Australian authors and critics sift through the piles of books they read in 2013 to highlight the treasures they found.     Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Reddit Draws Readers, Authors, Publishers

For anyone struggling with choosing the perfect literary present this holiday season, there’s a large, vocal, and opinionated group that just might be able to help: the more than one million subscribers to the Books category on Reddit, the popular social media Web site. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Choc Lit deal for self-published author

Choc Lit has bought world rights in self-published author Kirsty Ferry’s adult fantasy The... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Yes, Virginia: Winning the Nobel Prize DOES Sell Books

In the week after Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for literature, sales of her books jumped 6,650% in Canada, and saw significant bumps around the world. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SIBA Rolls Out Author Inspired Wrapping Paper

SIBA rolls out wrapping paper featuring over 150 author signatures collected during the SIBA 2013 trade show in New Orleans. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Smith and Rickerty win Roald Dahl Funny Prizes

Titles from Simon and Schuster and Egmont/Jelly Pie have won the 2013 Roald Dahl Funny Prizes,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Stop spying on us! Authors' upset

It is the stuff of books and now it has become very real, with Australian authors Anna Funder, Frank Moorhouse and David Malouf joining the fight to demand an end to mass surveillance.     Continue reading at The Sydney Morning Herald

[ The Sydney Morning Herald | 2013-12-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Long Walk to Freedom

We've compiled a brief look at a few of the books on Mandela (including his own). Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Newsweek's Long, Strange Return to Print

Newsweek's return to print is the latest development in an odd timeline for the once-storied magazine. It's changed ownership four times, employed four CEOs and had three editors-in-chief since 2010. It's awkward liaise with the Daily Beast and swings between layoffs and hiring flurries add to... Continue reading at Folio Magazine

[ Folio Magazine | 2013-12-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Indies First: Authors share their experiences working as booksellers

The Indies First movement garnered more than 1,000 authors working at bookstores across the US and in Canada for Small Business Saturday, including James Patterson and Garth Stein. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-12-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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