The Guardian view on modern writers: the myth of the reclusive author | Editorial

These days, most writers cannot afford to live secluded from their public. But when a very private author like Thomas Harris announces a new novel, there’s always special excitementAuthors – at least as far as their relationship with the public goes – fall into several distinct categories. There are those who wish they had a public at all, who long for an invitation to speak at a book festival, and whose publishers try in vain to tempt journalists to interview them and podcast producers to book them. This category embraces a larger proportion of authors than most people would like to imagine; the average income earned by writers from writing (as opposed to teaching, or other day jobs) is £12,500, according to a recent study.Then there are those who have a sufficient standing to attract the attention of festivals, book clubs and other public events, and a publisher who can be persuaded to fork out travel expenses for them to attend. These events are almost invariably poorly paid, and at their worst – when audience members and sales are few – can be dispiriting. On the other hand, good literary festivals pride themselves on being welcoming and warmly social places, where authors can enjoy swapping solitary hours of writing for intelligent interaction with readers and conversation with colleagues. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2018-10-07 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #day jobs #recent study #travel expenses #audience members

Other Publishing stories related to: 'The Guardian view on modern writers: the myth of the reclusive author | Editorial'


Penguin takes Breathing series by self-published author

Penguin Children's has snapped up rights to The Breathing series by self-published author... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #self-published author #penguin children


Booksellers turn writers for Icon

Booksellers have become book writers for a popular science project from Icon Books. Icon’s... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #icon books #book writers


Chinese authorities ask booksellers to ban Japanese works

The government is also pressuring Chinese publishers to stop translating and publishing Japanese content as tension increases between the two countries. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-09-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #chinese authorities


Can a White Author Write Black Characters?

When a man routinely hailed as one of America’s “greatest living writers” publishes a new novel, one hardly expects it to draw reviews posing questions along the lines of “Can he do it? Can he actually pull it off?” Because when you’re Michael Chabon, Pulitzer Prize winner, the act of writing a... Continue reading at Slate

[ Slate | 2012-09-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Shindig Offers Authors Interactive Video Conferencing

Joining a growing list of services that offer real-time video chat capabilities, Shindig is a recently launched platform that authors and publishers can use to replicate the book tour experience online. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-09-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #growing list


Guardian First Book longlist announced

Small publisher Stinging Fly Press will compete against the major houses for the £10,000... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #major houses


Indigo acquires two from US debut author

Orion imprint Indigo has acquired two YA books by American debut author, Tess Sharpe. Editorial... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut author #ya books


Herbert is latest 20p author

Bestselling author James Herbert is the latest to have an ebook offered for 20p on Amazon and... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Sci-fi author Harry Harrison dies

American science fiction writer Harry Harrison, best known for The Stainless Steel Rat and the book that inspired Charlton Heston's classic film Soylent Green, has died aged 87. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-08-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Patterson is world's highest-earning author, says Forbes

Thriller writer James Patterson has been crowed as the world’s top-earning author in 2011-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Gore Vidal appreciation: Writer served as canary in a coal mine

To him, the world was both subject and spectacle. Yet he remained, always, an author difficult to categorize.Gore Vidal, who died Tuesday night at age 86, was a fixture on the American cultural landscape for so long that it seems hard to imagine our literature without him. From 1946, when his... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #coal mine #social critic


Hamish Hamilton signs Granta-tipped writer

  Hamish Hamilton has signed up a novel from South American writer Daniel Galera, a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-08-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #hamish hamilton


Author acknowledges fake Dylan quotes, resigns

A staff writer for The New Yorker has resigned and his latest book has been halted after he acknowledged inventing quotes by Bob Dylan. Jonah Lehrer released a statement Monday through his publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, saying that some Mr. Dylan quotes appearing in his book "Imagine: How... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2012-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #rolling stone #martin scorsese


Author Maeve Binchy dies aged 72

Best-selling Irish author Maeve Binchy, who sold more than 40 million books worldwide, has died after a short illness. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-07-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short illness


Youngest ever authors make Dylan Thomas Prize longlist

Legend Press and Bloomsbury both have two books on the £30,000 University of Wales Dylan... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #legend press


Author fears over 20p frontlist

Authors and their representatives have warned that books are being devalued to the point of... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Author expects fiction revolution

The rise of ebooks will "fundamentally change" the types of stories that are written and who they are written by, award-winning author Denise Mina predicts. Continue reading at BBC News

[ BBC News | 2012-07-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Makinson: 'no reputational damage' from Author Solutions buy

Penguin c.e.o. John Makinson has said there is a "natural convergence" between... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john makinson


Pearson buys Author Solutions, will integrate with Penguin

Pearson has acquired self-publishing company Author Solutions Inc for $116m (£74m) in cash... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |