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'


Author Aims to Glorify God One Hat At a Time

La Verne Wimberly, whose Sunday morning selfies in her fabulous hats went viral, is promoting the newly released 'My Sunday Best' during Easter season. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-06 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #author aims #newly released


What’s going on with all the empty author signing pics?

In December 2022, author Chelsea Banning had 37 people RSVP “yes” to her book event. On the day, only two showed up. In March 2023, Jamar Perry showed up to his 7 p.m. book event to find the bookstore empty, and figured he would give it another 40 minutes. Still, no one came. This week, […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-05 11:57:06 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book event #bookstore


‘I love nothing more than making people cry’: author Cheryl Strayed on her hugely moving TV show

Profound, big-hearted, and raw, the adaptation of bestselling book Tiny Beautiful Things is powerful television. Its writer talks grief, sorrow and being friends for life with Reese WitherspoonIn 2011, a little-known fortysomething author called Cheryl Strayed was about to become huge. She had... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-05 05:00:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #heroin addiction #desperately wanted #big screen #reese witherspoon #bestselling book


Authors Guild Meets with Legislators Over Generative AI Concerns

The Guild led a coalition of creative groups who spent a week lobbying lawmakers for legal guardrails against generative artificial intelligence programs and educating them on potential harms posed by such programs on literary and creative industries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #creative industries


Children’s author who sued John Lewis over Christmas ad loses case

Fay Evans alleged similarity between the 2019 Excitable Edgar TV campaign and her self-published book A self-published author who sued John Lewis over its 2019 Christmas advert about a trouble-making dragon has lost her case.Fay Evans brought a case for copyright infringement, alleging that... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-03 12:29:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #trouble-making dragon #copyright infringement #striking similarity #picture book #fire-sneezing dragon #john lewis #self-published author #self-published book


Writing History Showed Me a New Way to View Climate Change

Two new books, a U. K. paperback and a world first edition, were delivered to my door on the same day last week. I put the books side by side on the table. The first, suggestive of dark happenings in the past,  was The Lion House: The Rise of Suleyman the Magnificent. The second book’s […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-03 08:52:43 UTC ]
More news stories like this |


Valemon The Bear: Myth in the Age of the Anthropocene With Martin Shaw

Emergence Magazine is an online publication with annual print edition exploring the threads connecting ecology, culture, and spirituality. As we experience the desecration of our lands and waters, the extinguishing of species, and a loss of sacred connection to the Earth, we look to emerging... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-27 08:52:16 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #emerging stories #emergence magazine #online publication #sacred connection #narrated essays


Ukrainian Author Andrey Kurkov Among National Book Critics Circle Award Winners

A collection of fantastical short stories and a book of poems about escaping capitalist society were also among the 2022 winners. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-03-24 00:51:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #short stories


Braving a blizzard to meet the most promising (and most offline) young writer in the West

In a writer-as-brand era, Taylor Koekkoek's obscurity is almost as refreshing as the hilarious, stealthily profound stories in his debut, 'Thrillville, USA.' Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-22 13:00:29 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #young writer


This Aussie author had a book idea while ‘high as a kite’ after brain surgery.

She might not have written an entire book in one day, but Australian author Karina May has a pretty good, pretty sweat-smile story behind the rom-commy Duck à l’Orange for Breakfast, which comes out March 28 from Pan Macmillan Australia. First, you need to understand the plot: The novel centers... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-22 08:59:40 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pretty good #pan macmillan #australian author


Author Sim Kern Launches #TransRightsReadathon

More than 2,100 participants will spotlight books by trans authors and raise funds for trans rights organizations via TikTok and Instagram this week under the #TransRightsReadathon hashtag. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-20 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #spotlight books #trans authors #raise funds


John Steinbeck’s House May Become a Writers Retreat

John Steinbeck’s Sag Harbor home on Long Island may soon secure its place in literary history, thanks to an impassioned coalition of readers, writers, and booksellers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #john steinbeck #long island #literary history


Tom Benn Wins England’s Young Writer of the Year Award

The £10,000 Young Writer of the Year award from the UK's Sunday Times goes to Tom Benn for his fourth novel, 'Oxblood.' The post Tom Benn Wins England’s Young Writer of the Year Award appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-15 17:35:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #sunday times #young writer of the year award #young writer


Nobel Prize-Winning Author Kenzaburo Oe Has Died at 88

Kenzaburō Ōe, the Nobel Prize-winning Japanese novelist known for his fiction addressing social and political issues, has passed away at 88. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-13 16:17:07 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #political issues #prize-winning author


“Everything is Riding on Your Author Photo.” Mary Childs on What to Expect When You’re Expecting a Book

I thought having a book published would turn me into the confident, self-assured person I always knew I could be. I thought everyone but my enemies would be happy for me, and I would be, too. I thought I would become a morning person. So when my publication date finally came around, I was very […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-13 08:54:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #author photo #book published


Why authors might want to pay to go on a podcast.

Gone are the days when you could write a book a chapter at a time and hook people in a slow, serial burn. Now, if the internet is to believed, one must amass 100,000 followers on social media before they can even be considered for a book deal (every writer ever: why would anyone follow […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-10 17:36:58 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #book deal


Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism

The first three categories’ shortlists have been released in the 17th edition of the Sheikh Zayed Book Award, based in Abu Dhabi. The post Sheikh Zayed Shortlists: Literature, Young Author, Criticism appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-03-10 16:05:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #criticism appeared #young author #17th edition #abu dhabi #zayed book


AWP23 in Seattle Showcases Presses, Journals, and Authors

The opening days of this year's Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference featured the presentation of its Small Press Publisher Award to Dzanc Books and a discussion between famed Seattle librarian and 'Book Lust' author Nancy Pearl with novelist Min Jin Lee. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dzanc books #small press


How sci-fi writer Annalee Newitz turned to real-life scientists to build a (better) future

Novelist and science journalist Annalee Newitz brings 'The Terraformers' to the L.A. Times Book Club March 28. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-09 22:20:34 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #times book


My Author Photo Brought Me Face to Face With the Body I Hated

I’m on my third round of author photos now, which is two too many. For the first, I commissioned the cheapest person I could find. My agent needed a headshot for the London Book Fair, and I didn’t have anything. The photographer came by my house when I was eight months pregnant. I hired her […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-03-09 09:53:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this |