Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal

Managing director says book chain ‘simply not profitable enough’, as Sally Rooney, Val McDermid and other authors write to protestMore than 1,300 writers including Kerry Hudson, David Nicholls, Sally Rooney, Michael Rosen and Val McDermid have backed a campaign for Waterstones booksellers to be paid the living wage.The support follows a petition from staff at Waterstones, signed by more than 6,000 people, which calls on the book chain’s managing director, James Daunt, to pay booksellers a starting living wage of £9 an hour, or £10.55 for the Greater London area. “Working for a rate of pay that is below the living wage results in booksellers who are stressed, preoccupied and who have little spare time and energy to devote to buying books, reading them, and keeping up with news and trends in the industry – all of which activities are undertaken outside contracted hours, and which many staff consider to be (and are encouraged to view as) integral to their role,” says the petition. Related: Balancing the books: how Waterstones came back from the dead Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2019-03-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #sally rooney #val mcdermid #david nicholls #michael rosen #living wage #book chain #james daunt #spare time

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Unionized Staff at B&N Flagship Store Stage Walkout

On December 22, workers at the Barnes & Noble flagship Union Square location walked off the job over what their union, the RWDSU, called "the company's failure to return on economic portions of the contract amid their highest sales season." Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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This Week’s Bestsellers: January 1, 2024

Alice Oseman has the #1 book in the country with the graphic novel 'Heartstopper #5.' Plus 'The Boys in the Boat' lands in theaters—and on our trade paperback list—and several other titles get a holiday boost. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2024-01-02 05:00:00 UTC ]
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‘Historical reparation’: new bookshops in Europe give voice to female authors

Greta Livraria in Lisbon and Rare Birds in Edinburgh are among the new stores dedicated to women’s writingWith its neatly arranged tables and shelves laden with books written by women, Greta Livraria’s small space masks its big ambitions. Since opening earlier this year, the bookstore in Lisbon... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-28 05:00:25 UTC ]
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Pietsch Touts New Marketing Efforts in Letter to Authors

In his last annual letter to authors as Hachettte Book Group CEO, Michael Pietsch hit on a number of topics, including the publisher’s steps to improve its marketing efforts. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Five years and 2m copies later, self-published author lands UK book deal

Norfolk-based crime writer JM Dalgliesh topped the Amazon and Kindle bestsellers before being signed by a traditional publisher In 2018, JM Dalgliesh was a stay-at-home father when he sent his first crime novel to six literary agents, only to receive polite rejection letters – or no response at... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-17 09:00:23 UTC ]
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We Need Your Help: Support Lit Hub, Become a Member

Dear Lit Hub Reader, We need your help. For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. Now, as one of the last independent book-focused publications on the internet, we want to cover an even larger part of that world. Because of you, Lit Hub has […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-15 08:22:22 UTC ]
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OpenAI will pay to train its models on Business Insider and Politico articles

OpenAI will pay German publisher Axel Springer to use its news articles to train its AI models and show real-time information from Axel Springer's brands, which include Business Insider and Politico in the US and Bild and Welt in Europe, in ChatGPT’s responses. None of the companies disclosed... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-13 20:03:27 UTC ]
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De Los | Reads: 9 books to read during the holidays by Latinx authors

If you want inspiration for the new year, the nonfiction section has a self-care title that promises a meditative reading and a graphic novel about the Latinx leaders who changed the history of the U.S. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-13 18:42:26 UTC ]
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Cait Corrain apologizes, checks into rehab after Goodreads 'review bombing' rival authors

First-time author Cait Corrain has apologized on X and announced she is going to rehab after losing her book deal and agent for 'review bombing' on Goodreads. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-12-12 22:43:34 UTC ]
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Year End: Cambridge University Press Reports Record £1 Billion in Revenue

England's merged Cambridge University Press & and Assessment reports record revenues and numbers of users in 2022-2023. The post Year End: Cambridge University Press Reports Record £1 Billion in Revenue appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-12-12 20:15:01 UTC ]
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Read these great books published by Lit Hub staff members in 2023.

As you probably know, Literary Hub is produced by a small staff; most of us are writers, and/or moonlight as editors on other projects. This year, four of our number—that would be 36% percent of full time Literary Hub staffers, not too shabby—published books, which is certainly worthy of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-12-11 17:52:31 UTC ]
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Winnie’s Wagon Supports Unhoused Students

Pittsburgh-based nonprofit Homeless Children’s Education Fund has rolled out Winnie’s Wagon, the first mobile classroom in the region dedicated to serving youth experiencing housing instability. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-08 05:00:00 UTC ]
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12 of the Most Prolific Children’s Book Authors of All Time

These prolific children's book authors have written hundreds of books over decades working in the publishing industry! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-07 11:30:00 UTC ]
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CBC News analysis finds thousands of Canadian authors, books in controversial dataset used to train AI

A CBC News investigation has found at least 2,500 copyrighted books written by more than 1,200 Canadian and Québécois authors were shared online as part of a massive — and now defunct — dataset used to train artificial intelligence. Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2023-12-07 09:00:49 UTC ]
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'Know My Name' author Chanel Miller has written a children's book, 'Magnolia Wu Unfolds It'

Chanel Miller’s next book after her prize-winning memoir “Know My Name” will help fulfill a longtime dream to write and illustrate children’s stories Continue reading at ABC News

[ ABC News | 2023-12-06 14:46:03 UTC ]
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News Corp agreed to pay Bruce Lehrmann $295,000 to settle defamation claim, court documents reveal

Payment revealed after ABC agreed to pay him $150,000 and remove Facebook video of Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame speech at National Press ClubGet our morning and afternoon news emails,free app or daily news podcastNews Corp agreed to pay Bruce Lehrmann $295,000 to drop a defamation suit he... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-12-06 12:10:09 UTC ]
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All the best Cyber Monday deals that are still live on Amazon right now

Cyber Monday may have come and gone, but quite a few of the deals are still live. We're also seeing new discounts and bundles pop up that weren't previously listed. If you didn't get everything you need during the frenzy of Black Friday sales, you can still save on Amazon Echos, Dyson vacs,... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-12-01 16:43:49 UTC ]
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Most Parents Trust, Respect, and Feel Safe with Librarians: Book Censorship News, December 1, 2023

Despite rhetoric from the far right, most parents feel their kids are safe in libraries and that librarians are trustworthy. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-12-01 11:40:00 UTC ]
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A Primer for Protecting and Supporting Bookstores

‘How to Protect Bookstores and Why,’ the new book by The Raven bookstore co-owner Danny Caine, offers strategies for booksellers and their customers to keep indie stores kicking. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries: December 1, 2023

Among the week's headlines: Iowa becomes the next book banning legal battleground; a survey finds that parents still overwhelmingly trust libraries and library workers; and ALA announces Meg Medina as honorary chair of National Library Week 2024. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-12-01 05:00:00 UTC ]
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