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

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Waterstones says it can't pay living wage, as 1,300 authors support staff appeal'

W H Smith to support Harrogate crime award

W H Smith is to support the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year award, in a three-... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #peculier crime

'Niche authors hit' by Amazon's ebook royalty rates

The Telegraph has claimed niche authors are being unfairly hit by Amazon’s self-publishing... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-03-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Author Turns to Self-Publishing, with Help From ‘Podmates’

Brenda Peterson is one of the growing number of authors who are working on self-published projects in addition to writing books released by traditional houses. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-03-10 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #author turns #growing number #traditional houses

Three lives saved by a children's book

Three boys who were camping in Queensland, Australia, escaped from quicksand using information gained in a book. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-03-09 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

How Bookshop Windows Can Support Digital Promotion Campaigns

Dressing bookshop windows is a dying art, but if done with a sense of theatre, it can be a stepping stone to a digital campaign – one that the public unknowingly runs for you. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-03-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bookshop windows #stepping stone #digital campaign

Waterstones event for Meyer

Stephenie Meyer, author of the Twilight series, will be holding an event in the UK next week for... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #waterstones event #stephenie meyer #twilight series

Children's author Patricia MacLachlan honors Newtown residents with new book

MacLachlan, author of 'Sarah, Plain and Tall,' said she was inspired to write a picture book after talking with her friend, an illustrator who lives in Newtown. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #picture book

Ether for Authors: The Stay-Seated Writers’ Conference

Porter Anderson's curation publishing buzz takes in the IndieReCon virtual conference, questions B&N's future, and looks atbuying your way to the top of the bestseller list. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #porter anderson #bestseller list

Waterstones to launch bookselling certificate

Waterstones is set to launch a UK “industry first” professional qualification in... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #uk industry

Debut author gets 7-figure book deal

A debut author who graduated from the celebrated Iowa Writers' Workshop has a seven-figure book deal.HarperCollins announced Wednesday that it will publish Erika Johansen's Queen of the Tearling, a fantasy trilogy inspired in part by Barack Obama.A person with knowledge of the negotiations said... Continue reading at Crains New York

[ Crains New York | 2013-02-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #debut author #barack obama

Darren Shan to be live-streamed

Simon & Schuster Children's Books is to run a live-streamed author event with horror... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this |

Audible 2.0 for iOS brings long-expected iPad support and a UI overhaul

When the iPad is seemingly tailor-made for books of all kinds, you'd think Audible would leap on the opportunity to produce an optimized audiobook app -- it wasn't quite so eager, as customers have since discovered. Apple tablet owners won't have to perpetually lean on the stock music app for... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2013-02-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ios device #latest app #app store

Killing the “Pay First, Read Later” E-bookselling Model

The download first, pay-as-you-read ebook sales model from Total Boox in Israel promises a superior consumer experience by minimizing the uncertainty of book buying. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #total boox #book buying

Best-selling Author: "Public Libraries Deprive Writers Of Royalties"

"Horrible Histories" author Terry Deary told a newspaper that public libraries are a drain on government resources that deprive authors of royalty checks. Best-selling childrens' book author Terry Deary has become the first major writer to speak up against the concept of public libraries. In... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #alison flood #book industry #read books

Will Pay-as-You-Read Allow Publishers to Charge More for Ebooks?

By minimizing the risk of buying a bad book, pay-as-you-read business models could translate into higher prices and higher quality content, but will it drive more sales? Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #higher prices

Debbie Ford, author of 'The Dark Side of the Light Chasers,' dies

Debbie Ford wrote 'The Dark side of the Light Chasers,' a self-help book. Debbie Ford built on her self-help books to become a lecturer, teacher, self-help coach at the The Ford Institute for Transformational Training. Ford passed on Sunday. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #dark side

'Huge boost' for 20p authors

Authors have admitted they welcome the “huge boost” in sales when their ebooks are... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #huge boost

Bestselling author riles many, calling libraries 'no longer relevant'

British writer Terry Deary, author of the 'Horrible Histories' children's series, says that libraries have 'had their day' and that there is no 'entitlement to read books for free.' Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-02-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #horrible histories #read books